Muslim school in Nelson rated ‘outstanding’

Local paper, Pendle Today, draws attention to the Al-Ikhlaas Primary School, an independent Muslim school, which has been ranked as ‘outstanding’ across all areas by the Bridge Schools Inspectorate (BSI).

The school, which has 89 pupils aged between 4 and 11, was inspected over four days by the Bridge Schools Inspectorate (BSI). 

BSI is approved by the Secretary of State for Education to inspect privately funded Muslim and Christian faith schools belonging to the Christian Schools Trust and the Association of Muslim Schools UK (AMS-UK).

The BSI report praises the Nelson based school for its “good and often outstanding teaching across the school contribut[ing] to pupils’ high achievements overtime.”

The report concludes:

“The quality of education provided is outstanding because the curriculum, both Islamic and secular, is imaginatively and methodically planned across all the key stages to meet the needs of all pupils, who over time achieve high standards from their starting points, within a flourishing and supportive Islamic environment. This makes a significant contribution to preparing pupils for the next stage of their education and to becoming young British Muslim citizens who are encouraged to make a positive contribution to their communities and wider society, now and in their future lives.

“The quality of the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding, strongly supported by the very positive Islamic ethos that permeates throughout the school.”

The school is further deemed to be outward looking in its approach in making effective links with other schools, local communities, and the wider society. The report notes that “The head teacher is keen to learn from other practitioners and a very fruitful collaboration exits between Al-Ikhlaas and a successful maintained Christian primary school.”

Other areas of commendation include the effective management of the school, the implementation of clear policies and procedures to safeguard students’ welfare, satisfying the regulations for independent schools such as the Equality Act 2010.

The BIS report on the Al-Ikhlaas Primary School affirms the remarks made by Daily Telegraph contributor, Toby Young, about faith schools in the UK when he said: “By and large, [faith schools] are islands of excellence in a sea of mediocrity, part of the solution not part of the problem, and we shouldn’t allow the “Trojan Horse” controversy to blind us to that fact.”