Oakwood Primary School

Emergency inspection school report Oakwood Primary School

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Reason for the inspection

 The Department for Education received a complaint about the condition of the school’s premises and required an emergency inspection to investigate the school’s compliance with requirements. Specifically, the inspection was commissioned to report on the school’s compliance with Standard 3 of the independent school regulations, welfare, health and safety, and Standard 5, premises and accommodation.

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Main findings

 A number of regulations concerning welfare, health and safety are not met. The health and safety policy is not effectively implemented because not all repairs and maintenance issues are identified or recorded as outcomes of risk assessments, and are therefore not rectified.  The following hazards were not identified through risk assessments: defects to the flooring outside the staff and girls’ toilets; changing levels of flooring along corridors with no warning to ‘mind the step’; loose electrical wiring hanging from the ceilings; ripped carpet in some classrooms; a hole in the plasterwork of one classroom; uneven flooring in a few classrooms; the poor condition of the roof on the 1930s prefabricated building; loose polystyrene ceiling tiles hanging down in the Nursery and Reception classrooms; and wastewater piping leading from the old building along the exterior wall of the early years outdoor learning environment which is

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Main findings

not covered.  There is no risk assessment or fire certification for the new mobile unit, which serves as a dining room for pupils, who are accommodated in three sessions for lunch.  Despite these concerns, pupils stay safe in and around the school as staff vigilantly supervise pupils as they move from one area of the school to another. As a result, no accidents have been recorded in the accident book relating to any defects in the accommodation since the last inspection.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school because the behaviour policy is implemented effectively.  The proprietor has not ensured that the school premises and the accommodation are maintained to a sufficient standard so that, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured. Much of the premises and accommodation, as detailed above, is in a poor state of repair.  In discussion during the inspection, the headteacher maintained that the areas of roof on the

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Main findings

old building, where tiles were falling into the neighbour’s garden, had been repaired. No evidence was provided to confirm this and some loose tiles remain on the building.  The headteacher provided evidence to show that the proprietor had written to the landlord to notify him of the defects to the accommodation with a request to rectify them. However, no action was taken to repair the defects.  The proprietors have been searching for larger premises since the last inspection and the headteacher has stated that new accommodation has been found. However, this has not yet been procured. Emergency inspection: Oakwood Primary School, 6 October 2015 2 of 5

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Main findings

 Despite the shortcomings in the accommodation, children in the early years play safely and have opportunities to learn in the wider environment through planned visits to local amenities.  Although the outdoor play area for pupils and children in the early years is restricted, this is managed well through staggered playtimes and the regular use of the local park for recreation and the local leisure centre for physical education.  Leaders are failing to ensure that all standards for welfare, health and safety and the premises and accommodation are met. They are not completing risk assessments rigorously enough to identify defects in the accommodation and put these right. They have not carried out a fire risk assessment nor a full risk assessment of the recently installed mobile unit. Therefore, they are not demonstrating good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role and are not fulfilling their

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Main findings

responsibilities effectively enough to ensure that all standards are met.  On a day-to-day basis, leaders actively promote the well-being of pupils to enable them to stay safe and secure, and to learn and behave well, throughout the school.

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Regulations 2014 and associated requirements

 The school must ensure that the health and safety policy is implemented effectively, that risk assessments identify all defects and the proprietors take action to remedy them (paragraph 7, 7(a)).  In making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils, the school must have due regard to any guidance on health and safety issued by the Secretary of State (paragraph 7(b)).  The school must ensure that the relevant health and safety laws are complied with by implementing the written health and safety policy effectively so that all risks are identified and defects in the accommodation and action to remedy them are recorded (paragraph 11).  The school must comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 by carrying out a fire safety audit of the mobile unit and obtaining a fire certificate for this (paragraph 12).  The proprietor must ensure that the risk assessment policy is implemented fully so that defects

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Regulations 2014 and associated requirements

in the premises and accommodation are identified (paragraph 16, 16(a)).  The school must ensure that appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified and record the action taken in line with the school’s health and safety policy, setting timescales for completion of the action and subsequently reviewing the impact of the action on welfare and safety around the school (paragraph 16(b)).  The proprietor must make sure that repairs to the accommodation and premises are carried out so that they are maintained to a standard to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all pupils (paragraph 25). Emergency inspection: Oakwood Primary School, 6 October 2015 3 of 5

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Inspection team

Declan McCarthy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Information about this school

 Oakwood is an independent day Muslim primary school that opened in April 2008. The school is registered to admit up to 150 boys and girls aged from three to 11 years, of any religious background. The school is up to capacity as there are currently 150 pupils on roll.  The school is situated in a quiet, residential part of central Luton. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 are housed in a large 100-year-old building. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes are housed in a 1930s prefabricated building attached to the main building.  Pupils come from diverse cultural backgrounds and are mostly of Pakistani and Bengali heritages. Most speak English as an additional language or are bilingual. There are a few pupils of compulsory school age at an early stage of learning English.  The early years consists of a Nursery class of 20 children and a Reception class of 18 children. The Nursery children all attend part time and Reception children attend full time.

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Information about this school

 There are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.  The school is managed by a board of trustees that includes the headteacher who is one of the founders of the school. The school’s previous standard inspection was in September 2012.  The school seeks to help its pupils to achieve an understanding of their own faith and the role of Islam in their lives. It teaches a broad range of subjects, including mathematics, reading and writing, along with Arabic, Islamic and Qur’anic studies.  The school aims to be an inclusive school that welcomes pupils from all backgrounds and abilities, and promotes moral and academic excellence, while developing their spiritual needs. Emergency inspection: Oakwood Primary School, 6 October 2015 4 of 5

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School details

Unique reference number 135539 Inspection number 10007512 DfE registration number 821/6011 This inspection was conducted at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. It was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008.

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School details

Type of school Muslim primary day school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 150 Number of part-time pupils 20 Proprietor Oakwood Education Trust Chair Mr Sultan Mahmood Headteacher Dr Arshad Jamal Date of previous school inspection 12–13 September 2012 Annual fees (day pupils) £2,500 Telephone number 01582 518800 Fax number None Email address admin@oakwoodprimary.co.uk Emergency inspection: Oakwood Primary School, 6 October 2015 5 of 5

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School details

guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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

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School details

Store St Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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