Darul Uloom Islamic High School Review 2026: Small, faith-centred secondary with competitive GCSE outcomes

A small boys’ independent secondary in Small Heath, Birmingham, this school sits in an interesting space: traditional Islamic learning and daily religious life run alongside a taught programme of core GCSE subjects, with a clear expectation that students will take both seriously. The setting is intentionally structured, with conduct, routine and responsibility framed as part of education rather than an add-on. The current head teacher is Ustaadh Azharul Islam, who also appears in official records as Mr Azharul Islam; public sources do not clearly state his appointment date.

Academic outcomes in the FindMySchool GCSE dataset are competitive. Ranked 325th in England and 9th in Birmingham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits well above the England average (top 10%). At the top end, 57.5% of grades were 9 to 7, compared with an England average of 54% for this measure.

For families, the main practical question is fit. This is a deliberately values-led environment where the Islamic timetable and expectations shape the day, and where entry is through an internal assessment route rather than local authority coordinated admissions.

The school’s public-facing language places moral and spiritual training, tarbiyyah, and character education at the centre of school life, with academic study presented as a complementary responsibility rather than a competing priority. That matters for day-to-day experience: students are expected to treat manners, punctuality and respect as core, and the wider culture is framed around becoming role models in the community.

A second defining feature is the school’s scale. With a small roll and a relatively low overall capacity, staff can keep routines consistent and expectations clear. Small schools can feel intensely supervised, but they can also provide a highly legible culture where students quickly understand what is required and why.

External evidence aligns with this broad picture. The latest Independent Schools Inspectorate inspection (January 2025) reported that the Independent School Standards were met across leadership, education, wellbeing, social development, and safeguarding.

Where the atmosphere may divide opinion is the strength of the rule-set. The admissions documentation and communications emphasise uniform compliance, behaviour expectations, and adherence to a school-wide conduct code. Some families will see this as reassuring clarity; others may prefer a more flexible approach to adolescence.

In the FindMySchool GCSE dataset, outcomes sit well above the England average band. Ranked 325th in England and 9th in Birmingham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this places the school in the top 10% in England.

Looking at high grades, 57.5% of entries achieved grades 9 to 7. This is above the England average of 54% for the same measure. At the very top end, 34.9% achieved grades 9 to 8, and 22.6% achieved grade 7.

A small-school caveat applies: with smaller cohorts, year-to-year swings can be more pronounced than in a large comprehensive. For parents comparing options, it can be helpful to look at performance over more than one year where available, and to ask how the school identifies gaps early, especially in English and mathematics where progress tends to determine overall GCSE outcomes.

The educational proposition is blended. Alongside core academic subjects, the school’s curriculum includes Islamic studies and Arabic, and the timetable is built to accommodate regular prayer and faith-based practice. In practical terms, students are asked to manage parallel demands: examination preparation on one track, and religious learning with its own standards and assessment on another.

The ISI report describes teaching as planned and informed by secure subject knowledge, and notes that pupils make good progress overall, with particularly detailed written feedback identified in English. At the same time, it flags inconsistency in marking and feedback more broadly. This is an important detail for parents, because in small schools the quality of routine feedback can have an outsized impact on progress, especially for students who are capable but need steady correction of misconceptions before they harden.

Another feature highlighted in the inspection is language background. The report notes English as an additional language for all pupils, with teaching designed accordingly. In practice, this typically increases the importance of explicit vocabulary instruction across subjects, and of structured writing support, particularly in humanities and extended-response science questions.

This is a Year 11 endpoint school, so destinations are about post-16 progression rather than sixth form outcomes. The school positions itself as a pathway to both strong GCSE attainment and continued Islamic learning, and its published materials suggest that families often plan next steps around a mix of academic sixth form, college routes, and continued religious education depending on the student’s trajectory.

Because detailed destination statistics are not published in the available sources, parents should ask direct, practical questions at open events: which local colleges or sixth forms are most common for leavers, what proportion continue into faith-based study, and how the school supports applications, references, and work experience evidence for competitive post-16 courses.

