Muslim school is rated 'inadequate'

Blackstone Academy on Middleton Road in Chadderton. Former Chadderton Library.

A MUSLIM school has been rated inadequate less than a year after it opened in a historic Chadderton building.

Blackstone Secondary School in the former Chadderton Library in Middleton Road received the bottom grade from Ofsted and has been told that it does not meet all the standards expected of an independent school - but there was praise for areas of its work.

The mixed-sex school opened in September and has around 13 pupils, although is registered for up to 120. Annual fees are £2,200.

It does not follow the national curriculum or do GCSEs, but combines secular and Islamic studies to prepare pupils to become "independent thinkers, intellectual scholars and spiritual leaders".

An inspector from the education watchdog visited in March and found that no checks had been carried out on teachers, directors and leaders to see if they were prohibited from working in schools.

Some directors had also not undergone separate criminal record checks.

They found that the location of the school's medical room was not suitable, the school's internet did not have the correct safety features to protect staff and pupils, the playground was not secure enough and the child protection policy published on the school's website was not up to date - although the latter was immediately rectified.

Ofsted also said that the school did not have a governing body and that its improvement planning was also weak.

But there was also praise for the "broad and balanced" curriculum, which is based on "grammar, logic and rhetoric", and the subject knowledge of both teachers and leaders.

Pupils were also said to be making good progress in English and their Islamic studies.

The Ofsted report added: "This is a caring school where leaders strongly promote equality and British values in line with the school's faith-based ethos.

"Pupils' behaviour is good.

"They are polite and courteous towards each other and adults.

"They have good attitudes to learning and attend well.

"Pupils are proud of their school.

"They feel safe on the school premises and struggle to recollect any incidents of bullying.

"Pupils say that teachers care and are always willing to help with learning or to listen to worries or concerns."

Head teacher Siddiq Munshi said: "We are pleased that the Blackstone curriculum has been accepted to be broad and balanced, giving pupils the opportunities to experience linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education.

"As a new school, we recognise that we will face challenges and have undertaken steps to immediately address them.

"Some of the issues raised in the report have already been addressed prior to the report being published, and we have a clear plan of action to resolve the remaining few in the very near future."