Imam Muhammad Zakariya School

Imam Muhammad Zakariya School Independent school light-touch inspection report

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DfE registration number 888/6047 Unique Reference Number (URN) 132738 Inspection number 361392 Inspection dates 05 October 2010 Reporting inspector Mohammad Ismail achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you

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give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann’s Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk No. 090071 Independent school light-touch inspection report

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PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE INSPECTION

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. 1, 2

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PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE INSPECTION

This was a light touch educational inspection which focused principally on the quality of education provided by the school; its provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; the arrangements for safeguarding pupils and the improvements the school has made since its last inspection.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Imam Muhammad Zakariya School is an independent Muslim day school which was opened in 2000 and registered in 2002. It is located in the centre of Preston and is accommodated in an old school building. The school had its last inspection in October 2007. It currently offers an education for boys and girls from four to 11 years of age. There are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs or with English as an additional language. The school’s curriculum is based on the National Curriculum with additional provision for Islamic studies. At present there are 124 pupils on roll and 18 of them are in the Reception class. The school aims to ‘offer children the opportunity to acquire an academic education within an Islamic atmosphere in a safe, secure and friendly environment.’

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EVALUATION OF THE SCHOOL

Imam Muhammad Zakariya school meets it aims by providing a good quality of education in a safe and friendly environment which enables its pupils to make good progress. The school’s provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Its provision of pupils’ safeguarding, welfare, health and safety is outstanding. The overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Since its last inspection the school has made good improvement in providing for information and communication technology (ICT) and it meets all the regulations for its registration as an independent school.

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EVALUATION OF THE SCHOOL

1 www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/ukpga_20020032_en_14#pt10-ch1-pb4-l1g162 2 www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/ukpga_20050018_en_15#sch8 Independent school light-touch inspection report

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school’s curriculum is good. The school follows the National Curriculum guidelines. There is a clear and detailed curriculum policy which is supported by appropriate good quality schemes of work for each subject area. The curriculum includes most subjects of the National Curriculum with the exception of music; instead pupils have opportunities to learn and practice nasheeds (Islamic and Arabic songs) and tajweed (Qur’an Recitation). In addition, the curriculum includes a detailed programme of Islamic studies which takes into account various aspects of Islamic teachings, such as aqaaed (beliefs), adaab and akhlaq (moral teachings) and the Arabic language.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school’s Islamic studies curriculum is broad and balanced and includes an Islamic tarbiyah (upbringing) programme. The tarbiyah programme includes citizenship and a good quality provision for personal, social and health education (PSHE). The school’s PSHE programme is linked with its pastoral care and behaviour management programme in accordance with its Islamic ethos. It effectively uses the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) approach to promote pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural skills across the whole school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school offers physical education (PE) satisfactorily. Pupils in Key Stage 1 are offered two PE sessions per week and pupils in Key Stage 2 are offered one session per week. At present, and with safety ensured, the school uses a nearby park for many of its PE activities. Opportunities for extra-curricular activities and external visits are limited. The school has made good improvements to its curricular provision since its last inspection by introducing new resources for ICT. All pupils are now offered at least one session per week of ICT and computers are used on occasions within other subject areas of the curriculum. The quality of the curriculum for Reception class is good and effectively takes the required six areas of learning into account.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

There are sufficient resources available for teachers and teaching assistants to ensure the effective implementation of the curriculum and to provide good quality support for pupils. The school’s curriculum effectively meets the needs of its pupils. The school has a good system in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities so they can be provided with extra help. Pupils are encouraged to become involved in helping in school. The school enjoys good support from parents, carers and the local community. Parents and carers are regularly informed about their children’s progress. The school has established links with other schools so that exchange visits can help pupils to broaden their understanding of the wider community.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of teaching and assessment is good. Most teaching is good with some outstanding aspects; a few lessons were satisfactory during the inspection. Teachers use their professional skills well to plan and deliver their lessons. There is good quality lesson planning. Mid-term and short-term plans are in place. Teachers Independent school light-touch inspection report

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effectively link their lessons with different subject areas of the curriculum. They use different methods and activities to make teaching and learning enjoyable and interesting although in the few satisfactory lessons, this was not the case. Teachers and pupils relationships are very good and pupils are regularly praised and encouraged to work hard. They are very courteous and polite when they talk to each other, show respect to their teachers and greet them with Islamic greetings. Pupils are confident and express their view point and enjoy their lessons. The teachers are caring and supportive. Teachers help each other and they work well as a team. Teaching assistants work in most classes and help to make teaching and learning effective for all pupils. Teaching in the Reception class is good with some outstanding aspects. Teachers plan and deliver their lessons effectively and involve children in different learning activities. The relationships between teachers and

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children are exemplary in the Reception class.

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As result of good teaching all pupils are making good progress and some are achieving extremely well. The school has adapted appropriately national strategies to ensure that all pupils make good progress in English and mathematics. There is an effective marking and assessment policy in place. Pupils’ work is marked regularly and most teachers use helpful comments to support pupils so they can improve their work. In a few cases only ticks and a few words of praise are used. There are regular assessment cycles in place. Most teachers use assessment information well to inform their planning although in a few cases the information is not used to fully match work to pupils’ different abilities. The school keeps parents and carers well informed about their children’s progress and reports to them annually.

