Islamia Primary School

Islamia Primary School Islamia Primary School, Kilburn, London, NW6 6PE

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Inspection dates 28 February–1 March 2013

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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.  Children make a good start in Reception and make good progress overall in all key stages.  Standards at the end of all key stages have risen since the previous inspection.  Pupils enjoy reading and they use their understanding of letters and sounds well to read difficult or unfamiliar words.  The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is now good with some examples of outstanding teaching. Senior leaders have been successful in supporting teachers to improve the quality of teaching through effective monitoring and training.  Pupils’ behaviour is good around the school. They are courteous, helpful and respectful, and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  The curriculum engages pupils, captures their interest, and helps them to make good progress with their learning. It is enriched by the strong promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and managers, together with the governing body, are ambitious for the school, and all work effectively together as a team to drive forward further school improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of outstanding teaching is not yet high enough to ensure that all pupils make rapid progress.  Attainment in Key Stage 2 is not as high as it should be in mathematics.  The role of middle managers in monitoring the quality of teaching in their subjects and in monitoring and evaluating the school’s work is not yet fully developed.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes, visiting 23 lessons, five of which were subject to joint observations with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, and inspectors also listened to pupils read and discussed their reading with them.  Discussions were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and a parent governor, senior leaders and managers, and a representative from the local authority. In addition, inspectors spoke to parents and carers in the playground at the start of the school day.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and examined a range of documentation, including the school’s own performance data, analysis of its strengths and areas for development, improvement plans, records of monitoring the quality of teaching, and records relating to exclusions, behaviour and safeguarding.  Pupils’ work was also scrutinised to look at their progress, the quality of marking and feedback,

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Information about this inspection

and curriculum coverage.  Inspectors looked at 12 staff questionnaires and took account of 41 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).

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Inspection team

Avtar Sherri, Lead inspector Additional inspector Michael Elson Additional inspector Victoria Turner Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are from ‘Any Other’ ethnic group, with pupils from Black or Black British African heritages forming the next sizeable group.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and children of service families) is well above average. The school currently has no children who are looked after by the local authority, or children of service families.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well above average, as is the proportion of pupils whose first language is not English  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs who are supported by school action is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special

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Information about this school

educational needs is average.  The proportion of girls in the school is well above average.  The number of pupils joining and leaving the school at other than the usual times is higher than average.  The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises two Reception classes. There is no Nursery at the school.  Year 3 pupils are educated at another off-site building near the school because of lack of space in the school building.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the proportion of outstanding teaching by ensuring that: - sharper use is made of success criteria so that all learners know what is expected of them by the end of the lesson - pupils are more actively involved in their own learning - pupils are given further opportunities to respond to teachers’ comments to help them improve their work and develop their thinking and self-assessment skills - faster-paced practical activities are provided to further develop pupils’ mathematical understanding in Key Stage 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the roles of middle leaders and members of the governing body by: - providing middle leaders with opportunities to observe the quality of teaching in their areas of responsibility and improving their skills to model good practice to improve teaching - involving middle leaders more in monitoring and evaluating the school’s work - engaging governors more in discerning the impact pupil premium funding is having on narrowing the gaps between their attainment and that of their peers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter Reception with basic skills below those typically expected for their ages. They make good progress so that by the time they enter Year 1, their skills are broadly in line with the expected levels for their age.  They continue to make good progress, so that by the time they have reached the end of Key Stage 1 attainment is above the national average in all subjects, and is particularly strong in mathematics. At the end of Key Stage 2, attainment in English is above the national average; however, attainment in mathematics is broadly average.  Although pupils make good progress from their starting points, they make better progress in English than in mathematics, mainly because tasks are sometimes not demanding enough to enable them to become more engaged and confident in practising higher-level numeracy skills.  Pupils enjoy reading, and their attainment in reading is above average. It is particularly strong in

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The achievement of pupils is good

Key Stage 1 where they have a good grounding in phonics (the sounds that letters and words make), as demonstrated by the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check by the end of Year 1.  Writing is strong in the school with pupils given opportunities to write at length and improve their writing.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well because teachers and teaching assistants provide appropriate activities and targeted support to meet their needs.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make similar progress to other pupils because of the effective support they receive in the classroom through reinforcing vocabulary, modelling sentences, and providing them with opportunities to speak through interacting with other pupils.  Pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding benefit from the wide range of additional provision,

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The achievement of pupils is good

including one-to-one support, after-school catch-up classes and enrichment activities. As a result, their attainment at the end of Key Stage 2, as measured in average point scores, is above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics, although lower than other pupils in the school. The school’s own data show that gaps are closing.  Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds, including those from Black or Black British African heritages, achieve equally well because the school is a caring, cohesive and inclusive community where all pupils are valued and given equal opportunities to succeed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching throughout the school has improved, as reflected in the good progress pupils make. Teaching in Reception is particularly strong; some is outstanding teaching. Adults’ enthusiasm and high expectations engage children successfully in their learning through a range of interesting and lively activities. For example, in one of the Reception classes, children explored their feelings and the differences between right and wrong through being asked probing questions about the characters in the story ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, and using role play to further their understanding. This example shows, also, how pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted.  Teaching is particularly strong in Year 6 because the work is matched very well to the needs of different learners, and the level of challenge is high with rapid pace of learning.  The emphasis on building pupils’ vocabulary and giving them the opportunity to interact with

