Quwwat Ul Islam Girls' School

School report School report Quwwat-Ul-Islam Girls’ School 16 Chaucer Road, Forest Gate, London, E7 9NB

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good 2

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

p.1

This school is good because

 Pupils achieve well in their studies at all key stages, including the Early Years Foundation Stage. They make good progress from their starting points. Pupils’ attainment is above average in English and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 4.  Pupils’ behaviour and personal, spiritual, moral and social development are good due to the high expectations of senior leaders.  Teaching is good as teachers use a variety of activities to involve pupils in lessons and ensure they make good progress.  The curriculum is good. It is well suited to all pupils’ needs and interests at each different stage of their school life, thus ensuring their good achievements.  Senior leaders and trustees are highly committed to the school. They ensure that teaching is good and that pupils achieve well over time.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Teachers do not always check the work of pupils thoroughly enough to enable them to make the best progress.  Pupils have few opportunities to visit other places of worship to promote their cultural development.  A very few regular health and safety checks are not recorded with sufficient rigour.  Senior leaders do not monitor effectively the quality of teaching and progress of pupils over time. The school improvement plan does not identify priorities for future development, such as more opportunities for physical education for pupils especially in primary.

p.1

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school requires improvement and must take action to meet schedule 1 of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with one day's notice. The inspector observed 18 part lessons taught by 18 teachers.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ work and held meetings with the trustees, headteacher and pupils.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation including schemes of work, teachers’ planning, policies, procedures and assessment records. They also examined pupils’ work.  Parents’ and carers’ views were collected through the Ofsted online questionnaires and through personal meetings with parents and carers. Additional information was gathered through staff questionnaires and discussions with the pupils.

p.2

Inspection team

Lubna Aziz, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Peter Callaghan Additional Inspector Usman Mapara Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Quwwat Ul Islam Girls’ School is a Muslim day school, which is located in the London Borough of Newham. It was set up in 2003.  The school caters for girls aged from four to 16 years of age and currently there are 261 pupils on roll, none of whom has a statement of special educational needs. There are 10 pupils with special educational needs.  Pupils are mainly from Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Somali heritages. The majority of the pupils travel from East London and the surrounding areas.  The school aims to provide ‘a community rooted in Muslim values, creating a moral and spiritual environment, valuable to those of all faiths or none’.  A new headteacher has been in the post since October 2013.  The school was last inspected in September 2010.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the teaching so that pupils make the best progress by:  ensuring that marking is consistent and pupils have a clear picture of what to do to improve further.  Enrich pupils' cultural development by providing a broader range of visits to places of cultural interest, including to different places of worship.  Improve the provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety by:  ensuring that regular routine fire risk assessments are recorded more rigorously.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by:  raising the quality of teaching and learning by using an effective system for monitoring teachers’ performance  developing more consistent and accurate checks on pupils’ progress over time to further improve their achievements  identifying clear priorities for future development in the school improvement plan, including providing more opportunities for physical education for primary pupils.

p.3

The school must meet the following independent school standard

 The school must ensure that suitable changing accommodation and showers are provided for pupils aged 11 years or over at the start of the school year who receive physical education (paragraph 23A(1)(c).

p.3

Pupils’ achievement Good

Pupils’ achievement is good at all key stages. Pupils make good progress throughout their school life, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage, due to a good curriculum and good teaching. Their attainment is above average in English and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 4. The pupils enter the school with different starting points and all, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well in reading, writing, communication and mathematics. They also make good progress in Islamic studies and Arabic. The school is using a manual system to measure the progress of its pupils in most subjects. However, this tracking system does not evaluate sufficiently the progress pupils make over time; as a result, the school does not know how well the pupils are progressing. The pupils’ attainment in GCSE is consistently above average, even though their results are not as good this year as in the recent past. The most

p.4

Pupils’ achievement Good

recent assessment for current Year 11 indicates that pupils are on track to attain much higher GCSE passes than in the previous year.

