CAIRO – Setting an example for religious education, a British Islamic high school has been ranked as the highest-achieving learning institute in Britain after receiving its third “outstanding” inspection in a row by Ofsted.
“Having an Ofsted inspection is a stressful experience but it was most positive,” Hamid Patel, Principal of Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School, told Lancashire Telegraph.
“The inspectors were very impressed and we are proud of our school and what we are able to show inspectors.”
Inspecting Tauheedul Islam Girls’ School, inspectors from Ofsted, which oversees state and independent schools and colleges, hailed the high level of academic achievement in the Islamic school, listing the school in the country’s top one per cent for improving students’ outcomes.
Inspectors added that the Islamic school was led by a “strong sense of moral purpose”.
“Students achieve exceptionally well in this school,” said lead inspector Joan McKenna.
“The rates of progress made by all groups of students are truly impressive across all subjects.
“Because of the outstanding progress, students reach high standards. GCSE results are consistently significantly above the national average in all subjects,” he added.
This achievement is not the first for Islamic schools in UK.
In February 2013, Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School was rated as the highest-achieving learning institute in Britain.
In March, the school was shortlisted for ‘Secondary School of the Year’ by the Times Educational Supplement annual awards.
In May, the school was rated as “outstanding” following an Ofsted inspection, the first and only secondary school in the Borough to receive such an award.
In their report, inspectors praised “highly effective” teaching, a “culture of high expectations” and “exceptionally polite and considerate” students.
In London, the Tayyibah Girls’ School topped 22 schools in Hackney with a whopping 100 percent of all students achieving 5 + GCSEs at grades A*-C (including English and Maths) a 17 percent improvement on its 2011 results.
‘Spiritual focus’
In Tauheedul Islam school glowing report, Ofsted said that school’s spiritual focus was one of the major factors that maintained school progress over the past years.
“Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is of an exceedingly high order because it is regarded as extremely important by leaders and its promotion is integral to the life of the school,” inspector McKenna said.
Inspectors also hailed Tauheedil Islam strategies that focus on helping needy people.
“It is the framework within which all else takes place and there are very many examples of students’ outstanding outcomes in these areas,” McKenna said.
“They act to help those less fortunate than they are and have well-developed views on a wide range of ethical and moral issues.”
According to the report, since 2011 the Islamic school has been in the top one percent schools the develop students’ level and skills.
“Students are highly motivated and enthusiastic about their learning,” McKenna added.
British Muslims are estimated at 2.7 million.
There are 400,000 Muslim students in British schools, according to the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).
About 7,000 state schools in Britain are faith schools – roughly one in three of the total – educating 1.7 million pupils.
Of the 590 faith-based secondary schools five are Jewish, two Muslim and one Sikh – the rest are Church of England, Roman Catholic and other Christian faiths.
Source:onislam.net
