A £3,100-a-year Muslim faith school in Stratford has failed to meet Ofsted’s standards for independent schools, having previously been rated inadequate.

Following the December 8 report, “grave concerns” have been raised about Hafs Academy’s continued poor performance.

Some 91 pupils, aged between 7 and 16, attend the all-boys' school, based in an industrial unit in Maryland Road.

The most recent inspection found various safety concerns, including a fire exit being “restricted” and fire extinguishers having “not been checked frequently enough”.

The report reads: “This inspection finds that leaders are still not vigilant enough about identifying health and safety risks."

The school’s last full inspection was in December 2018, when it was rated inadequate. It subsequently submitted two action plans, both of which were rejected by Ofsted.

Councillor Joshua Garfield, who represents Stratford and New Town, said: “According to Ofsted, this school is failing in its basic duty to safeguard its pupils, fails to comply with fire safety, and has been rated inadequate for over four years.

“This should be of grave concern to all parents of children at Hafs Academy.”

He added that two non-fee-paying schools in the area, Chobham Academy and Colegrave Primary School, are rated outstanding by Ofsted.

When confronted with the most recent failures by the Recorder, a spokesperson for Hafs Academy's trustees said it was “disappointed”.

They said: “The school was disappointed with the overall Ofsted outcome given the recent significant improvements identified in the report.

“The school asked for recognition of the steps taken since the inspection to address specific health and safety matters and this was done. The school acknowledges that improvements still need to be made and is committed to these.

“The school is working hard in this difficult period for the nation as a whole, the school has limited resources and our staff are trying their best to provide an excellent service that benefits the community.”

A spokeswoman for Newham Council said it would be contacting the school to offer help and support.