Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan

Independent School

DCSF Registration Number 380/6114 Unique Reference Number 134140 Inspection number 320159 Inspection dates 4-5 March 2008 Reporting inspector Brian Blake HMI

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Independent School

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). 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 Uloom Dawatul Imaan is an independent Muslim boys’ boarding school for students aged 11 – 23 in Bradford. The school opened in August 2002, and currently has 120 students on roll, the oldest of whom is 17. The students come from all over the country, with only one in every three applicants successfully gaining a place at the school. The school aims to provide an education in a secure and holistic Islamic environment. It seeks knowledge through the Koran and Hadith (religion studies), which provide the foundation of its aims to provide good education through good teaching and learning and upright citizens. This is the first published inspection report for the school, although there was an inspection report on the overall quality of care in the boarding part of the school published by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) in November 2006.

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Evaluation of the school

The Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan School provides a satisfactory and improving quality of education for its students. The outstanding Islamic studies curriculum balances well with the satisfactory range of National Curriculum subjects offered to the students. The students live and work within a very caring and family oriented environment, which includes teaching that is always satisfactory or better. The students enjoy school, settling quickly into residential life, with the vast majority achieving very well in their religious studies, and satisfactorily in the secular subjects. The school meets the majority of the regulations for independent schools.

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Quality of education

The quality of the curriculum and other activities in meeting the needs and interests of the students is satisfactory overall, and outstanding in Islamic studies. Islamic studies are very well developed, which reflects very well on the core values and ethos of the school, and provides all students with a very clear set of guidelines for living their lives as practising Muslims. The secular curriculum is improving each year. However, curricular time for the secular subjects is limited, and although the school pushes the students on at a fast pace of learning, there are limitations in the provision of aesthetic and creative activities, and in careers guidance.

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Quality of education

The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with some that is good. Examples of good quality teaching are seen in both the Islamic studies and secular curricula. Teachers’ planning in Islamic studies is good, with a number of very helpful study guides that include basic Nawh (formation of words into sentences in modern and classic Arabic), basic Tajweed (phonetics of Arabic), and a history of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Planning for the teaching of the secular curriculum is satisfactory, but is currently limited because teachers do not make use of ongoing assessment of pupils’ learning as a guide for modifying future teaching and learning. Relationships between teachers and students are exemplary, and based on mutual trust and respect.

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Quality of education

The most recent national tests results at Key Stage 3, and public examinations at Key Stage 4, indicate that the students are making satisfactory progress overall. Results in 2007, for example, improved from the previous year, with the school achieving above the local authority average for five or more GCSE subjects, including English and mathematics. The school also improved against the national average. The students’ progress in Islamic studies is generally good or better, with a very good success rate for those involved in the Hafiz (memorisation of the Koran) and Alim (scholar of Islam) programmes of study.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Through Islamic studies, students show a great reverence towards Allah and respect for Creation. Prayer and reflection also illustrate this deep religious spirituality. Across the broader curriculum, spirituality is not as evident, although the students’ self- knowledge, self-esteem and confidence are still excellent overall. These features result from the many chances to lead prayers or discussions, including after-school debates on a wide variety of personal, social and academic topics.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

Behaviour is outstanding because students have so many chances to discuss school rules and other conventions, including issues such as bullying. Attendance is also outstanding. The level of self-discipline and attitudes towards learning are exemplary. The school council has given all students a strong voice and opportunities to influence the religious curriculum and general school matters.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

Students hold very clear views about right and wrong, and they are confident and articulate in their discussions about truth, equality, justice and respect. These attitudes, and the many chances to compare the religious beliefs and values of other communities and faiths, illustrate very clearly that the students are keen to maintain positive community relations. Although students’ economic well-being is developing and is satisfactory, the school acknowledges that the curriculum could be extended further to enable the students to learn in greater depth about the diversity of cultures and opportunities available within the local community. A positive recent action has been the invitation to the local community to visit the school and learn about its work. This has helped to promote good race relations. Social development is outstanding. Older students are happy to help younger students, and talk about personal or study problems. This exemplifies the excellent

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

relationships between students of all ages, and the ‘family feel’ that the school exhibits. Visitors to school include local politicians, the police and representatives of other faiths, which enable the students to talk about common personal values. This has impacted well on their personal development, and raised their awareness of public institutions, law and democracy.

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Welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The school’s measures to promote the welfare, health and safety of the students, including child protection, are satisfactory. While there are a number of detailed school policies covering key aspects of the students’ well-being and welfare, there are some important areas that have yet to be given sufficient emphasis and attention. For example, while the school is sensitive to the welfare needs of the students, ensuring that they remain safe both in school and in the residential accommodation, there are a limited number of risk assessments relating to these two buildings, and those that do exist are insufficiently detailed. Also, there are no risk assessments for curriculum subjects, including physical education activities. Although there are very few external visits, the school has yet to prepare and implement a written policy in relation to any activities that take place out of school. Whilst the

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Welfare, health and safety of the pupils

school has a book dedicated to recording any sanction imposed for anti-social behaviour, it is not used properly to accurately record all details pertaining to incidents that occur. The students’ awareness of being healthy and staying safe is satisfactory. The students enjoy their breaks from formal teaching, and all those who spoke with inspectors praised the quality of support and guidance provided by both teaching and care staff in the school. The school does not meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (2002).

