The Fountain School Review 2026: Small, faith-centred secondary in Bradford with improving standards

A small roll, a long school day, and a curriculum split between Islamic studies and mainstream subjects shape daily life here. The most recent inspection (12 to 14 March 2024) judged overall effectiveness as Requires improvement, while also confirming that the independent school standards were met and safeguarding was effective.

This is not a school competing on scale. With capacity published at 116 and a much smaller current roll reported in official inspection material, relationships and routines are a defining feature. Families considering it are typically looking for an Islamic girls’ setting, clear expectations, and a close pastoral net, while accepting that curriculum breadth and subject sequencing still need tightening in some areas.

The school presents itself as an Islamic girls’ secondary and its admissions priorities reflect that positioning, including practising Sunni Muslims, siblings, and alignment with the school’s ethos. The day is designed around that identity. Morning sessions are set aside for Islamic studies, alongside Arabic and Urdu, with afternoon lessons focused on national curriculum subjects.

External review evidence describes a calm, orderly learning climate where pupils feel safe and are positive about learning, with a family feel underpinned by close relationships between pupils and adults. That matters more than it might in a larger school, because the experience is shaped heavily by consistency of adult expectations and the ability to spot gaps in understanding quickly. The same inspection evidence is also clear that, while ambition is high, the curriculum is not yet consistently as broad as it could be in every subject, and some gaps in knowledge are not identified early enough in lessons.

Leadership visibility is part of the school’s public narrative, and the current headteacher is named as Mrs Abeer Niehad on both the school website and government information pages. Publicly available documentation does not set out an exact appointment date; however, Ofsted reporting from March 2011 notes that the school opened in 2003, and the school’s leadership has been a long-standing feature across multiple inspection cycles.

For parents comparing outcomes locally, the FindMySchool GCSE ranking places the school at 1,312th in England and 10th within Bradford for GCSE outcomes, based on official data. This sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), rather than at the very top of the distribution.

The Attainment 8 score is recorded as 59.4. The school’s EBacc average point score is 5.15. These figures indicate that, on the measures available, outcomes are broadly solid, with particular strength suggested in the EBacc point score.

Because small independent schools can have year-to-year volatility, it is sensible to use FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools to benchmark these measures against nearby options on a like-for-like basis, and then test what is driving the numbers in conversation with the school.

The most distinctive structural feature is the split day. Mornings are dedicated to Islamic Studies (the school describes this as an Alimiyyah course), and afternoons cover subjects including English, mathematics, science, geography, history, art and design, computer science, physical education, religious education, Arabic and Urdu. This model can work well for families who want faith formation to be explicit, timetabled, and taught systematically rather than treated as an add-on.

The latest inspection evidence suggests subject planning is strongest where learning is mapped in small steps, with mathematics cited as an example of careful sequencing and deliberate revisiting over time. The same evidence highlights inconsistency elsewhere, with some subjects overly weighted towards examination preparation at the expense of breadth. For students, the implication is straightforward: where sequencing is secure, new learning builds predictably; where it is not, students may appear to cope in the short term, but develop gaps that surface later in GCSE content.

Reading has been a development priority. The March 2024 report refers to a newly introduced initiative called Resilient Reader, linked to developing vocabulary and building reading habits. For a small setting with many bilingual learners, that kind of whole-school literacy focus is not cosmetic. It is often the difference between students accessing exam texts confidently, or plateauing because subject vocabulary stays just out of reach.

Where Students Go Next

The school’s published materials emphasise preparation for further education and adult life, but do not publish destination statistics. The most recent inspection evidence confirms that students receive careers advice and guidance, including work experience, and that the school provides exposure to pathways beyond school through careers fairs and visits connected to local universities.

For families, the practical question is fit with the local post-16 landscape. In Bradford, most students in this age range progress to sixth forms or further education colleges, or pursue apprenticeships. A strong next step conversation at this school should include subject choice guidance for GCSE, clear signposting to local sixth form entry requirements, and realistic planning for English and maths resits if needed. If your daughter has a specific destination in mind, for example A-levels in a narrow set of subjects, it is worth asking how the school structures option blocks and how it supports high-attaining students to keep breadth without narrowing too early.

Admissions are handled directly by the school rather than through a local authority coordinated process. The school states it takes new admissions for all years at the start of the school year, with Year 7 described as a one-class entry point.