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THE PUPILS

The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Pupils love their school and enjoy their education. Their attendance is high. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. They actively take part in their class activities and present their work with pride. They expressed their support for the school during meetings with the inspector and in their questionnaires for the inspection. They are very keen to play a role and have a say in their school life. However, there is no elected school council to enable pupils to have a structured ‘voice’ in school life. The school’s pastoral care and the SEAL programmes are implemented very effectively in contributing to pupils’ emotional and behavioural development. They are extremely well behaved in classrooms and around the school. They greet visitors and other adults appropriately. The children in

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THE PUPILS

the reception class are also extremely well behaved and are socially well developed.

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THE PUPILS

The school’s Islamic tarbiyah programme, which includes daily start and end-of-day assemblies, have a strong impact on pupils’ development. The programme helps them to distinguish between right and wrong. The school’s emphasis on literacy and numeracy effectively prepares all pupils for their future lives. Pupils learn about Independent school light-touch inspection report

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British history and British institutions in their history and citizenship programmes. They were recently involved in some charity work by donating their Eid gifts to those less fortunate than themselves.

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In the religious and Islamic studies lessons pupils learn about different faiths and cultures which helps them to understand community life in a multicultural society. As a result, pupils become tolerant and respectful toward those with different views and lifestyles. However, in the past, pupils have not had the opportunity to visit places linked with different cultures and faiths although the school has now introduced such visits. The school has very close working links with local agencies, schools and some community organisations which regularly visit the school and talk to pupils.

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SAFEGUARDING PUPILS’ WELFARE, HEALTH AND SAFETY

The school’s provision for safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety is outstanding including the provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. All the required policies are in place. There are appropriate safeguarding procedures which have been recently reviewed. All staff including the school’s designated child protection officer are trained at the required level. The school has good contacts with the local safeguarding board and other relevant agencies. Staff are first aid trained at the required level.

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SAFEGUARDING PUPILS’ WELFARE, HEALTH AND SAFETY

Pupils and their parents and carers are regularly reminded by the school about eating healthy food and about adopting a healthy lifestyle and pupils are encouraged to take part in physical activities. Visitors for example, from a local road safety group, the police and the fire and rescue service visit the school regularly to raise pupils’ awareness about safety issues. All fire-fighting equipment is regularly tested and fire drills are conducted. The school fulfils its duties under the Disability Discrimination Act with a suitable plan for improving the accessibility to the premises for those with disabilities.

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SAFEGUARDING PUPILS’ WELFARE, HEALTH AND SAFETY

The school implements its safer recruitment policy robustly and ensures that the proprietors and all staff are suitable to work with children. All checks on staff and appropriate procedures are in place. There is a single central register which meets requirements.

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EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE

The overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and outcomes are good. The school makes good provision for reception-age children who arrive from nursery provision in other settings. Through their very good relationships with adults, children demonstrate that they feel safe and confident and this supports their progress. Staff work effectively as a team to ensure that children make particularly good progress in their numeracy and literacy skills. While a small minority of pupils Independent school light-touch inspection report

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do not reach the early learning goals by the end of the Reception year, the large majority do so and some exceed their targets and are very well prepared for their next stage of learning. Continuous access to outdoor provision is not possible but use of the local park and community facilities is effective. Although the provision is good, there are limited opportunities for pupils to explore and develop their imaginations, for example, through water or sand play. The outstanding leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage ensure that children’s progress is assessed and monitored closely. As a result, teachers plan well-structured activities for children.

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COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

The proprietor has ensured that the school meets The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, schedule 1 (‘the Regulations’). 3

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WHAT THE SCHOOL COULD DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER

While not required by regulations, the school might wish to consider the following points for development:

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WHAT THE SCHOOL COULD DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER

 Improve teaching and learning by making more effective use of assessment information to support lesson planning to better meet the needs of pupils of all abilities.  Improve knowledge of pupils’ understanding about different cultures and faiths by providing opportunities for them to interact with people from different faith communities.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL COULD DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER

3 www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/1997/contents/made Independent school light-touch inspection report

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INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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The quality of education

How well the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of pupils √

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The quality of education

How effective teaching and assessment are in meeting the full range of pupils’ needs √

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The quality of education

How well pupils make progress in their learning √

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The quality of education

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Quality of provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development √

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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

The overall welfare, health and safety of pupils √

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The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage √

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The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage √

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The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage √

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The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage √ Independent school light-touch inspection report

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SCHOOL DETAILS

Number on roll (full-time pupils) Boys: 57 Girls: 67 Total: 124

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SCHOOL DETAILS

Number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0

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SCHOOL DETAILS

Number of pupils who are looked after Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0

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SCHOOL DETAILS

Address of school 2 Bairstow Street Preston Lancashire PR1 3TN

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