Jamia Islamia Birmingham

Inspection of Jamia Islamia Birmingham Islamic College, Fallows Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, West Midlands B11 1PL

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Inspection dates: 14 to 16 February 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and welcoming school. Leaders support pupils’ personal values to help them achieve well. This includes providing pupils with the knowledge and skills to enable them to contribute to their community in modern British society.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders aim for pupils to achieve well in their Islamic studies and their secular education. The secular curriculum in some subjects is not as well developed as in others. Pupils do not always learn well because the quality of the school’s curriculum is not consistently strong. Leaders and staff are working hard to develop the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and enjoy each other’s company. Pupils, including those in the sixth form, told inspectors that they feel safe in school. If any bullying occurs, leaders take effective action to get things sorted quickly. Pupils are confident that staff would help them if they had concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want the best for pupils. The school’s revised behaviour policy sets high expectations of pupils, but teachers do not consistently uphold these. Leaders are also promoting new core values throughout school. Pupils can identify these values and explain what they mean, for example aspiration, and how this links to opportunities beyond school.

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better?

There has been a recent change to senior leadership. Newly appointed leaders have an accurate understanding of the steps needed to improve the school. They are taking the right action to bring about change. Although this is in its infancy, the impact of recent actions is already evident. The proprietor body had not acted quickly enough in the past to address the school’s weaknesses that were identified at the last inspection. However, more recently, much has changed in a short space of time.

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better?

Pupils study a broad curriculum. However, not all subjects are planned or delivered consistently well. In stronger subjects, such as English, the important knowledge that leaders want pupils to know and understand is clear. Lessons have greater structure, and teachers make explicit to pupils what they are learning. As a result, pupils experience well-connected lessons that help them build meaning.

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better?

In other subjects, such as computing and history, the curriculum demonstrates ambition, but learning is not planned sufficiently well. Leaders have not thought about the specific knowledge that pupils need to know. It is not always clear how pupils are going to have the time to learn the planned content. Where this is the case, pupils’ learning does not go deep enough and they do not remember important content. Pupils are unable to recall important knowledge needed for future learning. This means that, in some lessons, pupils do not always learn as well as they could. In these lessons, pupils say that they find the work difficult. 14 to 16 February 2023 Teachers use questioning in lessons to check understanding. However, the use of assessment is not consistent or fully developed. As a result, teachers are not able to identify and address pupils’ strengths or gaps in their knowledge. This means that some pupils do not get the help that they need. They also struggle to know what

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better?

they do well and where they need to improve.

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better?

The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is underdeveloped. The individual learning needs of pupils are not accurately assessed and identified. Pupils do not always get the support that they need. This has contributed to some of the independent school standards being unmet.

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better?

Leaders are working hard to develop pupils’ love of reading. They have recently invested in improving the number and variety of books that pupils can access and read. Pupils are encouraged to read at a dedicated time within the school day. This is not as regular as it could be, particularly for those that need it most. Leaders have not ensured that there is a clear plan to support pupils in catching up quickly. Some pupils do not get the right help at the right time to improve their reading.

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better?

The students in the sixth form study only two subjects, Islamic Studies and a BTEC qualification in information technology. Leaders have plans to expand this offer, and students have experienced taster sessions in A-level physics. Students’ attitudes to learning are positive. There are high levels of engagement in lessons. Students learn the curriculum and develop an understanding of what is being taught. Attendance is positive. Students show respect and tolerance for others.

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better?

The atmosphere in school is friendly and calm. There is a clear approach to supporting behaviour that teachers are implementing with increased consistency. However, there is still some low-level poor behaviour in lessons that teachers do not address consistently well. Pupils do not always take pride in their achievements. Work to improve this is underway. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about the personal development offer in school. This includes the way pupils are taught fundamental British values. Pupils learn about diversity and inclusivity. This helps them to be ready for the world beyond school. Pupils are tolerant of difference and show an awareness of diversity issues. Leaders plan activities that are well considered, for example to celebrate women’s history month. Pupils do not access a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that a personal, social, health and economic education is in place. There are arrangements in place for the teaching of relationships and sex education. This meets statutory requirements.

