Darul Uloom Al Arabiya Al Islamiya

Inspection of Darul Uloom Al Arabiya Al Islamiya Holcombe Hall, Holcombe Old Road, Holcombe, Nr. Bury, Greater Manchester BL8 4NG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good 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 and students in the sixth form are part of a close-knit community. They enjoy coming to school. They build strong relationships with the staff who work and live with them. Pupils say that there is always someone to talk to if they have a worry or a concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand that the school has high expectations for their academic achievement, as well as their personal development. They rise to meet these exacting expectations. The school’s atmosphere is calm and purposeful. Pupils are friendly, and they treat each other with respect. In lessons, pupils follow established routines, and they work hard. Pupils achieve highly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Beyond the academic curriculum, the school provides a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their personal and social skills more widely. For example, pupils take part in charity work and fundraising events. They go on trips both locally and abroad, the most recent being a trip to Portugal to take part in an international competition. Pupils enjoy extra-curricular sporting activities such as football and cricket.

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better?

The school and the proprietor share a clear vision for all pupils to study a breadth of academic subjects in conjunction with their Islamic studies. This creates challenges due to time restrictions. However, the school has thought creatively and makes appropriate curriculum adaptations to reach this aim for pupils. Pupils experience the full breadth of learning areas as set out in the independent school standards (the standards). They gain a range of recognised qualifications at the end of key stage 4. In recent years, the school has increased the number of subjects offered in the sixth form to better cater for students’ needs and interests. This broader curriculum provides more opportunities for students, increasing the opportunities available to them post-18.

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better?

In most subjects, the school has identified and ordered the essential learning that it requires pupils to know. Staff use their strong subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum effectively. Teachers identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge swiftly. Pupils achieve academic success. However, in a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not as well developed. In these subjects, teachers are not clear about the precise knowledge that pupils should learn. Consequently, the school’s systems to check what pupils know and can do are less effective. They do not help teachers to identify and remedy pupils’ misconceptions as well as they could. This hinders some pupils’ learning.

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better?

The school does not currently have any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) on roll. Nonetheless, the school understands how to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. It provides effective additional support for any pupils 1 to 3 July 2025 who experience difficulties when accessing learning. A suitable accessibility plan that fulfils the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 is in place.

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better?

The school places a strong emphasis on the importance of reading. Pupils have opportunities to read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts. The school supports pupils to develop their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and encourages them to read widely and often. Pupils read demanding texts with fluency and confidence.

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better?

Pupils behave well. The school ensures that pupils adhere to clear routines and expectations. Newly introduced systems for recording any low-level behaviour incidents are becoming embedded. The school has started to use this information more effectively. It helps staff to support pupils further should they need to regulate their own behaviour.

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better?

The school has dedicated lessons for personal, social, health and economic education, including a programme with age-appropriate information for students in the sixth form. This successfully teaches pupils about the importance of respecting difference and diversity in society, as well as those identified as having protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010. Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds live and work harmoniously together in the school. They are polite and tolerant. Pupils receive effective careers advice and guidance. They have a strong understanding of fundamental British values. The school ensures that they are well prepared for their next steps in life and can contribute positively to society as active citizens when they leave the school.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that the standards related to pupils’ welfare, health and safety are met. For example, trained staff swiftly administer and record first aid when needed, and the school is compliant with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

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better?

The school building is old in parts and in need of renovation. However, the pupils’ learning environment is suitable and fit for purpose. The proprietor is implementing a staged approach to building renovations to address identified concerns. For example, many of the school’s windows are currently being replaced.

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better?

The proprietor consults appropriately with parents and carers and has ensured that all the required information is available for them. The majority of parents are overwhelmingly positive about their child’s experience in school.

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better?

The school has experienced turbulence in its leadership. There is now a stable proprietor body in place. It has ensured that all the standards continue to be met. Staff are well supported in their roles. The proprietor sensitively considers their well- being when implementing changes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 1 to 3 July 2025 While the school keeps pupils safe, there are some minor weaknesses in safeguarding practices. There have been, and continue to be, some gaps in the school’s safeguarding records. Record-keeping is not as robust as it should be. This hinders the proprietor from maintaining a full oversight of the effectiveness of safeguarding procedures across the school.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not identified the most important knowledge that pupils must learn. This hampers pupils from building their knowledge securely based on what they already know. The school should ensure that teachers in these subjects are clear about the specific knowledge that pupils should know and remember, so that pupils can build their knowledge over time, based on secure foundational learning.  In subjects where teachers are unclear about the specific knowledge that pupils should learn, the school’s systems to check on pupils’ learning are not as effective as they could be. On occasion, pupils develop misconceptions in their learning that go unchecked. The school should ensure that assessment strategies in these subjects help teachers to identify and address gaps in pupils’ learning more effectively.  There are gaps in safeguarding records for pupils. These minor weaknesses

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

impede the oversight that the proprietor has of the effectiveness of safeguarding practices. The school must ensure that safeguarding records are recorded clearly and robustly.

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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. 1 to 3 July 2025

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School details

School category Independent boarding school

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form

Proprietor Darul Uloom Al Arabiya Al Islamiya

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form

Date of previous inspection 25 to 27 January 2022 1 to 3 July 2025

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Information about this school

 The previous standard inspection took place in January 2022. A progress monitoring inspection was carried out in October 2022.  The school operates from premises at Holcombe Old Road, Holcombe, Nr Bury, Greater Manchester, BL8 4NG.  This is an Islamic faith school. It is registered to admit up to 500 pupils.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The substantive headteacher was absent from the school during the school inspection.  Inspectors were aware during this inspection that serious allegations of a child protection nature were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the school in response to the allegations were considered alongside the other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  This inspection was carried out at the same time as an inspection of the boarding provision. However, the inspections were not aligned.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the head of school, the head of boarding provision, other senior leaders and a range of other school staff.  The lead inspector met with a member from the proprietor body.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, modern foreign languages and computer science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work in a range of other subjects. 1 to 3 July 2025  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 spoke with some pupils about their learning and about school life.  Inspectors spoke with some staff to gather their views of the school, including leaders’ support for their workload and well-being.  Inspectors made a tour of the school premises and checked documentation in relation to the standards.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff or for pupils.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Amanda Downing, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Victoria Burnside His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Cunningham Ofsted Inspector 1 to 3 July 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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