This is an independent all-through setting in Palfrey, Walsall, serving pupils from age 4 to 16 and operating on a shared Trust site. It presents itself, particularly on its secondary pages, as a girls-focused provision with an Islamic ethos and a structured approach to character, discipline and academic ambition.
The most important context for parents right now is regulatory and safeguarding. The latest standard inspection (January 2025, published 11 June 2025) judged the school Inadequate and confirmed that safeguarding arrangements were not effective.
On academic performance, the dataset picture is more stable: the school’s GCSE outcomes sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), and it ranks 6th locally in Walsall on the FindMySchool GCSE measure, which is built from official performance data. That combination, credible results plus an urgent compliance agenda, is the key trade-off families need to weigh.
On the school’s own description, the secondary provision frames its identity around a safe and supportive Islamic environment, aiming to develop confident, resilient young women alongside academic success. There is a clear emphasis on conduct and routines. The head teacher’s message explicitly links expectations and character development to faith-guided principles, while also pointing families to the latest inspection information.
The most recent independent evaluation provides useful texture about day-to-day culture, separate from the headline judgement. Pupils are described as working hard, behaving well in lessons and around the site, and benefiting from careers guidance and personal development activities (including themed wellbeing sessions). Those strengths matter because they suggest that, at classroom level, many pupils experience orderly learning and constructive relationships.
The physical reality is more mixed. The school operates across multiple buildings behind a row of terraced houses, including mobile classrooms and an old factory building; parts of a single-storey building were recently destroyed by fire. This context is not a minor detail, it links directly to the most serious concerns raised about site safety and maintenance.
Leadership is also an important part of atmosphere. The school website lists the head teacher as Rumela Begum. The January 2025 standard inspection report lists Mohammed Ramzan as headteacher at the time, indicating a leadership change since that inspection period. The school does not clearly publish an appointment date for the current head on its public pages, so parents should treat leadership capacity and stability as a core enquiry for visits and conversations.
For an all-through school, published primary performance measures are not available in the provided dataset, so this section focuses on GCSE indicators.
This places the school in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).
On headline GCSE performance measures:
Attainment 8: 59.4
EBacc average point score: 4.85
Percentage achieving grades 5 or above in EBacc: 8.7
These figures suggest a cohort profile that is achieving a solid overall Attainment 8, with a weaker picture on the specific EBacc grades 5+ indicator. As always, families should interpret that in context: curriculum choices, entry patterns, and cohort size can all affect EBacc-related metrics, and parents will want to ask how the school supports pupils who are following the EBacc route, as well as those pursuing a broader GCSE mix.
If you are comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you view these measures side-by-side across nearby schools using the same consistent methodology.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
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% of students achieving grades 9-7
The curriculum pages show a traditional subject structure through Key Stage 3 and GCSE, with explicit attention to literacy, speaking and listening, and setted GCSE English delivery. The English department description is unusually specific about intent, ranging from accurate Standard English to literary heritage and text analysis, and it also references drama being taught as a separate subject at Key Stage 3, which can be a meaningful confidence builder for students who learn best through performance and discussion.
Computing is presented as a structured one-lesson-per-week KS3 programme, with planned progression from e-safety through programming (including Scratch and Python) and into web design. It also explicitly references a weekly Computing Club session. This is helpful for parents who want clarity on what is taught and when, rather than broad claims about “digital skills”.
The external evaluation in January 2025 highlights a key operational risk: significant staff shortages and gaps in subject-specific expertise in some areas, particularly affecting Key Stages 3 and 4. For families, the practical implication is simple: ask what staffing looks like now, which subjects are taught by specialists, and how the school ensures continuity for GCSE classes.
This school educates pupils up to age 16, so the main transition is post-GCSE. The school’s materials highlight careers guidance and personal development work as part of preparation for next steps.
Without a published sixth form attached to the school most students will progress into one of three routes: sixth form or college study (A-levels or vocational), apprenticeships, or employment with training. Parents should ask specifically about:
local post-16 partnerships and typical destinations (by provider type, not just anecdotes)
support for applications and references
how the school handles GCSE resit planning, if needed for English and mathematics
Admissions information is clearer for the secondary provision than for the all-through registration label suggests. The admissions page describes entry primarily at Year 7, plus “casual” admissions into other year groups where vacancies exist. It also states that the school does not accept applications into Years 10 and 11.
Selection is described as non-discriminatory, but it does include an entrance test in English and mathematics, followed by an interview for those who meet the expected standard and where places remain. The page also states a capacity point: a maximum of 68 places in Year 7 across three forms, with an application timing note that parents should apply by 31 October for a child to be considered.
For 2026 entry planning, treat 31 October as the typical internal deadline rather than a statutory date. The school does not consistently publish a full calendar of test days, interview windows and offer dates on the public pages, so parents should confirm the current cycle directly and use the FindMySchool Saved Schools shortlist to track deadlines across multiple schools.
