Setting

CONTENTS

What the school must do in order to comply with the regulations

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CONTENTS

What the school must do to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act:

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CONTENTS

Compliance with the regulations for registration

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CONTENTS

1. The quality of education provided by the school

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CONTENTS

The quality of the teaching and assessment

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CONTENTS

Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

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CONTENTS

What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

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CONTENTS

2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

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CONTENTS

Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

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CONTENTS

What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

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CONTENTS

3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

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CONTENTS

Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

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CONTENTS

Does the school comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (2002)?

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CONTENTS

What does the school need to do to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act:

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CONTENTS

4. The suitability of the proprietor and staff Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

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CONTENTS

What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

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CONTENTS

5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

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CONTENTS

Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

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CONTENTS

What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

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CONTENTS

6. The quality of information for parents and other partners

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CONTENTS

Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

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CONTENTS

What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

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CONTENTS

7. The effectiveness of the school's procedures for handling complaints

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CONTENTS

Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

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CONTENTS

What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by the Office for Standards in Education under Section 163 of the Education Act 2002 in order to advise the Secretary of State for Education and Skills about the school's suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about the school

Jamiatul Ummah School is an independent selective secondary day school for boys in the Shadwell district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was established in 1997 in order to provide an education for Muslim boys in Greater London which combined Muslim studies and teaching based on National Curriculum subjects. At the time of the inspection the school had 130 boys on roll, none of whom had a statement of special educational need. Its aims and objectives are clearly described in its prospectus and in other documents that are available to parents. Chief among these aims is to provide Muslim boys with the opportunity to recognise and reach their full potential academically, morally and spiritually. Secondly to enable them to develop into young men who will be able to make significant contributions to the Ummah (the Muslim community), and to the multicultural society of contemporary Britain.

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Information about the school

The school has a clearly stated admissions policy. Only 30 places are available each year, and pupils must pass an entry test in English, mathematics, and science. The test also includes an informal discussion about their knowledge of the Qur'an and Islamic life. The school describes itself as `comprehensive' and the pupils represent a wide spectrum of ability. This is reflected in the results gained in GCSE examinations during the past few years.

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Summary of main findings

Jamiatul Ummah safeguards and protects its pupils effectively. Since it was first established, it has made good progress towards fulfilling its aims to provide an integrated education within an Islamic setting that enables pupils to become good citizens. It still has some weaknesses and needs to develop its curriculum so that it provides the boys with a broader educational experience. It is a happy, peaceful and mutually supportive community which is characterised by a sense that teachers and pupils are united in a common educational endeavour. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory.

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What the school does well

o it provides a secure environment in which boys can be at ease in studying and in learning about their Islamic faith and life; o within a multi-ethnic community, relationships at all levels are characterised by strong mutual respect; o its teachers show a strong sense of dedication and commitment to the school and the pupils and serve as good role models for the boys; and o it is successful in preparing boys for the next stage of their education.

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What the school must do in order to comply with the regulations

o give pupils a wider experience of the technological, human and social, and aesthetic and creative areas of the curriculum; o put into place a framework to assess pupils' work regularly and thoroughly and use the information from such assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can make progress; o provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of public institutions and services in England; o ensure that prior to the confirmation of their appointment, staff at the school have been subject to a check with the Criminal Records Bureau to confirm their suitability to work with children; o ensure that there are appropriate facilities for pupils who are ill in accordance with the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999; o provide parents and carers with particulars on the school's policy and arrangements for exclusions; o provide parents and carers with details of the number of staff employed at the school, including temporary staff, and a summary of their qualifications; and

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What the school must do in order to comply with the regulations

o ensure that it draws up and implements a procedure for handling complaints which fully meets the requirements of the regulations.

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What the school must do to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act:

o draw up a policy which outlines how it intends to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

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The quality of the curriculum

Since it was established in 1997, Jamiatul Ummah has succeeded in providing its pupils with an education which integrates Islamic education and subjects from the National Curriculum (NC). The school has made good progress since it opened and each year it has enabled a number of boys to proceed to further education. However, it is not yet fully meeting its aims and objectives. In particular, it does not yet give pupils enough opportunities to study technology, the aesthetic and creative areas of experience and the history and geography of the United Kingdom. It needs to raise pupils' awareness of the major contribution that Islam has made to art and design, mathematics and science, and to provide them with a broader understanding of contemporary British society and their role in it.