A useful indicator of preparation is employability exposure. School briefings reference a Year 10 work experience scheme, which is a sensible way to build maturity and a credible post-16 profile before GCSE pressure peaks.

Admissions are handled directly by the school rather than through local authority coordination. The process is clearly set out in three steps: complete an application form, sit an entrance exam, and provide prior school reports and documents.

The application documentation indicates that candidates take assessments in English, mathematics, and Qur’an. Successful performance leads to an offer, with a waiting list used if year groups are full.

Open events are advertised on the school’s website, but dates are presented without a year and can quickly become out of date. As of the current listings, open evenings appear to run in October, January, and April, typically around 5pm to early evening.

For 2026 entry planning, the safest assumption is that places are filled on an internal schedule tied to year group capacity and assessment availability. Families should treat published open-evening months as a pattern and confirm exact dates and availability directly via the school’s official channels.

Pastoral support in a small secondary often depends less on large teams and more on consistent adult oversight and early intervention. The inspection evidence points to strong risk awareness and systematic risk assessment, alongside clear supervision and generally good behaviour.

Safeguarding arrangements were reported as meeting requirements, with staff training and appropriate systems for online safety monitoring and filtering described in the inspection evidence.

A potential watch-point is special educational needs identification. The ISI report notes that teachers understand the needs of pupils with identified SEND, but that leaders’ knowledge of how to identify pupils who have SEND could be strengthened. For parents of students with emerging needs, it is worth asking how concerns are spotted, how plans are reviewed, and what specialist support is available or bought in.

Extracurricular life is framed as part of character education and leadership, with a house structure used to organise activities and competitions. Sport is a consistent thread, with football and cricket referenced alongside table tennis and basketball.

More usefully, school briefings provide a clearer picture of the club landscape than the headline website pages. Clubs referenced include Tech Club, Anime Club, Board Games Club, Creative Writing Club, and Reading Club, alongside subject support and boosters. Timing details suggest a structured after-school window that often runs from about 4.15pm to 5.30pm, and a Breakfast Club slot in the morning.

This matters because it shows two things. First, the offer is not only sport. Second, enrichment is used as a mechanism to reinforce routines, literacy, and academic confidence, which aligns well with the school’s wider emphasis on disciplined habits.

As an independent school, fees are charged annually and vary by key stage. The published annual tuition fee is £3,600 for Years 7 to 9 and £3,840 for Years 10 to 11. The admissions paperwork also references additional costs, including a £300 resource fee, a £150 admission fee (noted as partially refunded if the applicant is not successful), and a refundable deposit of £500 subject to terms.

The available sources do not set out a bursary or scholarship policy in a way that can be stated precisely. Parents considering affordability should ask for a full schedule of included items and likely extras, particularly for examination entry, trips, and materials in Year 10 and Year 11.

This is a secondary school for students aged 11 to 16, with no sixth form and no boarding. The school is based in Small Heath, Birmingham, which for many families means commuting by local road and bus routes rather than rail.

Published briefings indicate a breakfast provision in the morning and a regular after-school club window on some days into early evening. Families who need consistent wraparound should confirm exactly which days run, whether places are capped, and whether any charges apply.

• Creative curriculum depth. External evaluation indicates the aesthetic and creative area of the curriculum is less well embedded than other areas, which may matter for students who thrive on art, design, or performance-based learning.

• Feedback consistency. Marking and feedback quality is described as inconsistent outside English, which can slow progress for students who rely on frequent correction and next-step guidance.

• SEND identification. Identification processes are flagged as an area to strengthen. Families with a child who has emerging needs should explore how the school assesses, documents, and reviews support.

• Highly structured expectations. The conduct framework is clear and demanding. This suits many families, but it is not a neutral environment; it is values-led and rule-led by design.

This is a small, structured, faith-centred secondary that combines Islamic learning with GCSE study, and achieves above-average high-grade outcomes in the FindMySchool GCSE dataset. It will suit families seeking a disciplined environment where religious practice and moral education are integral to the school day, and where enrichment includes both clubs and academic boosters. The main challenge is ensuring cultural fit, especially for students who want a broader creative offer or who need particularly systematic SEND identification and support.