Priority criteria published by the school include practising Sunni Muslims, siblings of current pupils, prior attendance at Islamic primary or secondary schools, Urdu language familiarity, proximity, and willingness to support the ethos for non-Muslim applicants. Applicants are asked to submit an admission form with school and madrassah reports, and prospective students are invited to interview, typically in February or March, with offers notified by the first week of May for the next academic year.

Because the school is small, a realistic admissions conversation should also cover cohort size, availability in specific year groups, and how the school assesses English as an additional language, since it explicitly notes assessment for students arriving with different levels of English.

The strongest pastoral signal in the public record is the safeguarding position. Ofsted’s March 2024 report confirms safeguarding arrangements are effective. Beyond safeguarding compliance, the same evidence points to a positive behavioural culture, fairness in rewards and sanctions, and a learning environment that is calm and orderly.

The implication of size is that pastoral care and behaviour management can be highly personalised. That can suit students who need a watchful, consistent structure. It can also feel more intense for students who prefer anonymity or a broader peer group. Families should explore how the school handles friendship issues, attendance, and transitions between key stages, particularly as the inspection evidence notes that gaps in knowledge are not always picked up quickly enough in some subjects.

Extracurricular life here is best understood as enrichment rather than a large club ecosystem. The inspection evidence describes deliberate planning for experiences beyond the classroom, including careers events, university-linked visits, and fundraising for international aid causes. In a small school, these activities can have outsized impact because a high proportion of students can participate, and staff can connect activities directly to personal development aims.

There are also distinctive curricular enrichments that function like co-curricular strands. The Islamic studies programme includes Arabic and Urdu and sits alongside national curriculum subjects on a daily timetable. For families, the benefit is coherence, faith learning is built into the week, not squeezed into occasional sessions. The trade-off is time. A longer day and a split curriculum require stamina, and students who are already stretched by travel time or external commitments may feel the pressure.

Reading development is another example of a whole-school initiative with wider benefits. Resilient Reader, referenced in the latest inspection evidence, is intended to build habits and vocabulary across subjects. When this is implemented consistently, the payoff is not just English grades. It improves access to exam questions and textbooks in humanities and science as well.

Fees & Financial Aid

Fees for the current academic year 2025/26 are published as £2,195 per year. The school states that fees may be paid annually or termly, and that it may consider flexible payment options for parents facing difficulty. A non-refundable deposit of £145 is payable on acceptance of a place and is deducted from the annual fees.

The school also notes a fee discount for orphans and states that public examination entry costs are charged in addition to basic fees. Families budgeting should ask for a clear schedule of likely extras, particularly GCSE exam fees and any costs linked to trips or work experience placements.

The published school day runs from 8.00am opening to a 4.45pm close, with nine lesson periods and a lunch break. The calendar published by the school sets out term dates for 2025/26, including Ramadan and Eid holiday timings, and a small number of additional days that will be communicated to parents.

Location context in official reporting places the school near the centre of Bradford, which can be helpful for families using public transport or balancing school with city-based work patterns.

• Inspection trajectory and remaining gaps. The latest inspection outcome is Requires improvement, with clear priorities around curriculum breadth, identifying knowledge gaps consistently, and tightening quality assurance so standards are met continuously, not just at inspection points.

• Small cohort dynamics. A small roll can mean stronger relationships and quick support, but it also means fewer friendship groups and fewer timetable permutations, which may matter for students who want a larger peer group or niche subject pathways.

• Curriculum balance and stamina. The split day model and longer hours can be a strong fit for families who want substantial Islamic studies alongside mainstream subjects, but it is demanding. Students who struggle with workload or travel time should pressure test the daily rhythm and homework expectations.

• Extra costs beyond tuition. Examination entry fees are charged in addition to tuition, and families should clarify the likely total cost over Years 10 and 11, including any enrichment activities.

This is a small, faith-centred secondary option where community feel, clear expectations, and an intentionally structured day are central. Academic performance sits around the middle of the England distribution on FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking, and the latest inspection evidence shows meaningful improvement since the previous cycle, alongside remaining work on curriculum breadth and consistency.

Best suited to families seeking an Islamic girls’ environment with a close pastoral net and a timetable that explicitly integrates Islamic studies with mainstream GCSE preparation. The main challenge is ensuring the curriculum experience is broad and consistently well sequenced across subjects, particularly for students aiming for the widest possible post-16 options.