Andalusia Academy Bristol

School report Andalusia Academy Old School Building, St Matthias Park, St Phillips, Bristol, BS2 0BA

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Overall effectiveness Good 2

Pupils’ achievement Good 2 Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Quality of curriculum Good 2 Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Adequate 3 Leadership and management Good 2

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This school is good because

 Pupils achieve well and make good progress from their starting points, including those in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and the primary and secondary age groups. Their attainment is broadly average in English and mathematics.  Pupils’ behaviour and personal development are outstanding due to very high expectations for behaviour set by the senior leaders and managers.  Teaching is good as teachers productively involve pupils in lessons to ensure they make good progress.  The curriculum is good and it provides good opportunities for pupils to gain relevant qualifications to prepare them for the next stage of their lives.  Leaders and managers ensure that the school is constantly improving. The quality of teaching is improving and the good achievement is due to the consistent support provided by the senior leaders.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, some teachers do not mark pupils’ work consistently to a high standard.  A very few routine health and safety checks are not completed and recorded with sufficient regularity.  Senior leaders do not effectively evaluate the progress of pupils over time.  Trustees are not always sufficiently well informed about the school’s performance. The school’s self-evaluation does not provide a sufficient overview of all aspects of the school’s performance.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets schedule 1 of The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, as amended by The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with one day's notice. The inspectors observed 17 part lessons taught by 17 teachers.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ work and held meetings with the trustees, headteacher, primary and secondary deputy headteachers and subject leaders.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation including schemes of work, teachers’ planning, pupils’ work, policies and procedures, schemes of work and assessment records. Joint observations were conducted with senior leaders.  Parents’ and carers' views were gathered through the Ofsted website and through personal meetings with parents and carers. Additional information was collected through staff questionnaires and discussions with the students.

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Inspection team

Lubna Aziz, Lead inspector Additional Inspector John Anthony Additional Inspector Helen Griffiths Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Andalusia Academy is an independent day school of Islamic ethos. The school is located in a Victorian building in the centre of Bristol. The school opened in 2005 for boys and girls aged from four to 11 years and for girls aged from 11 to 16 years. It seeks to provide an Islamic environment with a view to helping children of that faith achieve better results. It also welcomes children of any faith to enrol  The school presently has 275 pupils on roll, including 181 pupils in the primary department. There are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs. Pupils are mainly from Somali and Pakistani heritages. A small number of pupils come from other ethnic groups. Pupils travel from Bristol and surrounding areas.  The school aims to create a centre of excellence where children are nurtured both spiritually and intellectually and go forward to become proud, aspiring and confident Muslims who are

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Information about this school

respectful and tolerant of others.  The school uses additional provision and pupils engage in physical education at a local sports centre.  The school had its last inspection in May 2010. Since the last inspection the number of pupils has increased. The school has not applied for a material change but as part of the inspection a check was made on the school’s capacity to accommodate these increased numbers. It was agreed that the school’s present facilities and arrangements are sufficient for up to 289 pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that all is outstanding by: – ensuring all teachers consistently mark pupils’ work to a high standard.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by:  evaluating effectively the progress pupils make over time from their starting points throughout the school  further developing the school’s self-evaluation by assessing the school’s performance in all areas of its work  ensuring trustees are more fully informed about the school’s performance over time and provide appropriate performance targets for the senior leaders.  Improve the provision for pupils' welfare health and safety by:  ensuring that more routine fire risk assessments are undertaken and recorded.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

Pupils’ achievements are good and they make good progress throughout all sections of the school due to good teaching and a good curriculum. Pupils’ attainment is broadly average but it is rather better in mathematics than English at both Key Stages 2 and 4. Pupils do well in the English Baccalaureate subjects. The evidence from lesson observations and checks of pupils’ work over time indicates that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make good progress. On entry to the school, most pupils’ starting points in English and mathematics are below expectations for their age. By the time they leave at the end of Year 11, their achievements are broadly average and overall they make good progress. Achievement in GCSE science subjects, French, Arabic and Islamic studies are exceptionally good. However, pupils’ achievement overall is not outstanding as their progress is not evaluated

