Crystal Gardens Primary School

Crystal Gardens Primary School 38 Greaves Street, Bradford, BD5 7PE

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Outcomes for pupils Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a good school

 The proprietors have a well-articulated vision for the school. Their ambition is to provide the highest quality of welfare and education for the pupils in their care.  The headteacher enacts this vision through her indefatigable efforts to improve the quality of provision step by step. Staff share in this endeavour with enthusiasm and deep commitment to their pupils. As a consequence, the school is improving.  Staff use information about pupils’ progress well to plan engaging activities. As a result, pupils grow in confidence, knowledge, skills and understanding.  Good provision in the early years ensures that children achieve well, develop good personal and social skills, and are kept safe.  The proprietors check the impact of teaching. They use their knowledge of the school and feedback from parents to challenge the headteacher to maintain and improve the schools’ provision.  The proprietors and headteacher use effective

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This is a good school

systems to ensure that pupils are safeguarded and kept safe. Staff are well informed about risks to pupils. They know what to do if they have a concern. Pupils say they feel safe and are cared for very well.  Staff model positive relationships and have high expectations of pupils. This enables pupils to behave well, and treat others with respect. This contributes effectively to their learning.  The well-constructed curriculum is a strength of the school. Broad and balanced, it gives equal weight to academic achievement and personal development. It is underpinned by the school’s prayer life and faith values. As a result, pupils are considerate and thoughtful towards others. They accept differences and are respectful of all people. This prepares them exceptionally well for life in modern Britain.  The proprietors and headteacher ensure that all the independent school standards are met.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proprietors and leaders do not check with enough precision that staff plan activities that are challenging enough for a small group of pupils.  Staff occasionally miss opportunities to move pupils forward quickly enough, particularly some of the most-able pupils in Key Stage 1.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by sharpening further the procedures to check that staff plan challenging activities that lead to rapid progress for all groups of pupils, especially the most- able pupils in Key Stage 1.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching by: – ensuring staff use all the progress information available to plan sharply focused activities that reflect pupils’ learning needs, especially those of the most able. – asking sharper questions of pupils to probe their understanding and deepen their thinking.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The proprietors ensure that all the independent school standards and associated requirements are met. By doing so, they ensure that the school is well placed to pursue their vision and ambition to provide high-quality education and a rich range of opportunities for personal development.  The proprietors check the school’s performance in regular meetings with the headteacher and senior leaders, challenging them to sustain and improve provision further. For example, the proprietors recognised the need to refresh the assessment recording system, and ensure that parents had the opportunities to learn how the new system works and what they can do to support their children’s learning.  The proprietors also check the attainment of pupils carefully and constantly challenge leaders to improve it. However, the proprietors do not check how well all groups of pupils progress across their subjects with the same sharp precision, especially the progress made by a small proportion of the most-able pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The proprietors visit the school regularly and take time to gather parents’ views, using this information to set a clear direction for the school. As a consequence, the headteacher and staff are highly motivated.  Leaders organise learning and personal development in an atmosphere of mutual respect and commitment to pupils’ safeguarding and safety. Rich opportunities for learning ensure that pupils learn about public institutions and the rule of law. Pupils consider the impact of historical events on how discrimination has caused hurt to others, for example apartheid. This helps pupils respond positively, and adopt attitudes and behaviours towards others that are based on respect and tolerance. This is a strength of the school.  Leaders have devoted considerable time and effort to creating an integrated, age-appropriate programme of personal development. In the early years, pupils learn quickly to explore, learn and play with others,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

taking turns and developing positive relationships. Through their learning about other cultures, faiths and beliefs, older pupils develop thoughtful responses to the world around them. They are open, tolerant and respectful of different beliefs and lifestyles. As a consequence, they are well prepared for life in modern Britain and ready to make a positive contribution to their local and wider communities.  Leaders have developed a well-thought-through personal, health and social education programme (PHSE). Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe and enjoy healthy lifestyles. Leaders marry this to the well-established systems to keep children safe, including careful supervision during social time.  Staff carry out risk assessments for day-to-day activities and visits out of school, and put in place effective measures to reduce risks to pupils. Work with parents supports them in understanding what

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

they can do to keep their children safe when using the internet out of school. Leaders ensure that pupils know there is always someone to turn to if they are worried or have a problem. As a result, pupils feel safe and cared for well.  Leaders ensure that high expectations of pupils’ conduct are well understood. Consequently, pupils respect the school rules and each other, and behave well. Instances of serious misbehaviour are extremely rare and always dealt with promptly by leaders. Just occasionally, a small number of pupils become restless during lessons; their interest in their learning wanes when the activities set for them are not challenging enough.  Leaders ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities to enjoy a wide range of learning across all the required elements of the curriculum. These include art and drama, design technology and physical education, as well as learning in core subject such as science, mathematics and English.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school – The proprietors make sure that school leaders make use of performance management arrangements to set targets for staff. Leaders ensure that professional development opportunities are used to develop the knowledge and skills of staff and improve their practice. Staff value the opportunity to improve their work and share effective practice to improve teaching. – The proprietors take responsibility for the performance management of the headteacher and align targets for improvement to the findings of monitoring and evaluation activities. – The proprietors understand that pupils’ safety is a prerequisite for learning. They make sure that all the required safety checks, including those for fire, electrical and gas safety, are carried out in a timely manner. They check that the site is secure, well maintained and clean. These arrangements help keep pupils safe and minimise risks. Pupils learn through these examples about their own safety and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

