A school in Old Trafford with an Islamic faith ethos where pupils learn about faiths and cultures different from their own has been praised by inspectors.

The independent Afifah School on Clifton Street has received a ‘good’ rating overall and in all sub-categories of assessment from Ofsted following a visit in early March.

Afifah has 295 children aged from two to 16. The report said that pupils enjoy attending school.

“They get on well with each other and with staff,” it said. “Children in the early years like to play in their exciting, well-resourced classrooms and outdoor areas.

“Older pupils enjoy chatting with each other at break times. Staff are warm and caring. This enables pupils of all ages to feel secure.”

The report said the school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils usually listen carefully to their teachers and work hard to complete their tasks, it said.

“Pupils know that staff will help them if they find work difficult,” it went on. “In all key stages, pupils typically achieve well in most of the subjects that they study, including in national tests and GCSEs.”

The school’s curriculum was described as ‘broad and ambitious’, and that in most subjects the school has a clear overview of the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ learning over time.

“This enables the school to make improvements that might be necessary in these subjects,” the report said. 

Pupils who math have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly identified and, where necessary, careful adaptions are made to enable these pupils to learn the curriculum successfully, Ofsted said.

“Staff set clear and consistent expectations for pupils’ behaviour and listen carefully to their teachers and try not to disturb others by chatting,” the report said. 

“Pupils learn about faiths and cultures that are different from their own.”

Arrangements for safeguarding are effective, the inspection team said.

Afifah was also ranked as ‘good’ at its last inspection in 2019.

The school is an independent day school where it costs parents from £3,700 to £4,100 a year for pupils to attend.