Madina-tul-Uloom Al Islamic College

Inspection report for boarding school: Madinatul Uloom Al Islamiya 1 Madinatul Uloom Al Islamiya Madinatul Uloom Al-Islamiya Islamic College Madinatul Uloom Al-Islamiya, Butts Lane, Stone, Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY10 4BH

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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 Islamic boarding and day school for boys and young men aged 11 to 28. There are 194 pupils at the school. The school can accommodate 275 boarders. At the time of inspection, there were 171 pupils boarding, 136 under the age of 18.

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Information about this boarding school

The boarding provision for all pupils is in the school grounds, with different age ranges in each boarding house.

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Information about this boarding school

The head of boarding has been in post for seven years.

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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

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good

Date of last inspection: 3 October 2023 Inspection report for boarding school: Madinatul Uloom Al Islamiya 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Students say that they feel happy and safe boarding at this school. They describe a strong sense of community and speak about their school, and each other, with genuine pride. Students say living in boarding is ‘like a sleepover with your friends’. They say that they have people they can speak to and describe feeling well cared for by staff. The atmosphere is welcoming, and students were observed to be at ease.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Students benefit from well-planned moves into boarding. They and their parents have the opportunity to visit prior to boarding to gain an understanding of what to expect. Leaders ensure that students receive support from staff, and students are partnered with a peer who helps them to learn about the rules and shows them around. Staff provide students with helpful information and share their own experiences of being away from home. Good systems for introducing students help to ensure that their experiences are positive and that they are helped to overcome anxieties about being away from home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Students enjoy the activities on offer in boarding and work has been undertaken to ensure that a greater variety of activities are provided. They play football and have a common room with a table tennis table, badminton nets, and table football. Staff put on after-school clubs including an art club and calligraphy. Staff take students on trips out to a local leisure centre at weekends. Other trips have included a theme park and ice skating. Activities enhance students’ experiences of boarding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise students’ education and students make good progress. They know what progress looks like for students and progress is clearly tracked in records. Students’ graduations are celebrated with large-scale events, where students, their families and staff come together to celebrate students’ achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders have made considerable changes to the boarding accommodation. A programme of refurbishment has taken place and included replacing carpets, updating bathrooms, painting and freshening the environment. Staff encourage students to personalise their bedrooms, and students say that they have what they need. The work undertaken has resulted in significant improvements to the boarding environment for students, and leaders are aware of the need for ongoing development and maintenance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help students to stay in touch with people who are important to them. Parents describe good communication with staff and talk about the positive impact boarding has for their children. One parent said, ‘My son loves it.’ Parents spoke about their children choosing to stay in boarding over weekends, where they enjoy time with their friends. Inspection report for boarding school: Madinatul Uloom Al Islamiya 3

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

Leaders have good oversight of the safeguarding of children, and systems for monitoring students’ safety and welfare are effective. Students say they feel safe, and staff demonstrate a good awareness of potential risks to students. Procedures for reporting concerns are clear, and leaders take effective action to ensure that concerns are addressed and that students receive the support they need. For example, staff are alert to children’s presentation and speak to students when they identify changes. A proactive approach to safeguarding helps to ensure that concerns are addressed before they escalate.

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

Staff understand and promote the values of the school well. Children’s behaviour is excellent and there is a culture of respect that is modelled by staff and students. Systems in place to address poor behaviour are clear and well understood by students. Following one incident of bullying, clear interventions were put in place that helped students understand that this behaviour was unacceptable. Staff also encouraged students to repair their relationships and make amends for the behaviour they had displayed. The behavioural lead analyses behaviours and identifies areas where students may need additional support. Systems are effective. There have been no repeat incidents, which demonstrates the effectiveness of responses to them, and students talk about the values of their school with pride.

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

Leaders maintain good links with external professionals. Local safeguarding teams complete audits and say that leaders are responsive and work well with them to ensure the ongoing safety of students. Safeguarding representatives speak clearly about how the school has improved systems over time. There have been no complaints since the last inspection.

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

Assemblies are used to share important information with students. Students are observed to be focused and keen to learn. A wide range of safeguarding topics are discussed during assemblies in ways that engage students effectively. Supporting students to understand different areas of risk helps to ensure that they stay safe.

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

Leaders share informative newsletters with parents. Newsletters recognise and celebrate the individual achievements of students and share important safeguarding information. Sharing information raises awareness of risks and helps to ensure that students are kept safe when they are away from the boarding school.

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

Systems for recording and administering medication are clear. Staff receive training on how to administer medication, and there is a designated lead for medical issues who understands students’ health needs well. However, while information is captured clearly in central records, some staff were not aware of the details of students with significant allergies. This could impact on staff’s ability to keep children safe. This shortfall was raised during the inspection and leaders took effective action to make staff aware. Inspection report for boarding school: Madinatul Uloom Al Islamiya 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have taken effective action to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. They have good oversight of the boarding provision and have led improvement, creating an environment that students and staff are proud to be a part of.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel well supported by leaders and managers. Staff benefit from reviews of their practice that are aligned to their roles and responsibilities in boarding. Staff are set clear targets that support their ongoing development needs and the needs of students.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a wide range of training. Leaders have good oversight and ensure that training is relevant to staff and students’ needs. Staff say that they find training helpful and students benefit from the support of staff who understand their roles and responsibilities well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and staff have a good understanding of the ethos and principles of boarding. The head of boarding demonstrates the necessary knowledge and skills to carry out his role. He has a good overview of the progress and experiences of students. He understands the strengths and development areas for boarding and has had clear oversight of the actions taken since the last inspection. These actions have resulted in improvements in the experiences of students who board.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective and ingrained links between academic and residential staff. The well-being of students is promoted in line with boarding principles. Trustees have a good level of oversight. They visit regularly and meet with leaders to review boarding houses and students’ experiences and consider the steps being taken to improve these. This helps to ensure that boarding is continually developing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders ensure that students’ views are captured and understood. A student council meets regularly and sends out comprehensive surveys to all pupils to gather their views. A comments box is also used for students to raise issues or requests, and these are considered by the headteacher. Staff act on children’s requests. For example, swimming was introduced as an activity and a regular takeaway night was introduced after students requested these things. Students say that they feel listened to. An independent listener is appointed, and students understand how to contact them and what their role involves. Inspection report for boarding school: Madinatul Uloom Al Islamiya 5

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Points for improvement

 School leaders should ensure that staff are aware of the plans in place for children who have specific medical needs.

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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: Madinatul Uloom Al Islamiya 6

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Boarding school details

Social care unique reference number: SC043039

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Boarding school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Mr A Memi

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Boarding school details

Email address: headteacher@madinatul-uloom.org

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Inspectors

Joe Matkar-Cox, Regulatory Inspection Manager (lead) Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Amy Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for boarding school: Madinatul Uloom Al Islamiya 7 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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