Jamia Islamia Birmingham

Independent School

DCSF Registration Number 330/6106 Unique Reference Number 134571 Inspection number 332465 Inspection dates 24–25 March 2009 Reporting inspector Marian Harker 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. 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, the purpose of which is 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

Jamia Islamia Birmingham is an independent Muslim secondary day school in Birmingham. It admits boys from 11 to 19 years and there are currently 153 students on roll. The majority of students are from Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Middle Eastern and Indian backgrounds and all were born in the United Kingdom. No students have a statement of special educational need and none are at the early stages of learning to speak English.

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Information about the school

The school opened in February 2000 and was then known as Jamia Qurania. It moved to its present location in May 2005 and changed name to its current one. Provision is a mix of Islamic and secular teaching. The proprietor is the principal of the college, which belongs to Al-falah Trust, a limited company. A board of trustees oversees its work. The college has been granted charitable status and has made a number of improvements to the building and the educational provision since the last inspection, which was in February 2006. The college mission is to ‘provide a high quality centre for learning, where pupils receive a good quality and balanced education within an Islamic environment’.

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Evaluation of the school

Jamia Islamia Birmingham provides a satisfactory quality of education. It fulfils its aim to educate students according to Islamic principles and beliefs. Students are happy and friendly and most enjoy coming to school. Relationships between staff and students are good and behaviour is good. Provision for students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Teaching, assessment and the curriculum are satisfactory and enable pupils to make satisfactory progress in Islamic and secular subjects. The school has addressed the issues raised at the last inspection and now meets all but two of the regulations.

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Quality of education

The Islamic and secular curricula are satisfactory. The secular curriculum in Key Stage 3 is based on the National Curriculum programmes of study. All of the required areas of learning are covered and there are satisfactory schemes of work for all subjects. Students develop their creative and aesthetic skills through an appreciation of literature and in design and technology lessons. Curriculum plans for science and information and communication technology (ICT) are particularly detailed and are good. As a result, students make good progress in ICT and science. The school has recently begun offering ICT at A level for post-16 students. In Key Stage 4, students are given opportunities to gain GCSE qualifications in English, mathematics, science, ICT, citizenship, Bengali, Arabic, Urdu and Islamic Studies. Provision for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is satisfactory and is developed through the secular and Islamic curricula. Topics cover

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Quality of education

citizenship, crime, human rights, Britain as a diverse society, local democracy and safety awareness. Careers education is provided within the PSHE curriculum and through individual consultations with senior staff. Although the school has established links with the Connexions agency, opportunities in Key Stage 4 to experience the world of work are limited. However, as a number of students wish to follow careers related to their Islamic studies, opportunities are provided for students to lead prayers at local mosques during Ramadan. The school provides a broad and balanced Islamic curriculum. For example, students are offered a wide range of Islamic Studies subjects including tajweed (Qur’anic recitation), hadith (accounts of what the Holy Prophet did, said or approved), Islamic history and seerah (life history of the Holy Prophet). Provision for physical education (PE) is satisfactory. The school has a large indoor hall and students regularly visit the local community park to

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Quality of education

undertake physical exercise. There are few educational visits and only a limited number of visitors to enrich the curriculum. The students say that they would like more curriculum enrichment and inspectors agree with the potential benefits of such provision.

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Quality of education

Teaching and assessment in Islamic and National Curriculum subjects are satisfactory and as a result the students make satisfactory progress. Students make good progress in science and ICT due to better quality teaching and robust assessment procedures. Lesson planning varies in quality. In the Hifz (memorisation of the Qur’an) course, lesson planning is at an early stage of development. The best examples of lesson planning include clear learning objectives, key vocabulary and assessment criteria. However, on occasions where lesson planning does not meet accurately the needs of all the students, the pace of learning slows, and students are more easily distracted from their tasks. Students’ work is regularly marked and graded using National Curriculum levels. Although students have individual targets for core curriculum subjects these are not used consistently across the school. As a result, some students are not clear about what they need to do to improve their

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Quality of education

work. The school has increased the provision for science and ICT since the last inspection and this has made a positive impact on the progress made by students. The proportion of secular fiction and non-fiction books has also improved. However, resources to support practical lessons in mathematics, aesthetic and creative subjects remain limited. The strengths in teaching lie in the good relationships that exist between teachers and students. Behaviour is good and students are keen to give of their best.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the students