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The quality of the curriculum

It is a particular strength of the school that, following a venerable tradition in Islam, it regards all knowledge as a unity. This is reflected in the great respect which pupils show towards both their Islamic studies and the NC subjects that they study. The staff work together in a positive way for the good of the boys and in pursuit of common goals. The Islamic studies and the NC subjects constitute two complementary strands of the curriculum. The ratio of time devoted to these two strands varies a little from year to year. It averages out across the school at about one quarter of the time for the Islamic strand and three quarters for the rest of the curriculum.

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The quality of the curriculum

The school has clearly put a great deal of effort into making the Islamic strand of the curriculum broad and balanced. This emphasises all the key aspects of the faith and practice of Islam, and it ultimately enables pupils to pursue General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) courses in Islamic Studies very successfully. Central to the course is the study of al-Qur'an, and a small number of pupils in each year group become hafiz, or proficient in reciting the whole Qur'an by heart. However, a number of features are still not developed enough. Issues such as the relationship of Islam to other faiths and the role of Islam, and young Muslims, in Britain, are touched on in the Key Stage 4 examination syllabus, but are not dealt with fully enough in Key Stage 3.

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The quality of the curriculum

The NC subjects that are taught form a common core for almost all pupils through Key Stages 3 and 4. Pupils study them to GCSE examination level. They include English language, English literature, Mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT), physical education (PE), Arabic, and Bengali. Two-thirds of the school population has a Bangladeshi cultural heritage and Bengali teaching, financed by the Local Education Authority (LEA), is provided for these pupils. During Bengali lessons, other pupils, who come from 10 different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, are provided with additional lessons in the Islamic curriculum. Arabic is taught principally as a modern foreign language, but it also helps pupils to access the Qur'an. The school prospectus indicates that citizenship will be added to the secular curriculum, but this has not yet been put in place. During Year 10, all pupils participate in two weeks of work experience to widen

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The quality of the curriculum

their experiences of life. Aspects of personal, social and health education are covered in different parts of the Islamic strand of the curriculum.

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The quality of the teaching and assessment

Overall, the teaching at Jamiatul Ummah is satisfactory. Of twenty lessons seen, teaching in three lessons was good or better, and in ten there were only minor weaknesses. In seven lessons the teaching was unsatisfactory, but these lessons were all in two departments and the teachers were very new to the school and still getting to know the school and its pupils. The senior management team is aware of the need to provide these teachers with appropriate in-service training and is taking steps to ensure that this is done.

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The quality of the teaching and assessment

The best lessons are characterised by effective planning that has clear objectives and by teaching methods which take into account the needs of pupils with different abilities. In these lessons, relationships between the pupils and the teacher are good. The teachers take time to listen to the pupils and show them that their views matter, and incorporate their insights into the next stage of the lesson. There is good support for individual pupils, especially those experiencing difficulties. Good subject knowledge is a particular strength of the best teaching. In the most effective lessons teachers engage the pupils' interest in the subject matter, and harness their enthusiasm, so that behaviour is good and they stay on task without becoming distracted. This provides an exemplar of good practice to be shared by the staff.

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The quality of the teaching and assessment

In the weaker lessons the learning needs of those of different ability are not always recognised. Too often in these lessons, teachers ignore the prior knowledge that pupils have, set the same work for the whole group, and fail to take into account the range of ability in the class. Sometimes the teaching methods are narrow and unimaginative and the teacher spends too much time talking or asking pupils to copy notes from the board. In such lessons the pupils are not stimulated, they soon lose interest in what is going on, and they become distracted and restless. In other lessons the pace is too rushed and teachers do not listen to pupils' answers to questions. In a small minority of lessons the teacher's manner is stern and rather unfriendly, and this does little to establish a good atmosphere for learning.

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The quality of the teaching and assessment

Books are marked regularly, but the meaning of the grades awarded is not always clear to the pupils and marks are very rarely accompanied by helpful comments, especially ones which tell pupils what they need to do to improve. There is no whole school assessment policy to ensure uniform practice in marking and assessment. The school only charges very modest fees, so funding for resources is very limited. In spite of this, teachers make good use of the resources available, which are better in some subjects than in others. The school should ensure that all pupils have equal access to the learning materials that they need. The Islamic Studies department has made a particularly effective and valuable contribution by compiling its own course materials for the GCSE course.

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The quality of the teaching and assessment

Although no boys enter the school with statements of special educational need, they display a wide range of attainment. It is clear that some of the less able would greatly benefit from additional support. Overall, pupils make satisfactory and in some cases good, progress, and this is reflected in the public examination results at the end of Key Stage 4.

