Hafs Academy Review 2026: Independent boys’ school with daily Islamic studies and a focus on character

This is a small independent boys’ school in Stratford, operating within Newham and registered for ages 7 to 16, with current provision focused on ages 11 to 16. Alongside the national curriculum, students study Islamic studies each morning, shaping the rhythm of the day and the school’s sense of purpose. The culture is structured and values-led, with staff emphasising kindness, consideration for others, and respect. Recent external evaluation points to clear improvements in curriculum design and a calm, positive climate, while also identifying that teaching practice needs to become more consistently effective so that students retain and apply knowledge securely.

The school’s identity is tightly defined by its dual curriculum. Daily Islamic studies sits alongside mainstream subjects, and the day’s structure reflects that balance, with an early start for Quran and supplementary study before the main timetable begins. That cadence will suit families who want faith-shaped routines within an academically recognised framework, and who prefer a smaller setting where adults know students well.

Leadership and governance have been a recurring theme in external evaluations over several years. The current leadership team is presented clearly on the school website, and the head teacher is listed as Kazi Hussain. The wider team is also named in detail, including safeguarding roles and subject responsibilities, which is helpful for parents assessing staffing stability and oversight.

Pastoral tone is a notable strength in the most recent external picture. Relationships are described as positive, students report feeling safe, and behaviour during lessons and social times is generally calm, polite, and respectful. For many families, especially those seeking a contained and structured environment, that baseline matters as much as any single metric.

Publicly available results data for independent schools can be limited and sometimes inconsistent across sources, which is why FindMySchool’s rankings and metrics are useful as a comparative anchor.

For GCSE outcomes, the school is ranked 3,532nd in England and 24th locally within Newham for the FindMySchool GCSE measures based on official datasets. This places performance below the England average overall, within the lower performance band when compared across schools in England. For families, the implication is straightforward: if you are choosing primarily for academic outcomes, it is important to probe teaching quality, subject expertise, and curriculum delivery at department level, and to ask how the school tracks learning gaps and exam readiness in Years 10 and 11.

In the available GCSE measures, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 32.8. The school’s average EBacc APS score is 3.28, and 5.9% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc suite in the reported measure. These indicators, taken together with the ranking position, suggest that the academic story is mixed and that progress depends heavily on consistent classroom practice, particularly in the subjects that feed into the EBacc.

A practical next step for parents is to use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool to place these outcomes alongside other nearby options, then bring that shortlist into open day questions about teaching methods, feedback, and how students are prepared for GCSE examinations.

Curriculum improvement is the most important recent narrative thread. The school has redesigned parts of its curriculum to align more clearly with national expectations, with a stronger sense of sequencing and what students should know by the end of each topic. This matters because in small schools, curriculum coherence often lives or dies by how well staff align content, assessment, and classroom routines across subjects.

Where the school still has work to do is in consistency of teaching practice. Students do best when teachers routinely check understanding, address misconceptions early, and choose activities that help knowledge stick over time. Recent external evaluation indicates that these practices are not yet reliable across all subjects, which can leave students with gaps that only become visible when GCSE pressure rises.

Support for students with special educational needs and or disabilities is referenced positively in recent evaluation, with adaptations helping students access the curriculum. If your child needs additional support, it is worth asking what screening happens on entry, how plans are reviewed, and how subject teachers are trained to adapt tasks while keeping ambitions high.

The school does not operate a sixth form, and students move on to post 16 options elsewhere after Year 11. Recent external evaluation notes that students move on to post 16 destinations that are a good match, supported by purposeful careers advice and guidance. The practical implication is that families should start thinking early about sixth form colleges, school sixth forms, and apprenticeships, and ask what guidance is offered in Years 10 and 11, including employer encounters, careers fairs, and work experience opportunities.

Because the school does not publish a detailed destinations breakdown, parents should ask for examples of typical next steps in the past year, broken down by route, for example sixth form, college, or vocational pathways, and how the school supports applications and references.

Admissions operate as a direct process to the school rather than through local authority coordinated allocation. The published admissions procedure focuses on interview and assessment rather than fixed annual deadlines. In practice, families should expect an initial request for entry, followed by an arranged interview and an assessment covering literacy and related skills, with a tour typically included as part of the process.