p.4

Pupils’ achievement Good

The school provides good opportunities for pupils to develop into confident readers in class and through a recently established library. Most pupils in primary are able to read fluently, have a clear understanding of the text, are well focused and able to read on their own. They learn their sounds and letters effectively and do well in the check at the end of Year 1 reaching standards above the national average. In other subjects, such as science, pupils do equally well as in English and mathematics. Pupils’ learning of the Qur’an is good and pupils make good progress. They learn the recitation of the Qur’an by heart and this supports well their spiritual development.

p.4

Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Pupils’ behaviour and personal development are good. Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They are polite and courteous towards other pupils and adults. The school’s behaviour policy has clear rewards and sanctions in place. Pupils like coming to school and this is evident in their good attendance throughout the school. The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ spiritual, moral and personal development, and encourages discussion of themes, such as ‘Why God has created us?’, which was observed during an Islamic studies lesson. The pupils learn about other religions and cultures and develop a respect for all. They are confident and speak highly about the school. For example, one pupil said, ‘I like this school as education and teaching are good.’

p.4

Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Pupils learn about public institutions and services by visiting places of interest such as the London Planetarium and the Maritime Museum. They listen to speakers, such as a psychologist who talked about her profession thus providing incidental career advice. Pupils learn about the criminal and civil law and what is right and wrong, and are presented with balanced views through the teaching of religious studies, citizenship and assemblies. They learn about democracy and multicultural Britain in humanities lessons. They are taught about their religion and learn about other faiths so that they may develop respect and tolerance. However, there are limited opportunities for pupils to visit other places of worship. The pupils are encouraged to take responsibilities for aspects of school life and they communicate their views through the student council. Through collecting for charities such as National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Islamic Relief, the

p.4

Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

pupils learn about those who are less fortunate. They also take an active role in the local life by visiting an old people’s home and a homeless shelter.

p.4

Quality of teaching Good

Teaching is good and thus all pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well over time. Teachers have high expectations and are well prepared for their lessons. They use their good subject knowledge to ensure pupils gain new facts and skills. The lessons provide a good range of activities to ensure pupils are engaged and make good progress. This was observed in a literacy lesson where the teacher’s skilful questioning and good use of visual aids sustained pupils’ interests. Teachers provide good support to pupils and ensure that other adults, such as learning support assistants, are well briefed and deployed appropriately to help them learn and make progress. Teachers use class time efficiently, keep up a brisk pace in lessons and manage pupils’ behaviour effectively. They instil positive spiritual and moral values which contribute towards raising pupils’ self-confidence and self-esteem.

p.5

Quality of teaching Good

Teachers’ lesson plans are linked firmly to the good schemes of work used by the school, thus ensuring that literacy and numeracy are taught well across different subjects. As a result, most pupils improve their skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing and mathematics effectively. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, but the quality and usefulness of marking are not consistent across the school. Consequently, marking does not always inform pupils how well they have done and what they need to do to improve. Although there is a system of tracking pupils’ progress, it is not fully developed to provide the school with clear information on how well pupils are making progress. Pupils enjoy lessons such as Islamic studies and mathematics. For example, one pupil commented, ‘I like mathematics as it is interactive and our teacher supports us.’ For younger children, there are good resources available for indoor and outdoor activities to help them make

p.5

Quality of teaching Good

good progress such as in physical development. Pupils with special educational needs are provided with good support which focuses on their weaknesses. As a result, they make good progress.

p.5

Quality of curriculum Good

The curriculum is good and covers all the areas of learning required by the independent schools standards. It provides good opportunities for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, to learn and make good progress. The school has planned good schemes of work in most subjects including English, English literature, mathematics, science, information and communication technology, citizenship, humanities, psychology for children, art, textiles, Arabic and Islamic studies. Although pupils take part in physical education throughout the school, there are too few opportunities for the primary pupils to do so. Basic skills are taught well at all key stages and across subjects. As a result, pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. There are good opportunities available to enhance their speaking and listening skills, such as a whole class presentation during school assembly. The school prepares its pupils well for

p.5

Quality of curriculum Good

their future economic well-being. Pupils are introduced to the world of work through work experiences in their chosen areas. The school has good programme of enrichment activities and educational trips, although discussions with pupils revealed that they would appreciate more visits. Pupils all compete in the ‘Maths challenge’ and learn French. In Reception, a good programme of activities, both led by the teacher and selected by the children, ensures their needs are duly met in all areas of learning and development.

