Preston Muslim Girls High School

Preston Muslim Girls High School QIM Education Centre, Peel Hall Street, Preston, PR1 6QQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous Inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Students achieve well and, in the majority of subjects, the school’s examination results are well above average. Students make outstanding progress in English, regardless of their ability or starting points when they join the school.  Teachers have high expectations of what students can achieve. They plan interesting lessons that help students to learn effectively and make good progress.  Students attend regularly, have an exemplary attitude to their learning and thoroughly enjoy school.  Students are polite, courteous and confident. They are extremely articulate and are wonderful ambassadors for their school and community.  The new leadership team has made remarkable progress in a very short amount of time. New systems and procedures have already had a clear impact on the quality of teaching and students’ achievement.  This school is very much at the heart of its community, and governors and senior leaders

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

work together very effectively to move the school forward.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Students do not make strong enough progress in mathematics.  Teaching throughout the school is not consistently outstanding. Students do not have enough opportunities to take their own initiative.  Marking does not always give students clear enough advice on how to improve their work.  The curriculum lacks sufficient breadth to fully prepare students for their next stage of education.  The school building arrangements create some limitations on the quality of the learning environment for the students.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons by 18 different teachers, of which two were joint observations with senior leaders.  Three groups of students met with inspectors. Discussions were also held with staff, including senior and middle leaders and newly qualified teachers. A meeting was held with the Chair of the Governing Body and a telephone conversation took place with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of eight responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), and of 16 questionnaires completed by staff.  Inspectors read a range of documents. These included information on the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its performance, school improvement plans, students’ current progress, policies and records on safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Anne Seneviratne, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Osama Abdul Rahim Additional Inspector Judith Tolley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Preston Muslim Girls High School is an 11-16 girls’ faith-based school. It became a voluntary aided maintained school in September 2011, converting from independent status. The school is much smaller than the average sized secondary school.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding for students known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after by the local authority and children of service families) is lower than the national average.  All students are from ethnic minority groups with the overwhelming majority speaking English as an additional language.  The proportion of students supported at school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is much lower than that found nationally.  The school meets the current government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision for its students.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase students’ progress in mathematics to match the outstanding progress made in English.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the proportion of teaching which is outstanding by:  making sure students receive high quality written feedback, in all subjects, so they know how to improve their work to progress to the next level  providing more opportunities for students to work independently and collaboratively.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure greater breadth in the curriculum by extending learning opportunities to better prepare students for their next stage of education and experiences of wider society.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to seek a solution to the limitations caused by the current school building arrangements.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students enter the school with standards that are broadly in line with others nationally and they make good progress relative to their starting points in a range of subjects. In 2012, the percentage of students attaining five A*- C grades at GCSE, including English and mathematics, was above the national average. Achievement in English is outstanding, with all students making at least expected progress and those exceeding expected progress being significantly higher than is the case nationally. Achievement in mathematics is not as strong as English, but the progress of current students shows that the school is starting to tackle this issue.  The attainment of the very small number of students who are eligible for pupil premium funding is significantly better than students nationally in this group and their progress is in line with others in this group nationally. There is a gap between the average point score of this very small

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The achievement of pupils is good

number of students and the rest of that cohort, but without any previous data it is not possible to comment on any trend here. The extra support that the school is providing with this funding is valued by the students, with one student reporting that the weekend one-to-one tuition, ‘has really helped my confidence in maths’.  Students take GCSE English language examination at the end of Year 10 and then go on to study English literature in Year 11. If students do not achieve their target grade they have the opportunity to re-sit the examination during Year 11. The outstanding progress which students make in English demonstrates that this early entry policy works very effectively.  In most lessons, students make good progress with teachers frequently adapting activities to meet learners’ needs.  The school actively encourages reading for pleasure. Reading takes place regularly during tutor time and in English lessons. Students have high level communication skills. They are very

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The achievement of pupils is good

confident when communicating orally. During lessons, students contribute articulately, using high level vocabulary.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching over time is consistently good. The majority of teaching observed during the inspection was judged to be good or better and this reflects the school’s own record of lesson observations. Evidence from joint observations also shows that judgements about teaching, made by inspectors and school leaders, match closely.  There is a very strong relationship between staff and students based on mutual respect. Teachers know their students well and have high expectations of them which builds their confidence and self-esteem. Students value the support they are given by teachers and other adults.  Students’ attitudes to learning and application to their studies are exemplary which lead to high levels of involvement and interest. It was clear, in several lessons observed, how much students were enjoying their learning. This was seen in particular in an English lesson, where the teacher’s passion for her subject and positive attitude were infectious, contributing to all

