Markazul Uloom

Markazul Uloom is an independent Islamic school in Blackburn. The inspection found safeguarding standards are met, attendance and behaviour are strong, and pupils learn in a calm, respectful environment where they feel safe and valued. Personal development and wellbeing are also a strength: pupils receive effective pastoral support and a planned programme covering safety, health, relationships, equality, British values and different faiths and cultures.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met and pupils say they feel safe.
• Attendance is consistently high and above national levels, with prompt action to address barriers.
• Pupils behave well, treat others with respect and follow school routines.
• Classrooms are calm and purposeful, and incidents of poor behaviour are rare.
• Bullying is uncommon and pupils trust staff to respond effectively.
• Pupils show positive attitudes to learning, engage well and take pride in their work.
• The personal development programme effectively supports safety, health, relationships and wellbeing.
• Pupils develop a clear understanding of equality, respect, protected characteristics and British values.
• Pupils learn about Islam and other faiths and cultures, deepening their understanding.
• Pastoral support is effective; staff know pupils well and pupils feel valued.
• Pupils benefit from extracurricular activities, trips, work experience and careers guidance.
• Most pupils achieve appropriate outcomes, including GCSE passes in English and mathematics, and move on to suitable post-16 destinations.
• Leaders have broadened the curriculum and begun taking action to improve teaching and staff training.
• Staff value the training and support they receive, and leaders are mindful of staff workload and wellbeing.

Areas for Improvement

• The school continues to not meet the independent school standards in quality of education and leadership and management.
• Curriculum and teaching require attention, especially in newer subjects where teachers sometimes teach outside their main subject area.
• Some teachers lack secure subject knowledge, and teaching is inconsistent across subjects.
• Pupils do not build knowledge as securely in newer subjects as they do in more established subjects.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is not consistently identified, reviewed or adjusted.
• Leaders do not have clear, consistent systems to identify pupils needing reading support or to check whether support is helping.
• Some pupils do not develop reading fluency quickly enough to access the full curriculum.
• Support for pupils who need extra help is not always precisely targeted or consistently applied.
• The curriculum does not consistently take account of pupils' differing needs, aptitudes and prior attainment.
• Learning activities are not always well matched to pupils' needs, limiting progress for some.
• Leaders lack a sufficiently clear and detailed view of provision across subjects, so weaker practice is not identified quickly enough.
• Professional development has not yet secured consistently effective teaching.
• The proprietor's systems for assuring compliance with the independent school standards are not sufficiently rigorous.
• Improvements since the previous monitoring inspection are at an early stage and are not yet embedded.

In 2025–26, 0.0% of pupils at Markazul Uloom were on SEN support (nationally 18.4%) and 0.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 7.9%).

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded independent school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Markazul Uloom's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Markazul Uloom is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Markazul Uloom last inspected by Ofsted?

Markazul Uloom was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Markazul Uloom have?

Markazul Uloom has 26 pupils on roll.

What age range does Markazul Uloom cover?

Markazul Uloom for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Markazul Uloom's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 51.3, and 71% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Markazul Uloom?

Markazul Uloom is at Park Lee Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NY.