Darul Hadis Latifiah

DCSF Registration Number 211/6389 Unique Reference Number 131745 Inspection number 316926 Inspection dates 5-6 December 2007 Reporting inspector Michèle Messaoudi

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002 (as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005).

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Independent School

Inspection report This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Independent School

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404040 www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, in order to advise the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about the school

Darul Hadis Latifiah is an independent day school for Muslim boys aged 11 to 20 years that was set up in 1998. It moved to the present premises in Bethnal Green in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in 2005. The students are mostly of Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritages. Admission is by entry examination. Students are bilingual or at various stages of learning English as an additional language. There are no students with specific learning difficulties or a statement of educational need. There are 88 students of secondary school age and 23 over the age of 16 years. The school aims to be a ‘quality independent school for Muslim children where they will be able to develop their academic talents to their full potential as well as their faith in Allah, and prepare to be good future British citizens and play a positive role in British society. The school will have a caring, family atmosphere where pupils will

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Information about the school

learn happily together.’ This is the school’s first published inspection report.

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Evaluation of the school

Darul Hadis Latifiah School achieves its aims in providing a good quality of education and promoting students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. The curriculum is good and provides strong elements of Islamic education alongside National Curriculum subjects. Students’ eagerness to achieve well, satisfactory and sometimes good teaching, and good academic guidance result in the vast majority making good progress over time. The school is led by a dedicated team of managers whose clear vision and strong commitment to improvement have correctly identified the priorities for development and who now seek to extend the premises so as to be able to broaden the curriculum further. The standard of care is satisfactory and the school complies with most regulations for independent schools.

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Quality of education

The curriculum is good, enabling students to study a course of Islamic subjects designed to give them a broad understanding of their faith, as well as all the subjects of the National Curriculum except art, design and technology and music. Students have aesthetic and creative experiences in English, humanities and information and communication technology (ICT), and through singing nasheeds (Islamic songs) in weekly assemblies. The school seeks to broaden the curriculum further by providing art in Key Stage 3, geography and English literature at GCSE level and vocational subjects. A full citizenship course has been introduced and will be examined at GCSE level. Provision for English, mathematics, science, ICT, Arabic, Bengali, Urdu and religious studies is good. Provision for physical education (PE) is just satisfactory and this is acknowledged by the school. ICT is used frequently in all the National

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Quality of education

Curriculum subjects. Post-16 students have the opportunity to take English, mathematics, chemistry and Bengali at AS level as well as follow a structured course of Islamic theology including three levels (alim, fazil and kamil) of proficiency. Students who are at various advanced stages of learning English receive good individual support. In addition, students’ literacy skills are enhanced well in citizenship, geography, history and science. The school has correctly identified the need to develop literacy in other subjects. The planning of the curriculum is satisfactory and it is reviewed annually.

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Quality of education

The quality of teaching and assessment is satisfactory, with elements of good practice. Most teachers gain a good knowledge of students’ aptitudes and needs through regular assessments and effective questioning to assess students’ understanding during lessons. However, only a small core of teachers use marking as an effective assessment tool. In some subjects, students’ work is not marked. In others, the marking does not show students how to improve sufficiently clearly. However, students receive useful verbal feedback that informs them on how well they are doing and what their next learning step is. They also receive good support and academic guidance when working towards their examinations in most National Curriculum subjects. There are good systems in place to track the progress of individual students in English, mathematics and science. However, this information is not shared with all teachers to help them plan tasks that meet students’ needs more

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Quality of education

Where the teaching is satisfactory, there is a good level of expectation but insufficient challenge, so that students work within their ‘comfort zone.’ On occasion, time is not used wisely and starter activities are too long. Good teaching is characterised by enthusiastic delivery, very high expectations, fast pace that forces students to respond, planning that includes a variety of methods, good enhancement of literacy skills and insistence on good organisational skills. Where there is outstanding teaching, it provides consistent challenge that engages students in thinking skills of a higher order. Inadequate teaching is linked to poor class management, insufficient student involvement and preparation, and low expectations. Resources are just adequate to support the curriculum and, sometimes, they are not used effectively.

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Quality of education

Students make mostly good progress over time. As a result of the good curriculum and good support they receive, students achieve very highly in their GCSE examinations in Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, statistics, mathematics, ICT, religious studies and science. Although their achievement in English is below what is expected for their age, they make good progress in this subject in relation to their starting point. Most students make good progress in the Islamic subjects. Students’ achievement in the AS examinations is satisfactory.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the students

Provision for students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. It is strongly fostered through the curriculum and through the good pastoral care and academic guidance provided by a small core of senior staff. When asked what they like best about their school, students reply, ‘having teachers who give freely of their time for us.’ Consequently, students are motivated to learn and achieve well, and they enjoy their education, as evidenced by their good behaviour and their willingness to contribute in class. Their attendance is mainly good. However, a few parents fail to respond to the school’s efforts to promote good punctuality and attendance.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the students

In discussion, most students appear to be lively, confident, spontaneous, humorous and in good spirits. They show great maturity, for example when presenting balanced views to inspectors on the strengths and weaknesses of their school. They have a good sense of right and wrong and instances of bullying and challenging behaviour are rare. They develop good basic skills that prepare them well for their future economic well-being, including team work and presentational skills. The careers guidance they receive is satisfactory and developing. However, not all students in Key Stage 4 feel well informed. There are insufficient extra-curricular activities to help students develop further their physical, creative, thinking and social skills. This has been noted by many students.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the students