The provision for students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, and in particular their spiritual and moral development are outstanding. Spiritual development is enhanced by numerous opportunities for reflection and translating faith into action. The strong Islamic ethos helps students to acquire sets of values, principles and beliefs that positively shape their lives. Students are polite and courteous to their teachers and visitors. Behaviour is good. Students have a strong sense of Islamic identity, nurtured through the Islamic ethos, the curriculum and good role models provided by staff. Relationships are positive and there is mutual respect between staff and students. As a result, social development is good. Students feel valued within the school community and their attendance is good. Cultural development is satisfactory. Students learn about the beliefs and practices of

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the students

other faiths and are taught to show respect to other world religions. However, opportunities are sometimes missed to explore the rich cultural heritage of both the United Kingdom and their Islamic faith. Students report that they enjoyed raising money for local, national and international charities such as that for the cyclone victims in Bangladesh. They are gaining the necessary academic and personal skills to equip them for the next stage of their education, employment and future adult lives.

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Welfare, health and safety of the students

The welfare, health and safety of the students are satisfactory. The students are supervised well in school and when they go out into the local community. They report that they feel safe and are confident that staff will deal with any problems that may arise. 1 The designated person for child protection has been appropriately trained and all staff have undertaken child protection basic awareness training. The school undertakes routine checks of fire systems and completes regular risk assessments. An appropriate number of staff have undertaken first aid and fire safety training and there is always a qualified first aider on the premises. The PSHE curriculum provides satisfactory opportunities for students to develop their understanding about how to lead healthy and safe lifestyles. Healthy lunch choices are encouraged and students are made aware of the dangers of smoking and drugs misuse. Parents and students report that they would like the school to provide

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Welfare, health and safety of the students

further opportunities for students to take regular exercise and inspectors agree. The school has drawn up a suitable plan to increase accessibility.

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Welfare, health and safety of the students

1 ‘Concerns raised by some pupils during the inspection are being examined by the appropriate bodies’.

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Suitability of the proprietor and staff

The school has appropriate procedures in place relating to the checks it makes on prospective employees regarding their identity, qualifications, medical fitness and suitability to work with students. Details of such checks are maintained in a suitable register.

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School’s premises and accommodation

The school is located in a converted, two-storey factory building that has been refurbished and extended for educational use. As a result the building is safe and conducive for learning. There are an appropriate number of classrooms, a science laboratory, library, office, computer suite and a medical room. There is a large hall that is used for recreation, PE activities and prayer. The classrooms vary in size but are appropriate for the numbers using them. While students have access to the large hall for indoor recreation at break times, the amount of outdoor play space is inadequate. Inside the college is clean and tidy, although some general maintenance, such as decorating the classrooms and upgrading the toilet facilities is overdue.

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Provision of information for parents, carers and others

The school has established good links with parents who are kept well informed about their children’s progress. Annual reports include clear information about how well the students are doing and what they need to do to improve further. The prospectus has been recently updated and fully meets requirements.

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Procedures for handling complaints

The complaints procedure meets the requirements.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets all of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 as amended (“the Regulations”), 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 premises and accommodation (standard 5) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 provide a satisfactory standard and adequate maintenance of decoration (paragraph 5(q))  provide appropriate 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 regulations, the school might wish to consider the following points for development:

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What the school could do to improve further

 increase the number of educational visits and visitors to the school to further enrich the curriculum

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What the school could do to improve further

 ensure that curriculum targets are used consistently across the school so that all students know what they need to do to improve.

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Inspection Judgement Recording Form

outstanding good satisfactory inadequate

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The quality of education

Overall quality of education  How well the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of pupils 

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The quality of education

How effective teaching and assessment are in meeting the full range of pupils’ needs 

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The quality of education

How well pupils make progress in their learning 

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

Quality of provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 

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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

The overall welfare, health and safety of pupils 

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School details

Name of school Jamia Islamia Birmingham DCSF number 330/6106 Unique reference number 134571 Type of school Muslim Day Status Independent Date school opened February 2000 Age range of students 11–19 Gender of students Boys Number on roll (full-time students) Boys: 153 Annual fees (day students) Years 7 to 11 £1,200 Post-16 £1,000 Address of school Jamia Islamia Birmingham Fallows Road Sparkbrook Birmingham West Midlands B11 1PL Telephone number 0121 772 6400 Fax number 0121 772 6400 Email address jamiaislamiabirmingham@hotmail.co.uk Principal (Maulana) Md Rezaul Haque Proprietor (Maulana) Md Rezaul Haque Reporting inspector Marian Harker HMI Dates of inspection 24–25 March 2009

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