This approach can suit families looking for in year entry or those relocating, since it is designed to respond to requests throughout the year. The trade off is that parents need to be proactive about timing and availability, particularly if you are aiming for entry at key transition points such as Year 7 or Year 10.

The school is registered for ages 7 to 16, but recent inspection documentation states that provision is currently focused on ages 11 to 16. Families considering entry below Year 7 should confirm the current position directly, including whether places are offered in younger year groups in the relevant intake year.

For families comparing travel distances, the FindMySchool Map Search remains useful for practical planning, even though this is not a state catchment process. It helps you sense check day to day feasibility, particularly with early starts.

Pastoral systems are closely tied to the advantage of a small roll, adults tend to know students well, and students report feeling safe. The emphasis on shared values is part of daily life rather than a poster slogan, and expectations around respect and behaviour appear clear.

The most recent external evaluation also highlights high attendance, with staff working closely with parents and carers to maintain regular attendance. That matters because in a small school, absence quickly becomes visible academically and socially. Parents should ask how attendance is monitored, how concerns are escalated, and what support is offered when students struggle to attend consistently.

Safeguarding is an essential baseline. The 23 to 25 September 2025 Ofsted inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular breadth in small schools often looks different to large secondaries. Instead of dozens of clubs running simultaneously, the offer tends to concentrate on a smaller set of activities with strong take up, supported by staff who know the students well and can keep routines consistent.

A clear example is sport. Boxing and football are highlighted as popular clubs with many students taking part weekly. The implication is that students who respond well to structured physical challenge, discipline, and regular training will find this a meaningful part of school life.

The school website also showcases a Pool and Table Tennis Club running weekly on Fridays from 3pm to 4pm. That kind of regular, timetabled provision matters for parents who want safe, supervised activity at the end of the week and for students who enjoy skill based sports and informal competition.

Academic enrichment appears in the form of competitions and publications. The school has previously participated in the UKMT Maths Challenge and in Young Writers competitions. Even where the online examples relate to earlier years, they point to a culture where literacy and numeracy achievements are celebrated publicly, which can be motivating for students who benefit from recognition and tangible milestones.

As an independent school, this is a fee paying setting. The most recent published external inspection documentation lists annual day fees as £4,200.

The school website does not clearly publish a current bursary or scholarship framework in the sections that are publicly accessible. If affordability is a key factor, it is sensible to ask directly whether any means tested support exists, whether payment plans are available, and what typical additional costs look like, for example educational visits, uniform, and examination related charges.

The school day structure is distinctive. Islamic studies and Hifz start at 7:30am, with a typical day running through to a 4:00pm finish, and an earlier finish on Fridays at 2:50pm. Office opening times are listed as 8:45am to 3:45pm for the 2024 to 25 year.

For transport, the school’s public transport guidance references local bus routes serving the area and nearby rail options, including Maryland for London Overground and Stratford for Underground and DLR connections. For many families, Stratford’s connectivity is a practical advantage, but the early start means travel planning needs to be realistic.

Wraparound care is not described as a conventional breakfast club or after school club model for younger pupils. Families who would need that structure should ask what supervision is available before 7:30am, and what options exist after 4:00pm on non Friday days.

• Recent improvement journey. Overall effectiveness is currently judged as Requires improvement, with clear positives around behaviour and personal development, but teaching consistency remains the key development area. This may suit families comfortable with a school that is improving and willing to engage closely with progress updates.

• Provision currently focused on ages 11 to 16. Although the school is registered for ages 7 to 16, recent inspection documentation states that it currently offers places to pupils aged 11 to 16. Families seeking entry below Year 7 should confirm availability before making assumptions.

• Small school dynamics. A small roll can mean strong relationships and close monitoring, but it can also mean fewer subject specialists and fewer timetable options. Ask how subject expertise is maintained across GCSE courses.

• Limited published destinations detail. There is positive commentary on post 16 guidance, but no published destination breakdown. Families who prioritise clear progression pathways should request examples and ask how the school supports applications beyond Year 11.

This is a faith shaped independent boys’ school offering a structured day, close adult student relationships, and a curriculum that combines national subjects with daily Islamic studies. It will suit families who want strong routines, clear behavioural expectations, and a smaller setting where staff know students well. The main question to resolve is academic consistency, particularly how reliably teaching checks understanding and helps knowledge stick in the GCSE years, and how quickly the school can convert curriculum redesign into uniformly strong classroom practice.