Students have a strong sense of community, as expressed by one of the youngest boys who said, ‘we are all one family.’ They have many opportunities to contribute to school life. They elect class captains who have a positive impact on maintaining a good level of discipline in the school. They take part in Qur’anic recitation competitions and debates, make presentations and produce a newsletter. However, apart from helping to raise funds, for example, to assist the victims of the Bangladesh cyclone, they do not have sufficient opportunities to extend their contributions beyond the immediate school community. Through the programme of citizenship and personal, social and health education, they gain a good understanding of public institutions and of their future roles as British citizens. They are well prepared for life in a multicultural, multi-faith society through the curriculum and develop a good cultural awareness through a good range of educational visits.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the students

The religious education curriculum enables them to compare their beliefs with those of others in a respectful way.

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Welfare, health and safety of the students

This aspect of the provision is satisfactory. Although most students feel well cared for, some feel that some teachers do not treat all students fairly and with respect. The policies and procedures aimed at minimising risks are generally well implemented. However, risk assessments are not carried out prior to school outings. The school has a zero tolerance of unacceptable behaviour and does not hesitate to apply serious sanctions in extreme cases. Good behaviour is promoted effectively through a well-structured reward system and instances of bullying are very rare. Consequently, students feel safe.

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Welfare, health and safety of the students

Students gain a good understanding of what constitutes healthy lifestyles through the curriculum but this is not promoted effectively by the school tuck shop that provides sweets, crisps and fizzy drinks. Furthermore, students do not have sufficient opportunities for physical exercise, despite having two PE lessons a week. This is mainly because of the lack of outdoor play facilities and partly because students do not always have sufficient time for recreation during the lunch break. This has been noted by both students and parents in their responses to the inspection questionnaires. The school is already addressing this issue.

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Welfare, health and safety of the students

The school has planned well to increase accessibility in conformity with the Disability Discrimination Act 2002 and needs to draw a further plan to review the possibility of further improving access to its premises and curriculum.

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Suitability of the proprietor and staff

The school has recently reviewed its recruitment procedures following its own identification of inadequacies resulting from a lack of rigour in their implementation. The school now complies with the latest guidance, except that the proprietor has not yet completed the appropriate checks on each member of the governing body. The school has compiled a central register that enables it to monitor the process and evidence that all the required checks are carried out.

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School’s premises and accommodation

The premises provide teaching accommodation that is fit for purpose. However, some classrooms have reached full capacity and there are not sufficient washrooms for all the students and the staff. The school has planned extension work to provide extra toilets, wudhu (ablution) facilities and classrooms, as well as extensions to the existing ICT suite and science laboratory, and it is seeking additional premises to accommodate the rising numbers of students. There is no playground and the school has yet to make suitable arrangements to provide safe outdoor play.

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Provision of information for parents, carers and others

There is a good range of information for parents, staff, students and others, and the school has established good links with the local community. Parents have at least three formal opportunities to meet their sons’ teachers to discuss their progress. They receive interim reports and an annual report that is of good quality overall, as it provides details of what the student has learnt in every subject, the standard he has reached and the progress he has made. However, not all targets for improvement are specific to the subject and not all parents feel well informed of their sons’ progress.

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Procedures for handling complaints

The school has suitable procedures for handling complaints fairly and promptly.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets all of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 as amended January 2005, with the exception of those listed below.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet all requirements in respect of provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety (standard 3) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 implement its written policy relating to the health and safety of pupils on activities outside the school having regard to Department for Children, Schools and Families guidance Health and safety of pupils on educational visits (paragraph 3(2)(c)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet all requirements in respect of suitability of proprietor and staff (standard 4) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 in relation to each member of a body of persons named as the proprietor in post on or after 1 August 2007, ensure that the register shows whether a check was made of: his/her identity; right to work in the United Kingdom; and whether an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check was carried out and certificate obtained, or where appropriate, confirmation that he/she is not barred from working in school under section 142 of the Education Act 2002; and ensure that the register also shows the date on which any check was completed or certificate obtained (paragraph 4C(6 and 7)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet all requirements in respect of the premises and accommodation (standard 5) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 provide sufficient washrooms for staff and pupils, including facilities for pupils with special needs, which take account of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 (paragraph 5(k))

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 provide appropriate arrangements for providing outside space for pupils to play safely (paragraph 5(t)).

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What the school could do to improve further

While not required by the regulations, the school might wish to consider the following points for development:  improve the quality and frequency of marking

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What the school could do to improve further

 share the existing good practice in teaching and eradicate inadequate teaching

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What the school could do to improve further

 continue to broaden the curriculum, including the provision for extra-curricular activities

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What the school could do to improve further

 continue to improve the facilities and build up resources.

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School details

Name of school Darul Hadis Latifiah DCSF number 211/6389 Unique reference number 131745 Type of school Muslim day school Status Independent Date school opened September 1998 Age range of students 11-20 years Gender of students Boys Number on roll 111 Annual fees £2,000 Address of school 1 Cornwall Avenue London E2 0HW Telephone numbers 0208 980 2673 and 0208 983 3663 Fax number 0208 983 7942 Email address darulhadis@hotmail.co.uk Headteacher Maulana Muhammad Ilias Hussain Proprietor Maulana Abdul Latif Chowdhury Reporting inspector Mrs Michèle Messaoudi Dates of inspection 5-6 December 2007

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