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The quality of teaching is good

each other to develop their speaking and listening skills is a strong feature of teaching throughout the school. This helps pupils develop their literacy and improve their communication skills, particularly those who speak English as an additional language. Pupils enjoy reading and use their knowledge of blending sounds well to read difficult words.  Their skills in numeracy are promoted well, for example through using number bonds, doubling, rounding and partitioning, and making links between learning in the classroom and real-life situations, and, in considering the rates of consumption of water by different household appliances, through thinking in terms of quantity, addition and multiplication. However, over- reliance on worksheets in mathematics limits opportunities for pupils to learn through practical activities and develop their own ideas in an imaginative way.  Although marking across the school is good, with informative comments on how pupils can

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The quality of teaching is good

improve their work, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to respond to these comments to further their understanding and develop their thinking and self-assessment skills.  Sometimes, teachers talk for too long, limiting opportunities for pupils to be more actively involved in their learning. Teachers do not always explain clearly what different learners are expected to learn, and as a result, some pupils are not always sure what is expected of them by the end of the lesson.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, those eligible for support through the pupil premium funding, and those who speak English as an additional language are supported well in lessons by teachers and teaching assistants. As a result, their progress in lessons is similar to their peers.  A large majority of parents and carers responding to the online questionnaire (Parent View) agree that their children are taught well at the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are polite, courteous, and respectful of each other and of other adults.  Pupils from all backgrounds get on well with each other around the school. They say bullying, racist behaviour and homophobic situations are rare. They value diversity and enjoy learning about other cultures and religions.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and that they feel confident approaching a member of staff if they have any concerns about their safety. They are aware of unsafe situations and how to keep themselves safe. For example, they know about internet safety and cyber-bullying. As one pupil said, ‘Do not give away your password, phone number, address or full name!’ Pupils are given responsibility to be peer monitors and playground buddies to ensure good behaviour and say that ‘No one feels lonely.’  Pupils say that sometimes pupils talk during lessons and ‘We don’t move on.’ Inspectors did find,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

in a very small minority of lessons, particularly those where the teacher spent too much time talking, that behaviour was less than good, with some background chatter.  Although attendance is improving, it is still just below the average. The school is working hard with parents and carers to tell them how important it is to get their children to school on time, and has introduced penalty notices to improve attendance.  A large majority of parents and carers responding to the online questionnaire (Parent View) agree that the school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior and middle leaders, and governors are ambitious for the school and have worked together effectively to bring about improvement. Performance management links teaching to the impact it has on pupils’ progress. Senior leaders monitor the quality of teaching closely and provide appropriate support and continuing professional development training. Teachers’ pay reflects closely the quality of their teaching.  The curriculum engages pupils in their learning, giving them time to reflect, and effectively promoting the development of the key skills of literacy and numeracy. Overall, it supports the learning of different pupils to enable them to make good progress.  Middle managers share the ambition for the school and the commitment to drive improvement. However, they do not always have sufficient opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching in their areas of responsibility, to demonstrate good teaching practice, or to monitor and evaluate

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The leadership and management are good

the school’s work.  Although the school has a rich database of pupils’ progress data, it is not always analysed rigorously enough to pinpoint any variations in the rate of progress of different groups of pupils as they move upwards through the school.  The school works effectively with parents and carers, providing them with regular communication through newsletters, meetings and parental workshops.  The local authority has been working with senior leaders to help improve the quality of teaching.  The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body hold the school to account, are supportive, and have a good grasp of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They visit the school frequently and have been involved in improving the leadership of mathematics in the school. They have also taken the lead in the proposed new building works. They hold meetings with parents and carers to discuss school priorities and to hear their concerns. Governors are aware of the

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The leadership and management are good

quality of teaching in the school, how well pupils are achieving, and the link between performance management, quality of teaching and teachers’ pay. They maintain a good control of the school’s budget, attend regular training, and ensure that procedures for safeguarding are robust in keeping pupils safe in school. Although governors know how the pupil premium is used, they are not fully secure on the impact this funding is having on narrowing the gaps in attainment between the targeted pupils and their peers.

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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 101574 Local authority Brent Inspection number 400490

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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 Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 389 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Munir Ahmed Headteacher Zahida Shaheem Date of previous school inspection 4–5 November 2009 Telephone number 020 7372 2532 Fax number 020 7372 2425 Email address admin@islamia.brent.sch.uk 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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