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Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

The school meets most but not all of the requirements.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

o give pupils wider experience of the technological, human and social, and aesthetic and creative areas of the curriculum (paragraph 1(2)(a)(ii)); and o put into place a framework to assess pupils' work regularly and thoroughly and to use the information from such assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can make progress (paragraph 1(3)(g)).

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

In order to achieve its aims and objectives, Jamiatul Ummah places great emphasis on the overall development of pupils and their place within the religious community to which they belong. There is a positive concern for pupils' spiritual and moral development, and the well-structured Islamic and Qur'anic Studies curriculum make a good contribution in this regard. For example, through intensive exposure to Islamic law and ethics, pupils develop a strong sense of right and wrong and apply this in their relationships with each other.

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

Pupils are given the opportunity to develop their interests through a good range of after-school cubs and activities. One of these is the school debating club. This is run by the Islamic Studies department, is very well managed, and gives pupils the opportunity to learn and practise the skills of public debate. The approach to this from the teacher in charge is warm, friendly, and very encouraging. The opportunities that the club gives are much appreciated by the boys.

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

The school provides a safe environment and friendly community in which pupils are encouraged to accept responsibility and develop good relationships with their teachers. A relatively new feature of the school is the School Council, which consists of two prefects from each year group. This is beginning to act as a channel to bring the concerns of the pupils to the members of the senior management team.

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

Within the Islamic Studies curriculum there is a comparative religions component which helps to give pupils a basic knowledge of the multi-faith nature of British society, but they would benefit from establishing links with other religious communities through visits to places of worship and schools. Pupils are helped to develop a wider cultural experience through visits to museums and by participating in training camps. No provision is made in the curriculum to teach pupils about public institutions and services in England. With very minor exceptions, behaviour in the school is very good. Pupils are very tolerant and accepting of the ethnic and cultural differences to be found among them. They are keen and eager to talk to visitors, and treat them with great friendliness and courtesy.

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Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

The school meets all but one of the requirements.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

o provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of public institutions and services in England (paragraph 2(d)).

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The quality of the school's provision for pupils' welfare, health and safety is good. Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour, and a clear system of rewards and sanctions is applied consistently across the school. In the main, harmonious relationships prevail amongst the pupils, but in the rare cases where bullying occurs there are agreed actions and procedures contained in a written policy. Pupils are carefully supervised during lunch and break times, and there are good procedures in place for organising educational visits. There are two members of staff with First Aid qualifications, and one of them, who is a member of the administrative staff, is the designated First Aider.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The school has an appropriate policy for child protection. The deputy head is the person who is designated to deal with this area and to liaise with outside bodies. Staff are aware of the actions to be taken if there are causes for concern. In-house arrangements have been made for all staff, both teaching and ancillary, to receive training to raise their awareness of child protection issues.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

New fire alarm systems have been installed along with new fire exit doors. There have been regular visits from the London Fire Brigade over the past nine months, and the school has benefited from useful advice on health and safety issues. There are regular fire drills and these are carefully recorded.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

Central records are kept on pupils who have been referred by form tutors to the disciplinary officer, and these contain evidence of further disciplinary measures if these are needed. Both the admission register and the attendance registers are maintained correctly.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The school has not yet drawn up a plan to increase accessibility in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act:

In order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act:

o draw up a written policy which indicates how it is going to comply with the requirements of the Act.

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4. The suitability of the proprietor and staff

The school is owned and maintained by Dawatul Islam UK and Eire. This is a charitable organisation which works particularly to provide help and support for the Muslim community in Great Britain. The school is a registered charitable trust with a board of 15 governors. The governors meet once a term, or more frequently if required. They have the overall responsibility for formulating the principles and content of the curriculum, finance, senior staff appointments, and approving policy documents. Day to day management is in the hands of a senior management team, consisting of the principal, the school administrator, the head of Islamic Studies, and a senior teacher.

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4. The suitability of the proprietor and staff

Since it was established, the school has tried to ensure that all its teachers are well qualified. Almost all of the secular staff are now university graduates, and the teachers in the Islamic studies department all have appropriate qualifications in their disciplines. The professional experience of individual teachers is varied, and in some cases is not directly appropriate for the age range of pupils in the school. The school is aware of this and has recently entered into an agreement with the LEA to develop a programme of professional development and in-service training.

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4. The suitability of the proprietor and staff

Prior to the introduction of checks with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), teachers' fitness was checked by reference to List 99, but the school has been very slow to make appropriate checks under the new arrangements. CRB checks are now in the process of being dealt with, but the school will need to ensure that, in future, such checks are carried out in accordance with the regulations.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

o ensure that, in future, prior to the confirmation of their appointment, staff at the school have been subject to a check with the CRB to confirm their suitability to work with children. (paragraph 4(b)).

