Hazrat Khadijatul Kubra Girls School Review 2026: Independent Islamic girls’ secondary in Birmingham

Set in Small Heath, this is a small independent girls’ secondary for ages 11 to 16, with an explicitly Islamic ethos and a strong emphasis on character, service, and academic aspiration. A structured day includes taught curriculum alongside prayer and a clear behaviour culture, with routines designed to help students settle quickly and stay focused.

The latest Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, rated the school Good.

Faith is not an add-on here, it frames daily life. The school describes its intent as developing confident Muslim women with strong identity, moral courage, and the habits to contribute positively beyond school. Values are spelled out clearly, including resilience, ambition, compassion, respect, and courage, and these are carried through into behaviour expectations and personal development content.

A notable practical feature of the day is how routines accommodate prayer. Lunch is explicitly scheduled as “lunch and prayer”, and the school notes that timings can flex around salah, particularly in winter. For families seeking a setting where worship is normalised rather than managed as an exception, that operational detail matters.

The setting also has genuine local texture. Historic England lists the school building as a Grade II former Birmingham Board School building designed by Martin and Chamberlain in 1879, giving the site a sense of permanence that many newer independents cannot replicate.

Leadership is currently with Ms Dahab Jihar. The inspection record indicates she took up post in September 2021, and the school’s government listing names her as headteacher.

On published GCSE performance metrics, the picture is solid and, on several measures, above England averages. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 54.5, and its EBacc average point score is 4.77. (The EBacc average point score compares to an England average of 4.08.)

Ranked 1,065th in England and 24th in Birmingham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this places the school above England average, comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

EBacc outcomes need careful interpretation in context. The proportion achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc is 22.6%, which may reflect entry choices as much as performance, especially in smaller schools where timetabling and option blocks can drive patterns.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool local hub and comparison tools to view the Birmingham context side by side, especially where cohort size can make year-to-year headlines swing.

The curriculum balances national curriculum coverage with explicit religious education and structured personal development. Students study a broad KS3 programme and move into GCSE pathways at KS4, with a defined set of GCSE subjects that includes separate sciences and humanities alongside Arabic and religious studies.

Curriculum planning is a stated leadership priority, with subject pages and curriculum mapping that signal an intent-led approach rather than informal coverage. Science is framed around enquiry and deliberate vocabulary-building, and the school explicitly connects learning to contemporary issues such as climate change, health, and ethics.

The most recent inspection also highlighted that curriculum thinking is strong across most areas, with careful sequencing supporting strong progress, while identifying reading assessment and targeted support as areas that still need sharper whole-school grip. That is a practical point for families whose children may need structured catch-up and systematic intervention rather than simply “more reading”.

Personal, social, health and economic education is treated as an organised programme rather than a one-off assembly slot. The school sets out enrichment days across the year and a personal development model that includes leadership, first aid, employability, and financial capability, designed to translate values into habits and decisions.

There is no sixth form, so the key transition is post-16. The school positions careers guidance and progression as part of its core offer, and the latest inspection notes that students receive high-quality information about the world of work.

In practical terms, families should plan early for the Year 11 to post-16 move, especially if aiming for competitive college pathways or particular vocational routes. The school’s own messaging also frames leavers as progressing to Birmingham post-16 providers, although it does not publish a quantified destination breakdown.

Admissions are direct to the school (not local-authority coordinated) and the process is explicit about documentation and checks. For 2026 to 2027 entry, applications open on 20 September 2025, with late applications after 15 June 2026 processed in September 2026.

Applicants submit an application fee of £50 along with a recent school report, a madrasah report, and proof of identity documentation. The school describes pre-admission checks, followed by interviews for the student and parents or carers, and notes that some applicants may sit examinations in core subjects. The stated timeline is 4 to 6 weeks once documentation is complete.

Open events are published with specific dates. Open mornings are scheduled at 9am on 24 September 2025, 5 November 2025, 11 February 2026, 15 April 2026, and 10 June 2026. An open evening is also signposted for 15 April (listed as to be confirmed).

Pastoral expectations are closely tied to behaviour and attendance routines. The school day structure begins with form time and assembly, and students are expected to arrive before formal registration. Published policies also indicate a clear approach to phone use, with phones handed in at the start of the day rather than kept on students.

Inspectors also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

The wellbeing offer is framed through both faith and modern safeguarding themes, including e-safety and anti-bullying content, and the personal development programme includes structured work on relationships, health, and life skills.

This is a school where enrichment tends to be values-led and responsibility-heavy. Students are placed in leadership pathways through roles such as student council and prefect structures, with explicit expectations around organising activities, supporting the learning environment, and leading charity initiatives.

Practical enterprise is also visible. Business studies content references students managing a brunch club in school and participating in Barclays LifeSkills activity, linking classroom learning to real operational responsibility and employability habits.

Service is a consistent theme, including fundraising work during Ramadan as a structured whole-school activity.

A fair caution is that the school itself, via the latest inspection narrative, acknowledges that the range of outside-class opportunities has been more limited than leaders want, with work underway to broaden it. For families prioritising a large, choice-rich clubs programme, it is worth checking what is currently running by year group, term by term.

For 2025 to 2026, published tuition fees are £3,100 plus VAT per year. The school also publishes a total figure of £3,720 including VAT, with payment routes available annually, termly, or monthly subject to conditions. A sibling discount of 10% is stated, and a £400 refundable deposit is due at enrolment.

The school is explicit that tuition fees do not include textbooks, exercise books, or GCSE examination fees, so families should budget for add-ons across the year.

Financial support exists, but it is not positioned as unlimited. The published parent contract describes a limited bursary fund administered by trustees, means-tested with regular review and the possibility of withdrawal if expectations are not met. Academic scholarships are also described as limited, with awards stated as 10% to 50% remission of tuition fees depending on funds.

The published timetable indicates a day running from 8.40am (form and assembly) to a 3.15pm finish, with lunch and prayer scheduled mid-day and flexibility noted around salah timings.

For travel, the school sits within Small Heath, with rail access via Small Heath station for families coming from across Birmingham.

• Small-school subject and activity breadth. A smaller setting can mean closer relationships and fast feedback, but it can also limit option blocks and the range of clubs in any given term. The latest inspection notes leaders are working to broaden extracurricular opportunities.

• Reading support needs checking. The inspection record highlights that reading assessment and targeted support for weaker readers has not been as systematic as it should be. Families with a child who needs structured literacy intervention should ask how screening and catch-up currently work.

• Cost is low for the sector, but extras still matter. Fees are clearly published, but textbooks and GCSE exam fees sit outside tuition. A realistic budget conversation early on avoids surprises.

• Faith expectations are real. Daily prayer and Islamic studies are embedded, and the ethos will suit families who actively want an Islamic environment. Families seeking a light-touch faith character may prefer a different type of school.

This is a focused, faith-centred independent secondary where routines, character education, and personal responsibility are treated as seriously as the taught curriculum. Academic performance metrics are above England averages on key measures, and the inspection picture is broadly positive with specific improvement points around reading support and wider enrichment. It suits families who want a girls-only Islamic setting with clear structure and published affordability, and who are comfortable engaging early with a direct admissions process and post-16 planning.