Madani Academy Review 2026: Small independent all through option with an Islamic ethos in Portsmouth

Madani Academy is a small independent day school serving pupils from age 5 through to age 16, with boys and girls in the primary years and girls only in the secondary phase. The school states it first opened to pupils in September 2014 as a primary school, and later expanded to include a girls secondary phase following approval for a material change.

Size is a defining feature. At the most recent standard inspection, the school roll was recorded as 57, against a capacity of 185. That scale can bring familiarity and a tight knit feel, but it also shapes what is practical in timetabling, options, and clubs.

The latest Ofsted standard inspection took place from 31 October to 02 November 2023 and judged the school Good. Safeguarding arrangements were reported as effective.

Madani Academy presents itself as an independent Muslim faith school delivering the National Curriculum alongside Islamic ethos, with an emphasis on pupils developing confidence in identity and a sense of accountability and contribution. That positioning matters for family fit. For many households, the combination of mainstream curriculum structure with faith framed routines and values is the primary reason to consider the school in the first place.

Because it sits on one site and remains relatively small, day to day organisation tends to be built around knowing families well and keeping routines predictable. The most recent inspection evidence supports a picture of staff who are committed, settled, and generally positive about workload and wellbeing, which often correlates with consistency for pupils.

The school’s phase structure is also distinctive. Primary is mixed, while the secondary phase is girls only. The most recent inspection describes the model clearly, boys and girls aged 5 to 11, and then girls aged 11 to 16. For parents, this can be either a practical advantage, keeping siblings together at younger ages while offering a single sex secondary environment for daughters, or a limitation if co education through Year 11 is non negotiable.

Leadership visibility is high. The headteacher named in the latest inspection documentation is Mohammad Luthfur Rahman. The school website also refers to Mr Luthfur Rahman as headteacher.

It is not ranked in the supplied tables for primary or GCSE outcomes. In practice, this means parents should place more weight on curriculum quality, teaching consistency, and inspection evidence than on headline league table comparisons for this particular profile.

The latest standard inspection provides the most grounded view of academic strengths and development areas. The inspection team carried out subject deep dives including early reading, English, mathematics and history, which gives confidence that evaluation went beyond surface compliance.

A concrete improvement priority highlighted in the report is early reading book matching, specifically that pupils at early stages were not always reading books closely aligned to the phonics programme, which can slow reading fluency development if not addressed systematically. For families with younger children, it is worth asking how book banding, phonics assessments, and home reading alignment now work in practice.

Curriculum intent is framed around delivering the National Curriculum while instilling Islamic values, with a stated aim of supporting pupils to achieve strong personal outcomes and leave school with confidence and aspiration.

In the inspection evidence, curriculum implementation is a central theme. Leaders are described as still developing monitoring and evaluation of curriculum impact, with a need for clearer oversight of how teaching contributes to knowledge retention across subjects. The implication for parents is straightforward, strong classroom practice can exist while whole school consistency is still being tightened. In a small school, that tightening can sometimes happen faster, because systems are easier to standardise, but it does require clear leadership routines.

For older students, careers education is unusually well documented compared with many small independents. A published careers education, information, advice and guidance policy sets out a planned programme aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks, including visiting speakers, mentoring, enterprise schemes, and workplace experiences such as work visits, work shadowing and work experience. The benefit is twofold, it builds practical awareness beyond exams, and it can help students make more informed Key Stage 4 choices and post 16 plans, even if they will move on to a different provider for sixth form.

Madani Academy’s age range runs to 16, with no sixth form indicated. For most students, the next step is For most students, the next step is therefore a transfer at 16 to a local sixth form, sixth form college, or further education college, depending on course fit

The school’s published careers programme framework explicitly includes encounters with further and higher education and apprenticeship providers, as well as personal guidance interviews, which should support the Year 10 to Year 11 transition planning cycle. Parents considering Year 9 or Year 10 entry should ask how the school supports external applications for post 16 places, including references, predicted grades, interview preparation, and guidance on subject combinations.