The school’s own messaging stresses discipline, confidence and mutual respect as foundations for learning. The January 2025 inspection report also references personal development work, including wellbeing sessions, relationships education coverage, and careers guidance.
However, the safeguarding judgement is the decisive factor for pastoral confidence. The January 2025 standard inspection concluded that safeguarding arrangements were not effective, driven by premises safety issues, unmet fire safety requirements, and concerns about leadership capacity on site. Parents considering the school should ask for a clear, current account of what has changed since January 2025, including site risk assessments, fire safety compliance, maintenance programme, and day-to-day senior leadership coverage.
The most useful enrichment details are embedded in subject pages rather than a single clubs list.
In English, the school describes:
a Reading Club
a Debating Club
theatre-linked curriculum trips, and an in-school poet seminar run by a professional poet
participation in external competitions such as the Muslim Writers Awards
In Computing, the curriculum page references a Computing Club running weekly.
The extracurricular page also points to specific educational visits and experiences, including Carding Mill Valley and a Stafford Castle Macbeth visit, which suggest a blend of outdoor learning and curriculum-related cultural trips.
The implication for families is that enrichment here appears closely tied to literacy, oracy and curriculum experiences rather than an extensive multi-sport club menu. That will suit some pupils very well, particularly those who thrive on reading, discussion and structured projects.
The school does not publish a clear 2025/26 fees table on its main public pages. The most recent official figure available from inspection documentation lists annual fees (day pupils) as £4,800 to £5,160 at the time of the January 2025 standard inspection.
Because fee structures can change between inspection cycles, parents should confirm the current 2025/26 schedule directly, including what is included in tuition and what is charged separately (exams, trips, uniform, lunches, and any optional clubs).
The public pages also reference finance arrangements as part of admissions completion, but they do not set out bursary or scholarship policies in a way that can be verified from the accessible pages used here. If financial support is important to your family, ask for a written policy and eligibility criteria.
Fees data coming soon.
The school sits in Palfrey, close to Walsall town centre, with everyday access likely to be shaped by local bus routes and typical urban parking patterns around a main road setting. The inspection report confirms a multi-building site layout and shared premises arrangements within the Trust.
Term dates for the 2025/26 academic year are signposted on the school website, but the downloadable document itself may need to be requested directly if you cannot access it from the public page.
Wraparound care arrangements are not clearly published on the secondary site pages. For families needing breakfast club or after-school supervision, it is sensible to ask directly what is available, which year groups it covers, and whether it operates daily or on specific days only.
Safeguarding and site safety: The latest inspection concluded safeguarding arrangements were not effective, citing unsafe premises, inadequate fire safety compliance, and maintenance risks. Families should seek clear evidence of rectification, including fire risk assessment coverage and completed remedial work.
Compliance and structure: The inspection report states the school was operating outside its registration agreement by not admitting boys into the 11 to 16 provision, raising equality and compliance concerns. Parents should ask how admissions and day-to-day organisation now align with registration and legal requirements.
Staffing capacity: The January 2025 report describes significant staffing shortages and limited senior leadership presence on site. That can affect subject continuity and responsiveness to pupil needs, particularly at GCSE. Parents should ask what staffing looks like now by department and year group.
Admissions timelines are school-set: The school states an internal Year 7 application timing of 31 October, but does not publish a full admissions calendar for tests, interviews and offers. Families managing multiple applications should confirm dates early and keep written records.
This is a school with a clearly articulated ethos and a curriculum structure that puts literacy, oracy and purposeful learning front and centre. The GCSE profile, particularly the overall Attainment 8, suggests that many students achieve solid academic outcomes.
Who it suits: families seeking an independent setting up to age 16 with an Islamic environment and a structured approach to learning, who are prepared to do careful due diligence on compliance, leadership stability and safeguarding actions. The defining challenge is not academic ambition, it is confidence in operational delivery after the January 2025 inspection findings.
The academic picture includes a solid Attainment 8 score of 59.4 and a mid-range England ranking position for GCSE outcomes. However, the latest standard inspection in January 2025 judged the school Inadequate and identified safeguarding and compliance weaknesses that parents should treat as decisive factors.
The school does not publish a clear 2025/26 fees table on its main pages. The latest inspection documentation lists annual day fees as £4,800 to £5,160 at the time of the January 2025 inspection. Parents should confirm the current 2025/26 schedule directly with the school.
The school describes Year 7 as the main entry point, with an English and mathematics entrance test and an interview stage if the test is satisfactory and places remain. It states that parents should apply by 31 October to be considered, which is best treated as the typical annual timing unless the school publishes a year-specific calendar.
The latest inspection concluded that safeguarding arrangements were not effective, linked to premises safety issues and unmet fire safety requirements, alongside concerns about leadership capacity on site. Parents should ask for a clear, up-to-date account of actions completed since January 2025 and what monitoring is in place.
Subject pages reference a Reading Club and Debating Club, plus a weekly Computing Club session. The school also describes curriculum-linked trips and events, such as theatre visits connected to set texts and educational visits referenced on its extracurricular pages.
Get in touch with the school directly
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