The British Muslim School

Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 1 The British Muslim School Latifiah Fultali Complex, Lodge Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands B70 8NX

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this boarding school

The school is an independent boarding and day school for Muslim boys aged between 11 and 16. There are 75 students on roll, 38 of whom board. There were 38 students in residence during this inspection. The school is approved for 40 students to board. Parents pay the costs of education and boarding. Students attend from all areas of the country. There are currently no students with education, health and care plans.

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Information about this boarding school

The inspectors only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The boarding school provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The culture and ethos of the school and boarding provision promote a family-style approach. This has created an environment where everyone shows respect and consideration for others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The admissions process is child-focused and care is taken to ensure that children are made to feel welcome and settle quickly. Prospective boarders are given the opportunity to visit the school before formally starting. Older students play a significant role in welcoming new children to the school. All the younger children spoken to said that the older students are friendly, welcoming and supportive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education attendance is good, and children make good progress with their academic and religious studies. Some of the boarding staff work in the school, which promotes stability and consistency for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respond quickly and sensitively to the health and pastoral support needs of children. This may be with helping homesick children to settle into the boarding provision or in supporting children who require additional help.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide a very clear daily structure. Boarders understand the expectations, including daily tasks and routines. These include ample time for schoolwork, religious studies and activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are effective arrangements for students to keep in contact with their parents and families. These include video contact and phone calls. Parents said that they are kept informed of their children’s progress and all expressed satisfaction with the care being provided and the academic opportunities available.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Equality and diversity are real strengths. Children celebrate their own heritage and learn about other’s beliefs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to and have opportunities to share their views. They work well as a group, and all can have their voice heard. Individual meetings between boarders and the head of care provide a space to share views and changes are made in response to requests, when practical. Children are happy with the changes that have happened over recent years, including having more time on their electronic devices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Mealtimes are sociable occasions when everyone eats and chats together. Children are generally very positive about the meals provided. Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 3

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Boarding staff take good care to keep children safe. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own safety, but this is proportionate to their age and developing maturity. For example, younger children receive greater oversight, appropriate to their age. The school and boarding rules are clear, and help boarders understand why safeguarding measures and boundaries are in place.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff safely manage a wide variety of trips, outings and activities. These are assessed for risk and organised safely. Free time is agreed in line with the child’s age and behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are confident that they can speak to any adult if they experience uncertainty or need support, advice or guidance. Good communication and joint working across the staff disciplines ensure that there are always staff available.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children’s behaviour in the boarding provision is good. Staff have positive relationships with the children, which are supported by the clear rules and boundaries that are consistently applied. An electronic recording system assists staff to keep track of children’s behaviour and incidents. This system promotes rewards for positive behaviour and highlights areas of concern that are then responded to in the boarding provision.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The boarding staff demonstrate a clear understanding of safety around the use of electronic devices and are alert to potential risks. Monitoring and internet filters protect children while they are online, ensuring their safety, and this is reinforced in school.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff and children are clear that there is zero tolerance to bullying across the whole school community. Children say that bullying is rare and they know who to go to if they need to report any concerns.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

No children have gone missing from the school or the boarding provision. The staff understand the procedure to follow should such an incident occur.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The site is physically safe and secure. Staff ensure that visitors are closely monitored, signed in and chaperoned. They also practise the home’s fire evacuation procedure and test the system on a regular basis. Children also participate in fire drills so that they know what to do in the event of an emergency.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

An effective recruitment process ensures that all necessary background checks are carried out on all prospective employees, no matter what their role. This ensures that only adults with appropriate employment histories work at the school. Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The senior leadership team is ambitious to drive forward improvements and to raise standards, while strengthening and preserving the ethos of the school. Senior leaders have a clear vision to continue the trajectory of change to embed improvements in the culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Boarding areas are staffed well, with a diverse range of staff who show a genuine interest in the lives of the children. Staff have positive relationships with children, and boarders identify those staff that they get on best with and whom they would turn to for support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An integrated staff team works across the school and the boarding facility. Staff receive the training and knowledge that they need to meet the needs of the children. Regular supervision ensures that the staff receive good support in their roles. Relationships between the staff are positive. They are supportive of one another and work closely as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Governors share the school’s vision and ethos and have relevant experience of education, boarding, safeguarding and finance. They support the headteacher by providing effective scrutiny, challenge and oversight of the boarding provision to ensure that there is continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is monitoring oversight of the boarding provision. An independent person regularly visits the provision to audit and monitor day-to-day practices. He also spends time with the children and regularly consults them to seek their views. This provides an additional source of external scrutiny.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work in partnership with parents and external professionals. This means that children receive a well-organised package of care and education. Parents are positive about the care their children receive. They say that the boarding provision provides huge benefits for their children, including increased learning and greater independence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No recommendations made at this inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the national minimum standards. Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 5

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Boarding school details

Social care unique reference number: 1267532

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Boarding school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Moulana Kadir Al Hasan

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Boarding school details

Email address: info@thebritishmuslimschool.co.uk

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Inspectors

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 6 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 for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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