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5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

The premises and accommodation are satisfactory. The school is housed in purpose built premises which are around one hundred years old and which are used as a community centre by the local Muslim community. The building is in a good state of repair. There is some shared use: the masjid (prayer hall) is used by members of the community throughout the day, and in the mornings women from the community make use of the fitness room on the ground floor. However, visitors to both are carefully supervised. The prayer hall and the school share a common entrance, but a doorkeeper is constantly on duty there.

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5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

Classrooms are of good size and are suitably furnished, and there are specialist rooms for teaching science and ICT, a hall which can be used for PE or school assemblies, and a library. Some of the classrooms have carpets, but most of the floors are covered with linoleum which, have had to be patched in places. The school is in a satisfactory state of decoration and areas such as the dining room and stairwells have recently been redecorated. Heating, lighting and ventilation are all adequate. However, little has been done to take away from the bareness of the teaching and learning environment: some of the rooms and corridors have educational posters on the walls, but pupils' work is rarely on display. There is a medical room, but this has yet to be equipped with a suitable bed and wash basin. In informal discussion with boys they said on several occasions that the toilets and washrooms were often wet underfoot and they wished they could be maintained to a

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5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

higher standard. Otherwise, the school is kept clean and there are no obvious health and safety concerns.

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5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

Outside, there is a small hard surfaced playground, but this is not large enough for the number of boys in the school. Boys from Years 9, 10 and 11 make use of a grassed area opposite the school which belongs to Tower Hamlets, but this is used by the public, including people who use it to exercise their dogs. Although the boys are always supervised when they are there, it is not very hygienic. The school is at present in negotiation with the Local Authority to take over the use and maintenance of this area. Already some of the boys have made suggestions as to how it might be refurbished.

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Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

The school meets all the requirements except one.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

o ensure that there are appropriate facilities for pupils who are ill in accordance with the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 (paragraph 5(l)).

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6. The quality of information for parents and other partners

Arrangements for providing parents with information about the school and its procedures are satisfactory. An attractively designed prospectus gives basic information about the school, including details of the admissions procedure. Accountability by the proprietors is ensured through the publication of two reports a year, one of which is a comprehensive annual report to which all parents also have access.

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6. The quality of information for parents and other partners

The school meets most of the regulations required for registration as an independent school regarding the quality of information provided for parents and other partners. All existing school policies are available on request. However, the school does not publish a list of all staff and their qualifications. Neither does it, as a matter of course, provide parents and prospective parents with particulars of the school's policy on, and arrangements for, exclusions.

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6. The quality of information for parents and other partners

Parents receive two reports each year on the progress and attainment of their sons in each subject. These contain useful comments, but do not suggest targets for improvement. They would benefit from a sharper analysis of strengths. The school has an open door policy, and parents can approach teachers at any convenient time in order to discuss their sons' progress.

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Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

The school meets most but not all of the requirements.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

o provide to parents particulars of the school's policy on and arrangements for exclusions (paragraph 6(2)(e)); and o provide details of the numbers of staff at the school, including temporary staff, and a summary of their qualifications (paragraph 6(2)(k)).

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7. The effectiveness of the school's procedures for handling complaints

At present, there is a written complaints procedure in place, and parental responses to the pre- inspection questionnaire indicate that two-thirds of the parents understand the procedures. As it stands, however, this document does not fully meet the requirements of the regulations. The school has now produced a new document to replace this, outlining a fuller complaints procedure, but this has yet to be implemented.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

o ensure that it produces and implements a policy regarding the procedures for handling complaints which fully meets the requirements of the regulations (paragraphs 7(d) and (f) to (k)).

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School details

Name of school: Jamiatul Ummah School DfES ref number: 211/6387 Type of school: Selective Muslim Secondary School Status: Independent Age range of pupils: 11-16 Gender of pupils: Male Number on roll (full-time pupils): Boys 130, Girls 0, Total 130 Annual fees (day pupils): £2,000 56 Bigland Street London Address of school:

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School details

E1 2ND E-mail address: admin@jamiatulummah.org.uk Telephone number: 0207 790 7878 Fax number: 0207 790 2005 Headteacher: Mr Abdur Rahman Madani Proprietor: Dawatul Islam UK and EIRE Lead Inspector: Dr Roy Long D ates of inspection: 27 - 30 September 2004

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School details

commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Inspection reports are available on the Ofsted web site (www.ofsted.gov.uk).

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