Madani Boys School Review 2026: Faith-led secondary with an oracy-first culture

Madani Boys School is a boys’ Muslim secondary in Leicester, serving students aged 11 to 16 and operating at close to capacity (450 places). It sits within the Madani Schools Federation and shares a site history with the neighbouring girls’ school, following a split into separate schools in October 2012.

The leadership story matters here. Mr Riyaz Laher is the headteacher, and external profiles describe him taking up the headship in 2017, alongside a deliberate shift towards structured speaking and listening as a driver of learning across subjects. That “oracy-first” emphasis is not treated as a bolt-on, it appears in curriculum design, student leadership opportunities, and how confidence is developed for students who may be bilingual or learning English as an additional language.

Quality assurance is current. The most recent inspection activity was an ungraded (section 8) inspection in May 2025, published in June 2025, and it indicates provision may have improved significantly since the previous inspection, with safeguarding confirmed as effective.

Madani Boys School’s identity is shaped by two intersecting priorities: faith and preparation for life beyond school in modern Britain. The May 2025 inspection report links this directly to an Islamic ethos and “HEART” values, describing a culture of high expectations, respectful relationships, and students who feel safe and supported.

A distinctive feature is how deliberately the school treats spoken communication as a skill to be taught, practised, assessed, and celebrated. External coverage of the federation describes oracy being embedded across lessons and wider school life, including structured speaking opportunities and events that encourage students to present, debate, and perform. For families who want a school that invests in confidence, articulation, and leadership as well as examination readiness, this is a meaningful differentiator.

Scale influences atmosphere too. Historically, the school has been described as smaller than the typical secondary, and that tends to show up in how well staff know students and how consistently routines can be applied. The trade-off is that smaller settings sometimes require staff to cover multiple subjects; the school has previously addressed this through training and careful curriculum structuring.

Finally, the site context is unusual. Earlier official reporting notes that the boys’ and girls’ schools occupy separate wings of the same building with some shared facilities, including a shared mosque and library. That arrangement can suit families who value single-sex schooling with a strong faith character, while still being part of a wider federation.

Academic outcomes in this review use FindMySchool rankings and metrics (based on official data) for comparability.

GCSE performance and ranking context

Ranked 1731st in England and 28th in Leicester for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school’s overall performance sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

This is a useful framing point rather than a full picture on its own, because the inspection evidence suggests outcomes have been improving and that students are being prepared strongly for public examinations, particularly in core subjects.

Key performance indicators (most recent dataset in view)

• Attainment 8: 51.5

• Progress 8: +0.41, which indicates students make above-average progress from their starting points

• EBacc average point score: 4.4 (England comparator available: 4.08)

For many parents, Progress 8 is the most informative single metric because it is designed to reflect impact on learning over time, not just raw attainment. A score of +0.41 signals that the school adds value for its intake, which fits with the school’s stated emphasis on strong teaching routines, checking understanding carefully, and addressing misconceptions quickly.

Teaching and learning at Madani Boys School comes across as highly structured and consistent, with a deliberate focus on building deep understanding rather than surface coverage. The May 2025 inspection report describes specialist staff teaching with strong subject knowledge, frequent checking for understanding, and prompt correction of misconceptions. The key implication for families is that students who benefit from clear routines, explicit instruction, and frequent feedback are likely to find the approach supportive.

A second thread is literacy and reading. The school expects regular independent reading and provides extra help for students still developing reading comprehension, with particular mention of impact in Years 7 and 8. In practice, this matters because literacy affects outcomes across the curriculum, including science, humanities, and extended writing at GCSE.

The federation’s “oracy” model is the third strand. External case studies describe planned opportunities for talk in lessons and structured activities that build projection, listening, and audience awareness. The academic implication is straightforward: students who can explain, justify, and challenge ideas aloud tend to write more clearly, revise more effectively, and manage high-pressure assessment situations with greater control.

Madani Boys School is an 11 to 16 setting, so progression at 16 is a planned transition rather than an optional extra. The school’s careers guidance is described as high quality, with an emphasis on ensuring students secure meaningful next steps.

Because the school does not have a sixth form, families should think early about post-16 fit: A-level pathways, vocational routes, apprenticeships, and travel time. The advantage of an 11 to 16 school is clarity of purpose at GCSE, with leadership attention focused tightly on Key Stage 3 foundations and Key Stage 4 success. The trade-off is that students must adjust to a new institution at 16, and families may want to ask how the school supports that handover, including guidance interviews, application support, and links to local colleges and sixth forms.