p.5

Quality of curriculum Good

Pupils are prepared well for assessments at Key Stage 2 and for GCSE at Key Stage 4. The aspects of personal, social and health education are covered through regular assemblies, teaching of citizenship and Islamic studies. A good example of personal and health education was seen in an assembly where pupils learnt on ‘how to look after their body and soul’. The whole school provides a welcoming environment through colourful displays in the classrooms and corridors. The examples include displays on three letter words and topics such as ‘Ourselves’. This helps to reinforce learning.

p.5

Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Adequate

The provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety is adequate. Pupils learn in a secure environment and the school meets all regulations in this area. The school has an appropriate written policy for safeguarding and it is reviewed annually. It clearly describes signs and symptoms of child abuse and referral procedure. The senior designated officer for child protection has suitable training in safeguarding, as do all members of staff. There is an effective anti-bullying policy in place. A suitable behaviour policy includes a reward system for positive behaviour, such as ‘MashaAllah (well done) Chart’ and sanctions in the event of misdemeanours. The policies on health and safety and first aid are appropriate. The school has trained appropriate numbers of staff in first aid, including paediatric first aid. First aid procedures are applied appropriately and records of all incidents are kept in pupils’ files. The fire policy and procedures are suitable and fire drills are

p.6

Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Adequate

carried out and recorded regularly. Although fire risk assessments are undertaken and the regulation is met, occasionally these are not logged as regularly as these should be. The school has devised appropriate procedures for educational trips. The school carries out sufficient risk assessments for all activities on and off the school site.

p.6

Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Adequate

The school ensures there are adequate safe recruitment procedures and vetting practices. All the relevant checks are made on the suitability of all staff to work with pupils. These are accurately recorded in the single central register. Staff have suitable duty rota for supervision of pupils. Attendance and admission registers meet the regulatory requirements.

p.6

Leadership and management Good

The leadership and management are good. Trustees and senior managers communicate high expectations for staff, pupils and parents and carers. As a result, the achievements of pupils and the quality of teaching are good. There is a new headteacher and senior management team in place. This signifies high commitment by the trustees to improve the quality of teaching and to raise standards further in achievements. However, monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning and managing teachers’ performance are at too early a stage to see the impact of this new senior management team. The school has a system to assess pupils’ progress, although this is not fully developed to ensure pupils make accelerated progress over time from their different starting points. Parents’ and carers’, staff and pupils’ responses to questionnaires show great satisfaction with the school.

p.6

Leadership and management Good

The school’s self-evaluation is mostly accurate in its identification of the strengths and areas for improvement. However, the school improvement plan does not fully show priorities for future development, such as including more opportunities for physical education for primary pupils. The school meets all the regulations for independent schools except the school does not provide suitable changing accommodation and showers on its premises. Appropriate plans are in place to provide these facilities, but they are still at an early stage. Trustees and senior managers are aware that they need to ensure routine fire risk assessments are recorded more rigorously. The school’s premises and accommodation provide a safe and secure physical environment for all pupils. Parents and carers are provided with all the required information and the school’s complaints procedure meets the regulations.

p.6

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 the quality of education has serious weaknesses.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 134627 Inspection number 422770 DfE registration number 316/6066 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.

p.8

School details

Type of school Muslim Day School School status Independent School Age range of pupils 4−16 years Gender of pupils Girls Number of pupils on the school roll 261 Number of part time pupils 0 Proprietor Quwwat Ul Islam Society Chair Mr Umarji Ibrahim Patel Headteacher Mrs K Nugent-Williams Date of previous school inspection 30 September 2010 Annual fees (day pupils) Primary £2,100. Secondary £2,350 Telephone number 020 8548 4736 Email address info@quwwatulislam.com 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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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,

p.9

School details

please 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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9