Are Islamic Schools Inspected? Ofsted, ISI and the Independent School Standards Explained

Yes. Every registered school in England is inspected, including every independent Islamic school. There is no faith exemption, no opt-out and no lighter-touch version. What varies is who carries out the inspection: Ofsted for most independent schools, or the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) for schools belonging to certain associations. Both inspect against the same legal baseline: the independent school standards set by the Department for Education (DfE).

This guide explains how the system works, what inspectors actually check, and how to read a report when you are comparing schools.

An independent school cannot simply open and start teaching. It must register with the DfE, and from that point on it is legally required to meet the independent school standards, a set of regulations covering eight areas:

1. The quality of education provided
2. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
3. Pupils' welfare, health and safety, including safeguarding
4. The suitability of staff and proprietors
5. The premises and accommodation
6. The information the school provides to parents
7. How complaints are handled
8. The quality of leadership and management

These standards apply identically to every independent school, whatever its ethos: Islamic, Christian, Jewish, secular or anything else. A school that fails to meet them faces regulatory action from the DfE, which can ultimately include removal from the register.

Who inspects: Ofsted or ISI?

Two inspectorates share the work.

Ofsted

Ofsted inspects what are formally called non-association independent schools, meaning independent schools that do not belong to one of the Independent Schools Council's member associations. Many Islamic schools fall into this group, particularly newer and smaller ones. Ofsted inspects on a regular cycle, and can also carry out additional or emergency inspections if a concern is raised.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)

Schools that belong to an association of the Independent Schools Council, such as the Independent Schools Association (ISA), are instead inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, which is approved by the DfE for this purpose. ISI checks the same underlying independent school standards, using its own framework and report format.

The key point for parents: neither route is softer. A school does not escape scrutiny by being inspected by ISI rather than Ofsted, or the other way round. The legal standards are identical; the difference is the inspecting body, the framework it uses, and the style of the published report.

What inspectors look at

Whichever inspectorate visits, expect them to examine:

• Safeguarding. Are children safe? Are staff checked, trained and alert? Is there a named Designated Safeguarding Lead? This area carries the most weight: a school where safeguarding is judged ineffective has a serious problem, whatever else the report says.
• Quality of education. Is the curriculum broad and well sequenced? Are pupils actually learning it? Inspectors visit lessons, look at pupils' work and talk to children directly.
• Behaviour and personal development. How pupils conduct themselves, and how the school builds character, confidence and an understanding of British society alongside its own ethos.
• Leadership. Whether the people running the school have the knowledge and capacity to meet the standards consistently.

Faith-based provision (Qur'an lessons, prayer, Islamic studies) is not inspected as a separate category. It is looked at as part of the whole: does it contribute to a broad education, and is it delivered safely and well?

How to read an inspection report

Every report is public. Search the school's name or its unique reference number (URN) on Ofsted's website, or on ISI's site for association schools. When you read one:

• Read the whole report, not the headline. A single overall judgement compresses a lot of detail. The sections on safeguarding, behaviour and education quality tell you far more than one word can.
• Check the date. Schools change quickly, especially young ones. A report from several years ago describes a school that may no longer exist in the same form.
• Look at what the school did next. A school that publishes its report openly, explains the findings and shows concrete steps since is telling you something about its culture. A school that buries the report is telling you something too.

Daffodil Preparatory School was inspected by Ofsted in September 2025 and, as an ISA member, will be inspected by ISI in future; the full findings and what has happened since are set out openly on our inspections page. You can read how we keep children safe day to day on our safeguarding page.

Questions worth asking any school

Reports are a starting point, not a verdict. On a visit, ask:

• When was your last inspection, and may I read the full report?
• Who is your Designated Safeguarding Lead, and how do I contact them?
• Which inspectorate will carry out your next inspection?
• What did the last report say needed improving, and what have you changed since?

A confident school will answer all four without flinching.

Frequently asked questions