For September 2026 Year 7 entry (2026/27 admission year), Leicester City Council’s coordinated admissions timetable is explicit:

• Applications open: Monday 1 September 2025

• Closing date for on-time applications: Friday 31 October 2025

• National offer day: Monday 2 March 2026

• Appeal deadline (first round): Monday 30 March 2026

Two practical points are easy to miss.

First, late applications matter. The council warns that missing the deadline significantly reduces chances of securing a preferred school, and it sets out how late applications are processed.

Second, Madani Boys School is one of the schools that maintains its own waiting list position process rather than relying solely on a centrally maintained list, so families should be ready to follow school-specific instructions after national offer day if they are seeking movement from waiting lists.

Given the school’s voluntary aided faith character, admissions criteria and any supplementary information requirements should be checked carefully on the school’s published arrangements. If faith commitment is an important part of your preference order, it is sensible to align your application evidence early, rather than trying to assemble documentation after the deadline.

Parents comparing options can use FindMySchoolMap Search to understand travel time and practical feasibility when shortlisting, especially where multiple Leicester schools are realistic contenders.

Pastoral care at Madani Boys School appears to be built around clear routines, consistent behaviour expectations, and a strong safeguarding culture. The most recent inspection report describes trusting relationships and a student body that feels safe, with safeguarding confirmed as effective.

There is also a clear leadership emphasis on personal development through structured roles and responsibility. Examples include school council participation, anti-bullying ambassador roles, volunteering, and charity fundraising, alongside careers guidance intended to support next steps after Year 11. In practice, this often suits students who respond well when adults explicitly teach “how to lead”, not just “how to behave”.

For students with special educational needs and disabilities, the May 2025 report describes strong oversight and an expectation that students with SEND learn the same curriculum as peers, with additional support and regular check-ins.

The best evidence of extracurricular character is often specificity, not generic claims. Madani Boys School’s website news and information pages point to a blend of sport, performance, and enrichment with a strong “confidence-through-participation” theme.

Oracy and performance opportunities

The school’s oracy culture is backed by concrete activities. External coverage of the federation references competitions, debates with other schools, and showcases that turn speaking into a visible part of school life. On the school’s own news feed, participation in the English-Speaking Union Performing Shakespeare competition is explicitly highlighted. The implication for families is that students who are shy, reluctant speakers, or new to formal English presentation can be supported through repeated practice in low-stakes settings before they face high-stakes assessment and interviews.

Clubs and wider enrichment

The school’s news items reference a Cooking Club running across multiple weeks, plus competitive school football achievements across year groups. In a smaller secondary setting, consistency matters, and the repeated nature of these items suggests regularity rather than one-off events.

Recognition and structured programmes

The school’s site also presents participation in recognised frameworks and awards, including Eco-Schools Green Flag (Gold), School Games Gold, anti-bullying ambassador recognition linked to The Diana Award, and Duke of Edinburgh involvement. For parents, these badges are most useful as signals of sustained programming rather than marketing: they suggest the school has put processes in place around student leadership, wellbeing, and participation.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the typical costs that sit around secondary education, such as uniform, equipment, and optional activities.

The school’s website publishes operational information for parents, including term dates, parents’ evening schedules, and a structured calendar of events. For September 2026 entry, Leicester City Council’s timetable confirms the transfer window and offer day, which is essential for planning.

Transport planning should be treated as an admissions practical, not an afterthought. Families should check walking routes, public transport options, and realistic journey times, particularly for students expected to attend intervention sessions, enrichment, or events outside the standard day.

• No sixth form. Students move on at 16, so the post-16 plan needs to be built early, including travel time and the learning style that best suits your child after GCSEs.

• Faith character is central. The Islamic ethos is not a minor feature, it shapes values education and the wider approach to character and conduct. Families should be comfortable with that emphasis before ranking the school highly.

• Competitive timing and process. The Leicester coordinated admissions timeline is strict, and missing the 31 October 2025 deadline materially reduces options.

• Boys-only setting. A single-sex environment suits some students extremely well, particularly where focus and routine help learning, but it is not the right fit for every family.

Madani Boys School offers a faith-led, structured secondary education with a distinctive emphasis on oracy, confidence, and responsibility alongside academic progress. The most recent inspection activity suggests the school has strengthened significantly, with a safe and supportive culture and strong preparation for examinations.

Best suited to families seeking a boys-only Muslim secondary where communication skills, leadership, and purposeful routines are treated as core educational priorities, and who are prepared to plan carefully for post-16 transition.