A school in Blackburn where pupils are 'exposed to an unacceptable level of risk' has been rated as 'Inadequate' by Ofsted.

Markazul Uloom High School in Park Lee Road was inspected on April 16 and 17, and was given an 'Inadequate' Ofsted rating.

The report described how the school 'failed to uphold legal duties' and did not ensure that they 'met the statutory requirements for safeguarding pupils and promoting their well-being'.

The report said: "Pupils are not safe at this school.

"They are exposed to an unacceptable level of risk due to the decrepit and potentially hazardous nature of the school’s premises.

"Added to this, weaknesses in the culture and practice of safeguarding mean that the school does not fulfil its duties to protect pupils from harm.

"These pupils are simply unaware of the dangers that they face. Although most pupils said that they feel safe, a minority of pupils do not share their positive views.

"They told inspectors about the bullying and poor behaviour that happens at times when they are unsupervised by staff.

"Moreover, some pupils are concerned by the poor conditions of the school building. Pupils are not encouraged to share their worries with staff. This compounds staff’s inability to tackle such issues."

The school's last standard inspection in 2021 was rated 'Good', with the pupils 'describing the school as ‘a blessing’ and 'valuing their education'. 

But this year, the quality of education and behaviour and attitudes were rated as 'Requires improvement', and personal development and 'leadership and management' rated as 'Inadequate'.

Overall, the school did not meet the independent school standards by Ofsted.

To improve, the report suggested the school should fix their electrical hazards and raise their standards of health and safety.

The report said: "The school is ambitious for its pupils. Staff want pupils to achieve well in their secular education in addition to completing their Islamic religious studies.

"Pupils typically gain GCSE qualifications that comprise the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

"However, the curriculum that older pupils study lacks the breadth that pupils up to Year 9 usually experience. Pupils in key stage 4 do not experience any aesthetic or creative education, nor any personal, social, health and economic education

"Inspectors found several other potential hazards in the school building, including unsafe electrical repairs. For example, a loose electrical socket had been reattached with decorator’s filler.

"Other areas of the school premises were dirty and unhygienic. The proprietor does not have effective systems for identifying and managing these risks.

"Many of the standards remained unmet at the end of the inspection. This poses a serious risk to pupils’ welfare, health and safety."

Markazul Uloom has been contacted for comment.