Rochdale Islamic Academy

Overview

The school “does not meet all of the independent school standards that were checked during this inspection.” While the report confirms that standards for the quality of education are now met, it states that “the previously unmet standards in part 8 remain unmet” due to leadership fragility. The inspection highlights a significant reliance on external support to maintain current improvements.

Strengths

• The curriculum is now “comprehensive and carefully designed to meet the ages, needs and aptitudes of all pupils,” including those with special educational needs.
• Teaching has improved significantly, with staff using assessment data to “identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and address them effectively.”
• Safeguarding arrangements are robust, with staff trained to identify risks and pupils taught “how to keep themselves safe.”
• Pupils are “properly supervised throughout the school day,” and bullying incidents are dealt with quickly.

Areas to improve

• The school is “overly reliant on this external support” and lacks the internal capacity to ensure standards are met securely without it.
• Leadership remains fragile, with a new headteacher and senior leaders in the “very early stages of their roles,” jeopardising long-term consistency.
• The proprietor has not yet ensured that leadership and management standards are met “consistently and securely.”

Safeguarding

The report states that safeguarding standards are met, noting that staff have the necessary training, concerns are reported timely, and “strong and positive relationships between staff and pupils mean that pupils share their worries and concerns with trusted adults in school.”