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The quality of teaching is good

students making outstanding progress when discussing a challenging poem.  In many lessons, effective questioning is used to probe and develop understanding, often by learning from other students. This was particularly evident in a history lesson where the teacher’s skilful questioning style encouraged the active participation of all students and enabled them to develop their understanding of why people volunteered during the First World War.  In the best lessons, teachers provide opportunities for students to work independently or collaboratively. This is not always the case and a few lessons are too dominated by the teacher, preventing students thinking for themselves and taking the initiative.  Students’ work is marked regularly and usually, thoroughly. However, it does not always give students the precise guidance they require to progress to the next level. The school has introduced a new marking policy in December but this is not yet applied consistently across all

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The quality of teaching is good

subjects.  The quality of teaching makes a positive contribution to students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, particularly in supporting students to reflect, work together and show respect to each other.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students’ behaviour around the school site and in lessons is exemplary and it was clear to inspectors that this is always the case. Students feel safe and happy at school, valuing what they describe as ‘family atmosphere’. Students are respectful and courteous to each other and all adults.  Students enjoy their learning and are keen to do well. When given the chance, they grasp any opportunity to work collaboratively and independently, responding maturely and demonstrating initiative.  Students have a clear understanding and awareness of different types of bullying. They say that bullying is very rare and when it occurs it is dealt with very effectively by the school. They know how to report it and feel that all adults in school will support them.  Students are very self-disciplined and misbehaviour is extremely rare. Attendance is well above the national average.  The school shares its building with other community groups. There is a lack of outdoor provision

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and dedicated dining and social facilities for the students, which prevents the school from actively promoting a healthy lifestyle.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since September, the existing headteacher has been joined by two new senior leaders and two new heads of faculty. These new appointments have already had a significant impact on students’ achievement and the quality of teaching across the school. Senior leaders speak of the school being in a ‘transition phase’, but the pace of improvement in such a short space of time has been quite remarkable. Staff have welcomed the new systems and procedures which they recognise are helping them to improve their practice.  New systems and procedures have already had an impact in a short amount of time, this demonstrates that there is capacity for further improvement as these become embedded and are used consistently by all staff.  This is a truly cohesive school where everyone shares the same values. Respect, which is a key aspect of the culture at Preston Muslim Girls High School, is tangible in every area of school life.

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The leadership and management are good

All staff have the utmost confidence in senior leaders and together they are working for the benefit of the students.  Since September, a robust student progress tracking and reporting system has been introduced and any student at risk of underachieving is quickly identified and effectively supported.  Since September, the leadership of teaching and learning has been very strong and a very thorough system of lesson observation has been introduced. Regular training for staff has been focused on improving classroom practice and the impact of this was seen during the inspection. Lessons have clear learning objectives and teachers are using effective techniques to check students’ progress. Senior leaders have a very accurate grasp of teachers’ strengths and areas for development.  The performance management targets set for teachers are focused on the Teachers’ Standards (the government’s expectations of teachers’ professional practice and conduct) and are clearly

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The leadership and management are good

linked to students’ achievement and their own professional development. This system ensures that any future salary progression will be linked to teachers’ performance.  The school’s own review of how well it is doing is accurate. The school’s development plan, which was written jointly with the governing body, understandably takes a long-term view, due to the unique circumstances of the school. A key concern is the number of students who do not continue into education or training at the age of 16, which is considerably higher than the national figure. There is a proposal to offer post-16 provision in new accommodation in the near future to try and radically reduce this figure.  Senior leaders and governors are aware that there is not enough breadth in the subjects which are available for the girls to study. Students in Key Stages 3 and 4 only have access to a limited number of design and technology areas. Although students study Arabic and Urdu there are no

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The leadership and management are good

opportunities for them to study other modern languages. Opportunities in physical education are also very limited because of the lack of facilities. The school only has use of the building for the hours of the school day which means the girls do not have access to a range of after school activities.  The particular circumstances of this school put it very much at the heart of the community which it serves. Parents are generally very positive about the school and there was a very high response to a recent survey conducted by the school. The majority of parents are very pleased with the way the school meets the needs of their daughters and are happy with the progress that they make.  The school does not buy into the local authority school improvement service and, as the local authority has no concerns about the school, they have no regular contact with it.  Procedures for safeguarding meet statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The Chair of the Governing Body and the majority of its members have been with the school on its journey from when the independent school was opened through to its new maintained status. The school has a very unique relationship with the community it serves and the governors represent that community. Consequently, they are very involved with the leadership and management of the school. They hold leaders in the school to account on all aspects of school life, including how it spends pupil premium funding, through regular formal and informal meetings. They are aware of the quality of teaching in the school and understand how the new performance management system will reward good teachers. As well as a termly report from the headteacher, heads of faculty report to sub-committees on students’ achievement. Governors have a very effective strategic role and have already agreed new

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The leadership and management are good

staffing plans to take the school forward on the next stage of its journey.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 136801 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 400304

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Girls Number of pupils on the school roll 271 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Arif Isap Headteacher Mufti Javid Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01772 651906 Fax number 01772 795690 Email address info@pmghs.com guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you 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’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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