Admissions information on the school website describes a direct application process, with applications requested from the school office and a response typically issued within two weeks of receipt. Places are described as allocated on a first come, first served basis.

This has practical implications. In independent schools using rolling admissions, timing can matter more than in local authority coordinated systems. Families who are interested in an in year move should ask specifically about current year group availability, how waiting lists operate, and whether mid year entry is supported academically, particularly for GCSE classes where course sequencing matters.

If you are shortlisting several options, FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature can help you track where each school sits on admissions route, timing, and decision response speed, so nothing gets lost in the spring and summer rush.

Pastoral systems are shaped by scale. In a smaller setting, staff often know pupils and families quickly, which can support early identification of issues and quicker intervention. Formal documentation also places weight on safeguarding and safe routines, including expectations around site security and supervision, and a stated approach to maintaining pupil privacy on the school website.

The latest inspection evidence also points to governance and leadership structures still developing their approach to holding leaders to account for performance, supported by training to understand core functions. For parents, this links to how well improvement priorities are tracked over time, and how concerns are handled and escalated if needed.

Extracurricular detail is not heavily itemised in the school’s publicly available materials, so parents should expect to learn most about wider opportunities through direct questions. That said, there are some clear indicators of enrichment in the secondary phase, particularly around careers and personal development.

The published careers programme includes group workshops, enterprise events, presentations by prospective employers, college partnership courses, and college and university visits, with opportunities for individual guidance interviews. In practical terms, this is the kind of provision that can help students connect classroom learning to real pathways, especially in Years 9 to 11 when motivation can dip if everything feels purely exam driven.

For younger pupils, enrichment is more likely to sit inside the taught curriculum and broader school routines than in a long menu of clubs. If clubs are important to your child, ask for a termly timetable of any after school activities, and how the school adapts provision when cohorts are small.

This is an independent school, so fees apply. The school website’s admissions information and prospectus set out annual fees of £2,300 for primary and £2,600 for secondary, with a registration fee of £25 and separate resource fees listed as £100 for primary and £120 for secondary.

Those figures are published as the school’s fee structure, but they are not labelled as 2025 to 2026 on the pages available in research. Families should therefore confirm the current year’s fees and payment schedule directly with the school before making financial assumptions.

A sibling discount is referenced by the school in its admissions materials. If affordability is a concern, it is worth asking whether any discretionary support exists, and whether support is means tested or policy based.

School hours are published in the school prospectus. Primary hours are listed as 8.40am to 3.30pm Monday to Thursday, and 8.40am to 3.00pm on Friday. Secondary hours are listed as 8.30am to 4.00pm Monday to Thursday, and 8.30am to 3.00pm on Friday.

Wraparound care is not clearly set out in the public materials reviewed. Families who need breakfast or after school provision should ask what is available, how it is staffed, and whether it runs every day or only on certain days.

The school is in central Portsmouth, which can suit families needing urban transport links. Travel practicality will depend on your exact starting point and the school day finish times, particularly for secondary pupils finishing at 4.00pm on most weekdays.

• Small cohort size. With 57 pupils on roll at the most recent standard inspection, social and academic breadth may feel different from larger schools. This can suit children who prefer familiarity, but it may limit peer group variety and some extracurricular options.

• Mixed primary, girls only secondary. The model works well for some families and not for others. If you have sons approaching secondary age, you will need a clear plan for transition at 11.

• Early reading alignment. The latest inspection highlighted that decodable reading books were not always closely aligned to the phonics programme for some early readers. Ask what has changed since then and how reading books are matched now.

• Fees confirmation. Published fee figures are available, but the documents accessible in research do not label them as 2025 to 2026. Confirm the current year’s fees, payment deadlines, and any extras before committing.

Madani Academy suits families looking for a small independent setting that combines the National Curriculum with an Islamic ethos, and who value close relationships and structured routines over extensive scale. It can be a strong fit for pupils who benefit from familiarity and a calm, consistent environment, and for girls who prefer a single sex secondary phase through to 16. The key question is fit, the phase structure and small size are advantages for the right child, but limitations for families seeking co education through Year 11 or broad subject and activity menus.