Abu Bakr Al-Ihsaan Academy

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Abu Bakr Al-Ihsaan Academy 154-160 Wednesbury Road, Palfrey, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 4JJ

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 3, 3(j)  The school is registered as one mixed school from 4 to 16 but it is operating a separate school for girls aged 11 to 16 on the same site. Leaders were originally acting in the belief that their registration agreement with the Department for Education allowed them to admit both boys and girls to the four to 11 provision and only girls to the 11 to 16 provision. However, the school is registered as a mixed school from ages four to 16. As the school does not allow boys to be admitted to the 11 to 16 provision, they are acting in breach of their registration and are separating pupils by sex, which amounts to unlawful discrimination.  The separation by sex amounts to a detriment to the girls in the 11 to 16 provision, as they do not have an opportunity to interact with pupils of the opposite sex during the school day. It also amounts to detriment to boys as they are not permitted access to the

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Main inspection findings

11 to 16 provision.  Leaders told us at the last monitoring visit that they were taking steps to address this by applying for a separate unique reference number for the 11 to 16 provision. At the time of the inspection, leaders had not applied for a separate unique reference number for the 11 to 16 provision.  This independent school standard (the standards) remains unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 15  Leaders ensure that admissions and attendance registers are maintained. These records include the necessary information. However, despite their mixed registration status, leaders do not admit boys to the 11 to 16 provision.  This standard remains unmet. Part 6. Provision of information Paragraph 32(1)(c)  Leaders have ensured that the safeguarding policy is available on the school’s website.  This standard remains met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)  At the previous inspection in November 2023, these standards were unmet as boys were not admitted to the 11 to 16 provision which was in breach of the school’s registration status and constituted separation by sex. Leaders had plans to address this by applying for a separate unique reference number for the 11 to 16 provision. However, at the time of the inspection, this was not in place.  These standards remain unmet.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

Type of school All-through Islamic day school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £4,000 to £4,300

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School details

Website www.abubakrgirlschool.org www.abubakrprimaryschool.org Email address info@abubakrgirlschool.org

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 8 to 10 March 2022

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Abu Bakr Trust.  The school has an Islamic ethos.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  After the previous inspection, the Department for Education required the school to prepare an action plan. This action plan was judged to be acceptable on 8 February 2024.  The inspector held discussions with the school’s proprietor and school staff. These discussions focused on the progress made against the previously unmet standards and the arrangements for safeguarding.  The inspector spoke to pupils and visited some lessons.  The inspector reviewed the single central record of checks made about the suitability of adults. She also looked at a range of other documents, including the school’s

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding policy and a sample of safeguarding records.  This inspection was conducted without notice.

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain un-met at this inspection

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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(j) does not discriminate against pupils contrary to Part 6 of the 2010 Act[10].

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 15 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006[13].

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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; and guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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