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Pupils’ achievement Good

effectively as it might be over time from their starting points. The school is using an electronic system to check pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and other subjects. This is a recently established electronic system and the school is working to embed this practice to provide an exact picture of pupils’ progress over time.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

Pupils’ standards of reading are good overall; in the primary classes, pupils read well and demonstrate accuracy in pronouncing words and the correct use of the sounds that letters make. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are strong throughout the school. There are good opportunities for all pupils to extend their numeracy and literacy skills across other subjects, for example, in Islamic studies pupils make good use of words from letter puzzles and learn numbers in Arabic lessons.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

Pupils’ learning of the Qur’an is outstanding and they make excellent progress, including those who are given extra support in their Islamic studies. This is due to correct pronunciation of Arabic letters and sounds (Tajweed) and the meaning of the verses from the Qur’an that are well taught by the teacher. The school provides extra support after school to further consolidate pupils’ learning. The school supports well the youngest children in Reception, pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language in the primary classes, enabling them to make a similar rate of progress to their peers.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Outstanding

Pupils’ behaviour and personal development are outstanding. They are confident, courteous and very respectful towards their peers and adults. Behaviour observed in classrooms and around the school is excellent and pupils are keen to learn. They display extremely high social, moral, spiritual and cultural attitudes and values. Students report they feel safe and incidents of bullying are very rare. This is due to the strong emphasis placed by the senior leaders and the effective teaching of Islamic studies covering all aspects of personal, social and health education. They learn about their own religion and the beliefs of others and, hence develop a respect for all. They visit religious places of the different faiths found in Bristol. They gain knowledge of public institutions and services by visiting places such as a museum and listening to speakers, for example, a local mayor.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Outstanding

The school effectively meets the requirement to support students’ understanding and tolerance of other cultures and religions. For example, other local schools are invited to the school's Ramadan exhibition and workshop and this provides opportunities for all pupils to meet others from different cultures and religions. Pupils enjoy learning about ‘inspirational leaders’ from their own and other cultures in religious studies lessons. Pupils’ exemplary behaviour, high personal standards, punctuality and high levels of attendance contribute considerably to their good academic progress. As a result, they achieve qualifications at a broadly average level and have been successful in securing places at institutions of further education.

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Quality of teaching Good

Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. This results in pupils progressing well in their learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge and engage pupils well in their lessons. Teachers check that all pupils participate in classroom activities. The best lessons involve a good range of activities, effective questioning techniques and good teacher support for individual pupils. In these lessons, pupils are enthusiastic and their thirst for knowledge is palpable. Teachers make good use of resources such as a projector and small whiteboards to enhance the learning of pupils. Teachers know their students well and good relationships, coupled with high expectations, ensure pupils make good progress.

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Quality of teaching Good

All lessons are well planned and linked to the good schemes of work. Teachers place a good emphasis on the teaching of basic skills. Consequently, students make good progress in their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills and in mathematics. Pupils enjoy learning especially when they can participate in group discussions.

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Quality of teaching Good

Group sizes are small and pupils benefit from specialist subject teachers in the secondary classes. Younger pupils have good opportunities to make use of indoor and outdoor resources. This supports their learning well. In the primary department, teaching support is provided for those who need extra help. Work is marked regularly and pupils are aware of their ‘next step’ in learning. Occasionally, some teachers do not always mark pupils’ work to a high standard to accelerate their learning.

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Quality of curriculum Good

The good quality curriculum provides opportunities for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, to learn, be successful and achieve well in all areas of their learning. There are good schemes of work in English, mathematics, science, French, Arabic, Islamic studies, information and communication technology, and design and technology. Pupils make good progress in English and mathematics through each stage of their school life due to good emphasis on basic skills which are taught across subjects. This prepares pupils well for moving on to the next stage of their education. The school has an appropriate programme of activities, both those selected by the children and those directed by the teacher, for its youngest children in Reception and caters well for their needs in covering the required areas of learning and development.

