Barnet Hill Academy

Ayesha Community School Independent school progress monitoring inspection report

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DfE registration number 302/6119 Unique Reference Number (URN) 131261 Inspection number 367558 Inspection date 17 February 2011 Reporting inspector Michèle Messaoudi 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk No. 090137 Independent school progress monitoring 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.

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

The inspection was conducted at the request of the Registration Authority for independent schools in order to monitor the progress the school has made in implementing its action plan following the previous inspection.

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Information about the school

Ayesha Community School serves the Muslim communities of North London. It is registered to admit up to 400 pupils from four to 16 years of age. There are currently 247 pupils on roll, nine of whom are in the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are no children receiving nursery funding. Pupils and staff have diverse cultural and ethnic heritages. Most pupils are bilingual and a few are at various advanced stages of learning English as an additional language. There are five pupils at the early stages of acquiring English in the primary school and none in the secondary school. There are no pupils with statements of special educational needs. The school opened in 2006 and the numbers on roll increased more than four-fold when it moved to its present, much larger, buildings in August 2009. These premises were formerly used as a primary school by the local authority and, more recently, by a college. The educational provision is a mix of Islamic and secular teaching. The school aims to

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Information about the school

‘provide a balanced quality education in a caring and nurturing environment with a view to creating responsible citizens of the future’. The school had its first inspection in June 2007.

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Context of the inspection

The school was last inspected in February 2010 when it was found to have significant failings resulting in an inadequate quality of education and inadequate provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety. Its action plan and the proposed timescales to meet all the requirements were not evaluated. This is the first visit to the school to follow up its progress in implementing its action plan.

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action plan

At the time of the last inspection, although the curriculum was found to be satisfactory for most pupils, it was judged to be inadequate because it did not meet the needs of a significant number of pupils who were at early stages of learning English as an additional language. As a result, these pupils made inadequate progress. In response, the school set out its plan to develop a programme to assess and meet the needs of these pupils. It now implements a suitable framework to Independent school progress monitoring inspection report identify the needs of these pupils and monitor their progress, while a tailor-made programme of studies equips them with the basic linguistic skills which they need to access the rest of the curriculum. Consequently, these pupils are now fully included in class work and make at least satisfactory progress.

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action plan

The last inspection found that teaching was satisfactory but that the assessment of learning and the monitoring of progress were inadequate. The school planned to appoint a teacher mentor, to train all the teaching staff in the use of its assessment system and to monitor their practice. There is now a suitable assessment framework throughout the school that includes an appropriate range of tests to assess pupils’ learning regularly. All teachers are involved in the monitoring of pupils’ progress every term in Key Stages 1, 2 and 3, and every half term in Key Stage 4. Underachieving pupils are identified and are given additional support. The school is also in the process of implementing strategies to involve pupils in the assessment of their learning. In most classes, pupils are helped to understand what to do next to improve through constructive marking.

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action plan

At the last inspection, teachers did not show a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils and these were not sufficiently taken into account in the planning of lessons. As a result of the school’s implementation of its action plan, most teachers now show a good understanding of pupils’ prior attainment and needs which they gain from termly or half-termly progress reviews and ongoing assessments. The information from assessments is used with increasing effectiveness to inform teachers’ planning throughout the school, particularly in Key Stages 1, 2 and 4. However, this practice is still inconsistent, particularly in Key Stage 3. Many teachers were appointed recently and not all are sufficiently informed of Key Stage 3 pupils’ prior attainment and aptitudes to plan work that matches their needs closely. Consequently, this requirement is not met fully.

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action plan

The last inspection found that not all staff had received up-to-date child protection training and that none had received appropriate first-aid training to assist the youngest pupils. The designated persons for child protection have since refreshed their training at the appropriate level and a rolling programme ensures that all staff refresh theirs at the required intervals. Two full-time members of staff have received training in first aid with paediatric qualifications.

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action plan

The school failed to carry out all the required checks on all staff to confirm their suitability to work with children and to record these checks in a single central register in the proper manner. The school now has robust recruitment procedures and it maintains its single central register of staff checks properly.

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action plan

The previous inspection found that the school did not inform parents, carers and others of particulars of educational and welfare provision for pupils with statements of special educational needs and for pupils for whom English is an additional language. This information is now provided in the school’s admission and curriculum policies, both of which are made available on request. Independent school progress monitoring inspection report

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

As a result of this inspection, the school must take action to meet The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010 1 (‘the Regulations’), as follows.  Ensure that all staff are sufficiently informed of Key Stage 3 pupils’ prior attainment and aptitudes and use this information to plan work that matches pupils’ needs effectively (paragraph 3(d)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

1 www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/1997/contents/made Independent school progress monitoring inspection report

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School details

Gender of pupils Mixed from 4 to 11 Girls from 11 to 16 Number on roll (full-time pupils) 247

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School details

Address of school 10a Montagu Road Hendon London NW4 3ES

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