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better?

Pupils are ambitious and understand the world of work. The school provides some careers advice and guidance. Pupils have engaged with external visitors, including previous pupils and professionals. Students in the sixth form are given help to decide and make choices about their next steps. Currently, this careers guidance happens in an unplanned manner. There is no structure or clear programme set out. 14 to 16 February 2023 Staff speak positively of the support that they receive from leaders and each other. This helps them with their workload. They feel they have a good balance between work and their home lives.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that there is a suitable accessibility plan in place. This meets the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding procedures and policies are clear. The safeguarding policy is available on the school’s website and takes account of the guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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Safeguarding

Staff know what they must do to keep children safe. Leaders and staff have received appropriate training for their roles and responsibilities. Leaders make sure that the curriculum teaches pupils how to keep themselves safe. Pupils recall what they have learned, including online safety. Pupils know who to go to in school for help if they need it.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure they carry out the necessary recruitment checks on staff before they start employment.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, the curriculum is not as well developed as it is in others because leaders have not considered carefully enough the specific knowledge that they want pupils to learn. As a result, pupils’ learning is not as strong as it could be. Leaders need to continue to refine the curriculum to ensure that the key content that pupils need to know is planned and taught in a coherently sequenced way and pupils learn what teachers intend them to. They also need to widen pupils’ opportunities for extra-curricular activities.  The arrangements for the identification of additional learning needs and SEND are not well developed. This means that some pupils do not receive effective learning opportunities and provision to help them learn well. Leaders need to ensure that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities in identifying, assessing and providing for pupils’ individual needs.  Some teachers do not implement the school’s revised behaviour policy with

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

consistency. This does not support pupils to manage their behaviour. Leaders should ensure that all staff understand and implement the school’s behaviour policy with consistency.  Teachers do not use assessment information well enough to support some pupils’ learning. This includes reading. This means that not all pupils are making the 14 to 16 February 2023 progress that they need to catch up quickly. Leaders should ensure that assessment information is used purposefully and is in place to help staff to plan pupils’ next steps in learning and to provide effective support for those who need it.  Leaders do not know and understand the independent school standards well enough. This means that they had not checked on how well the school is meeting them. Consequently, several of the independent school standards are not consistently met. Leaders should make sure that they rapidly develop an understanding of all the independent school standards so that they can bring

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

about improvements to the school’s provision and ensure that the standards are consistently met.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 14 to 16 February 2023

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form

Proprietor Jamia Islamia (Birmingham) Trust Limited

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form

Date of previous inspection 9 to 11 November 2021 14 to 16 February 2023

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Information about this school

 Jamia Islamia is an independent Islamic school for boys aged 11 to 19.  The last standard inspection of the school took place in November 2021. At that time, the school’s overall effectiveness was judged to be requires improvement. A number of independent school standards were not met. A progress monitoring inspection took place in September 2022.  A new headteacher has been in post since January 2023.  Pupil study Islamic studies in the mornings and national curriculum subjects in the afternoons. Students in the sixth form continue their Islamic studies towards qualifications and BTEC information technology.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, staff and two members of the proprietor body. They also spoke with pupils.  The lead inspector scrutinised a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. They also examined leaders’ approach to safer recruitment. Inspectors spoke to staff about their safeguarding knowledge and checked how well they understood their safeguarding responsibilities.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including the schools’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings, school policies and information on the school’s website.  The lead inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online parent, pupil and staff surveys.  The lead inspector checked that the premises complied with the independent school standards.  Inspectors evaluated safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour during breaktimes, lunchtimes and while in lessons.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history 14 to 16 February 2023 and computing.  For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Gemma Mann, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gareth Morgan Ofsted Inspector 14 to 16 February 2023

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 14 to 16 February 2023 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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