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Quality of curriculum Good

The curriculum meets pupils’ needs, although discussions with pupils revealed they would appreciate more classroom equipment and a wider choice of GCSE subjects. Pupils are well prepared for assessments at Key Stage 2 and for GCSE at Key Stage 4. Personal, social and health education is incorporated into the Islamic curriculum and all aspects are covered well. A good example was seen in an Islamic studies lesson where the teacher used passages from the Qur’an on ways of controlling anger. Careers guidance is provided for secondary pupils through visiting career advisers and a careers fair; this prepares pupils effectively for work experience in their chosen areas of work. Pupils are taught physical education in a local sports centre. The school provides extra-curricular activities through regular educational visits and after-school clubs such as Nasheed (Islamic songs), skipping and examination preparation clubs.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Adequate

The school makes adequate provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety and, as a result, pupils are taught in a safe environment and all regulations are met. The school has devised an appropriate policy for safeguarding children which clearly describes any signs and symptoms of child abuse. All staff members have received the necessary level of training in safeguarding children, including the senior designated officer for child protection. The anti-bullying policy is suitable and it is effectively implemented. There are suitable policies for health and safety and first aid. The school has trained staff in first aid, including those with paediatric first-aid training. First- aid procedures are appropriately implemented and include the recording of all incidents. The fire policy and procedures are appropriate and there are regular fire drills but although fire risk assessments are undertaken they are not carried out and logged as regularly as they should be.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Adequate

The procedures for educational trips are suitable and the school carries out risk assessments for visits as well as for the premises and aspects of the curriculum.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Adequate

The school meets all regulations regarding safe recruitment practices and vetting procedures. Checks are made on the suitability of all staff to work with children and are duly recorded as required in the single central register. The electronic admission and attendance registers meet requirements.

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Leadership and management Good

The quality of leadership and management is good. Leaders and managers have high expectations for staff and pupils and a strong and successful focus on pupils’ achievement. This has resulted in outstanding behaviour, a good standard of teaching and pupils making good progress. The senior leaders and teachers have worked hard to improve the school. There are regular checks on the quality of teaching and appropriate training has supported teachers to develop their skills further. As a result, the quality of teaching is improving. There are effective systems to assess students’ learning. However, leaders and managers are yet to fully evaluate the extent of pupils’ progress over time from their starting points to gain a clearer picture of rates of progress.

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Leadership and management Good

The school meets all the regulations for independent schools. Leaders are aware that that they need to ensure routine fire risk assessments are completed more regularly. The premises and accommodation meet pupils and provide a safe and suitable environment for learning. The school’s current accommodation and facilities are sufficient for up to 289 pupils. The school provides the required information for parents and carers and meets the regulations for the complaints procedure. Staff questionnaires, parents’ and carers’ views and pupils’ responses show high levels of satisfaction with the school.

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Leadership and management Good

Priorities in the school’s development plan are identified and the leaders and senior managers know the school well. However, the school knows that it needs to work further on its self- evaluation so that it fully reflects all areas of the school's activities. Although trustees have an ambitious vision, they do not always look for suitable evidence about pupils’ achievement over time to evaluate the school’s current performance. As a result, they do not always provide appropriate performance targets over time to the senior leaders.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding A school which provides an exceptional quality of education and significantly exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 2 Good A school which provides a high quality of education that exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 3 Adequate A school which meets minimum requirements but needs to improve the quality of education it provides. Grade 4 Inadequate A school where minimum requirements are not met and/or the quality of education has serious weaknesses.

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School details

Unique reference number 130391 Inspection number 422617 DfE registration number 801/6130 This inspection was carried out 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.

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School details

Type of school Islamic faith day school School status Independent Age range of pupils 4–16 Gender of pupils Primary: mixed Secondary: girls Number of pupils on the school roll 275 Number of part time pupils 0 Proprietor Bristol Islamic Schools Trust (BIST) Chair Dr Ghassan Nounu Headteacher Dr Dawud Bone Date of previous school inspection 25 May 2010 Annual fees (day pupils) Primary £2,600 Secondary £3,200 Telephone number 01179 291661 Email address adminaab@bist.org.uk guidance 'Complaining about inspections', 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

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School details

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School details

inspects to 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,

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School details

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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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