Madani Secondary Girls' School

Inspection of Madani Secondary Girls’ School Myrdle Street, London E1 1HL

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time at this small and nurturing school. The school places a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ self-esteem, compassion and integrity. To this end, the school offers a wealth of opportunities for pupils to contribute positively to their school and local community. Pupils of all ages engage confidently in debate about current affairs. The school encourages them to challenge accepted ways of thinking and stereotypes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambitions for what pupils can achieve. All pupils complete the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects at GCSE. The newly designed curriculum supports pupils to gain a detailed understanding of the subjects they study. Pupils typically achieve well and are ready for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In the sixth form, students can choose from a range of A-level and Alimiyyah courses. The school helps pupils to consider different careers through a structured programme of visiting speakers, work experience opportunities and careers trips. Students in the sixth form gain the qualifications they need for their next steps in education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The behaviour of pupils is excellent. Pupils across the school show exceptionally positive attitudes to learning. Students in the sixth form and prefects in Year 11 are role models in the school. They take on a range of responsibilities to support younger pupils.

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better?

Pupils love to learn about cultures and faiths different to their own. They are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain. Through the citizenship curriculum, pupils learn about human rights, diversity and the importance of respecting the views and values of others. As a result, the school is a harmonious community where pupils encourage and support each other. Pupils in Year 11 organise a homework club where they help younger pupils with their studies.

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better?

The school aspires for pupils to be leaders of the future. During the school’s mock- elections, pupils wrote manifestos and lobbied for votes. Pupils in the school council collect the views of their peers and represent their ideas to school leaders. They make a tangible difference to the school environment. Pupils recognise the value of learning. Attendance rates are high. Pupils are earnest in their approach to their lessons.

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better?

Much of the school’s curriculum has undergone changes in recent years. The resulting curriculum is broad and more ambitious for pupils. The school has identified the key knowledge and subject-specific skills that pupils should learn across each subject. The curriculum’s sequence helps pupils to build up their understanding, so that they can successfully grasp increasingly complex ideas over time. In history for example, pupils in Year 7 learn about medieval England and the 14 to 16 January 2025 influences of different ruling monarchs. By Year 11, pupils can compare democratic societies and consider the changing role of modern-day monarchies.

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better?

Teachers are experts in the subjects they teach. This is particularly the case in the sixth form. Teachers deliver new knowledge clearly. There is a strong emphasis on key vocabulary. Teachers routinely include activities that help pupils to remember what they have previously learned. This helps pupils to explain what they know with increasing confidence and draw useful links between pieces of knowledge.

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better?

Teachers know how to get the best from individual pupils. The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils receive the support they need to be successful. Pupils who are less confident readers receive additional time to develop their reading fluency and comprehension. The school has tailored the curriculum in the sixth form to the individual interests and aspirations of the students who attend.

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better?

The school has trained teachers to use different strategies to check what pupils know and can do. Many teachers use questioning effectively to spot any knowledge gaps or misconceptions that pupils may have. However, some teachers wait until formal assessment points to identify gaps in learning that pupils have. This reduces the opportunities for pupils to receive helpful feedback to improve.

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better?

Pupils are taught to stay healthy and safe, including online. They tackle age- appropriate themes within the school’s relationships and sex education programme. This includes increasingly mature discussions of risks, such as sexual harassment and coercive control and the laws of consent.

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better?

Staff are proud of their school and the work they do to support their pupils. They recognise the ongoing work of school leaders to reduce their workload. The school’s governing body has a strong oversight of the improvement priorities of the school. They understand their statutory responsibilities, providing appropriate support and challenge when needed.

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better?

The school knows and upholds its responsibilities under schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that all of the independent school standards have been met.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 to 16 January 2025

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 At times, teachers are overly reliant on summative assessment to check what pupils know and to provide pupils with feedback. Some pupils are not clear about what they need to do to improve between assessment points. Over time, this means that sometimes teachers do not identify when pupils have gaps in their knowledge and may move on to new learning before pupils are ready. The school should ensure that teachers routinely check what pupils have learned and provide clear, direct feedback to help them to improve, without creating unnecessary burdens on staff or pupils.

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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 January 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 100982 DfE registration number 211/6383

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School details

Inspection number 10322564 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Girls

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form

Dates of previous inspection 3 to 5 March 2020 14 to 16 January 2025

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Information about this school

 Madani Secondary Girls’ School is a Muslim faith school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school’s most recent inspection was its last standard inspection in March 2020. The school received an additional inspection in January 2023 to increase its capacity to 360 pupils.

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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 meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, heads of school and other senior leaders. They also met with members of the school’s governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: science, computing, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school policies and documents. This includes documents relating to school improvement, health and safety and premises

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Information about this inspection

maintenance and records of behaviour and attendance.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. They also spoke to staff and reviewed the responses to the online staff and pupil surveys. 14 to 16 January 2025

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Inspection team

Annabel Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Lloyd Ofsted Inspector 14 to 16 January 2025 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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