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Suitability of the proprietor and staff

The school meets fully all requirements for ensuring that all staff are appropriately qualified and suitably checked for them to work and care for the students. The procedures for checking new staff are very thorough and comply fully with all requirements.

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School’s premises and accommodation

The school’s premises and accommodation are satisfactory, although there are two areas where it does not yet fully comply with requirements. The dedicated ‘sick room’ is on the second (top) floor of the residential block, but the nearest toilets are on the ground floor. Also, the school has not yet responded to the recommendation raised in the CSCI report about its use of bunk beds for all the students. The school is sensitive to this issue, but has found that it is currently unable to comply because of limited dormitory space. However, the building planned for completion within the next two years should address this concern fully. The classrooms are of sufficient size for the age and number of students using them, and all are in good condition. There is an appropriate number of washrooms and toilets. There is an outside hard court area that provides sufficient space for the students to recreate at non-teaching

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Provision of information for parents, carers and others

The provision of information for parents, carers and others is unsatisfactory in a number of areas. While the prospectus contains a range of useful information about the ethos of the school, its key aims and the curricula provided, there is a failure to inform parents about the times available to contact the proprietor, and the range of information that is available, on request, by parents. The school provides very detailed reports to parents about students’ progress in both Islamic studies and the secular curriculum.

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Procedures for handling complaints

The procedures for handling complaints do not meet a number of compliance requirements. In particular, it is not made clear that the findings of any formal complaint are circulated to the complainant, proprietor, headteacher, and the person complained about; that written records are kept that indicate at what stage a complaint was dealt with; and, the findings of any complaint are kept confidential. The current policy also fails to comply with Standard 5 of the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools, whereby boarders and parents are informed of how they can contact the National Care Standards Commission regarding any complaint concerning their welfare.

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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 the curriculum (standard 1) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 provide opportunities for the students to experience aesthetic and creative areas of learning (paragraph 1(2)(a)(ii))  provide appropriate careers guidance for secondary age pupils (paragraph 1(2)(g))  establish a framework to assess pupils' work regularly and thoroughly to aid teachers’ planning and ensure that pupils make progress commensurate with their abilities (paragraph 1(3)(g)). 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

 prepare and implement a written policy relating to the health and safety of pupils on activities outside the school which has regard to DCSF guidance Health and safety of pupils on educational visits (reference HSPV2) (paragraph 3(2)(c))  ensure full compliance with the DCSF guidance Health and safety: responsibilities and powers (DCSF 0803/2001) (paragraph 3(4))  keep a written record of sanctions imposed upon pupils for serious disciplinary offences (paragraph 3(8)).

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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 appropriate facilities for pupils who are ill, in accordance with the education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 (paragraph 5(l))  have regard to the use of bunk beds for students over 8 years of age, as part of Standard 42 of the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools (paragraph 5(u)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet all requirements in respect of the provision of information for parents, carers and others (standard 6) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 provide particulars of the proprietor’s contact address and telephone number during both term time and holidays (paragraph 6(2)(b))  ensure that parents are aware they can request:  particulars of policies relating to bullying, child protection, health and safety, the promotion of good behaviour, and sanctions adopted in the event of pupils misbehaving (paragraph 6(2)(h))  particulars of academic performance during the preceding school year, including the results of any public examinations (paragraph 6(2)(i))  details of the complaints procedure adopted by the school, together with details of the number of complaints registered under the formal procedure during the preceding school year (paragraph 6(2)(j))  the number of staff employed at the school, including temporary staff, and a summary of their qualifications (paragraph 6(2)(k)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet all requirements in respect of procedures for handling complaints (standard 7) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 ensure that the complaints procedure stipulates that the complainant, proprietors and headteachers, and, where relevant, the person complained about, be given a copy of any findings and recommendations made by the panel (paragraph 7(i))  ensure that the complaints procedure provides for written records to be kept of all complaints, indicating whether they were resolved at the preliminary stage, or whether they proceeded to a panel hearing (paragraph 7(j))  ensure that all correspondence, statements and records of complaints are kept confidential (paragraph 7(k))  ensure that the complaints procedure complies with Standard 5 of the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools (paragraph 7(l)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

In order to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2002 the school should devise a three-year accessibility plan.

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School details

Name of school Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan DCSF number 380/6114 Unique reference number 134140 Type of school Muslim secondary boys’ boarding school Status Independent Date school opened 12 August 2002 Age range of pupils 11 - 23 Gender of pupils Boys Number on roll (full-time pupils) Boys: 120 Total: 120 Number of boarders Boys: 120 Total: 120 Annual fees (boarders) £1,800 Address of school Harry Street Off Wakefield Road Bradford West Yorkshire BD4 9PH Telephone number 01274402233 Fax number 01274402233 Email address info@dawatulimaan.org Headteacher Mr Mohamed Bilal Lorgat Proprietor Mr Saeed A M Patel Reporting inspector Brian Blake HMI Dates of inspection 4-5 March 2008

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