respect their environment.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The proprietors and leaders ensure that all the checks required to make sure only suitable adults work with children are carried out and recorded properly. They ensure that all the relevant training for designated safeguarding leads and all other staff is completed and up to date. Leaders keep a close eye on pupils’ absence and check their destinations when pupils leave. This helps make sure that no pupil goes missing from education. As a consequence of these strong welfare systems, there are no persistent absentees. There have been no exclusions from the school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers’ planning is effective because pupils learn well across a range of subjects. Pupils enjoy their learning and apply themselves well, because teachers have high expectations and tasks are clearly modelled and explained.  Teachers have good subject knowledge. Almost always, planned tasks challenge pupils appropriately. As a result, they develop and deepen their knowledge and skills. Occasionally, teachers miss opportunities to challenge a small number of pupils further, particularly some of the most-able pupils, so that they make sustained rapid progress.  Teachers’ effective help for pupils, when it is needed, is a strength of teaching in the school. Pupils with additional needs, such as those who speak English as an additional language, are quickly helped to make progress. Teachers provide frequent feedback orally and in writing, to which pupils respond readily. This helps them improve their work.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 While they are adept at using questions to check whether pupils have understood tasks or are stuck, teachers do not use questions equally effectively to probe and deepen understanding as well as further their knowledge.  Teachers have a proper focus on developing literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum. Teaching, including prayers and chants in Arabic or Urdu, helps pupils develop confidence in their oral skills and confidence as learners. Occasionally, teachers do not insist on the same high standards of literacy when pupils are writing in other subjects as they do in English.  In the early years, teachers successfully enable children to make links between sounds and letters (phonics). This helps them with their early reading, mark-making and writing skills. For example, in a reading session, children used basic phonics skills to make sense of one- and two-syllable words. Well- judged questions encouraged them to describe their activities and develop their imaginative play further.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers establish positive working relationships with their pupils. This is because the learning climate in classrooms reflects the ways in which leaders and staff value every pupil and promotes their self- confidence and resilience. In this way, pupils are ready to ask questions and learn from their mistakes. This makes a positive contribution to their learning. Pupils show that they are keen to find out new information about their topics and develop their learning. Occasionally, when teachers’ planned learning activities are not challenging enough, some pupils find it difficult to stick with their tasks and begin to lose interest.  Many pupils attend a range of after-school activities run by teachers, including Qur’anic studies, which further support their wider learning and personal development.  Teachers provide good-quality, detailed information to parents regularly about pupils’ progress and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

learning. Parents confirm that the school communicates well with them. Contact books and journals help parents understand what they can do to support their children’s learning. The use of home/school learning journals in the early years is particularly effective, because staff use them to plan the next small steps in learning for individual children.  All staff share actively in the school’s aims to help pupils learn the key values of respect and tolerance for others, and to appreciate differences. Staff demonstrate this through their planning of topics across the curriculum and their work in PHSE. Pupils enjoy this wider learning, and it helps them grow and mature in their interactions with others and their understanding of society. As a consequence, very rarely do staff have need to challenge inappropriate behaviour or derogatory remarks. On the rare occasions when this happens, incidents are of a minor nature and dealt with immediately by staff.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. From their first days in school, pupils grow in self-confidence and self-assurance; this is because staff bring to life the core values of respect and tolerance towards all people.  The rich range of learning opportunities and the prayer life of the school quickly transform pupils’ understanding of the world around them. Pupils thrive in the open, welcoming atmosphere and reveal their personal growth in the interest, curiosity and warmth they have for others.  Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning are evident in the pride they show in their learning and their achievements, whether it be in their artwork, taking part in external literacy competitions, or keeping their local environment clean and tidy. Pupils see learning and making a contribution to school life and the wider community as an important part of their lives.

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Personal development and welfare

 The well-planned PHSE and citizenship programmes provide pupils with knowledge and insight into public institutions, governance and how laws are made. Children in the early years learn about the roles of police and fire officers, while older pupils engage in democratic processes to elect the school council. Pupils are keen to participate in fund-raising activities for local charities and in visiting a local home for elderly people.  Opportunities to learn about topics, such as apartheid and a visit to a local exhibition about Anne Frank, stimulate thoughtful responses from pupils to social issues such as racism.  Pupils engage energetically in games during social time and know that exercise and healthy food are important. The respect for others that characterises the school is played out in small ways daily as pupils move around the school sensibly, help each other and share play equipment. Older pupils take care to

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Personal development and welfare

look after younger members of the school.  Pupils know about the hurtful effects of all forms of bullying. They know that it is wrong. Incidents of bullying are extremely rare and dealt with effectively. Pupils say they are confident that staff will always help them if they have a worry. A ‘rap’ song and drama, written by pupils about cyber bullying, demonstrates the contribution that pupils make to the school community and sharpens their own understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  Teachers help pupils to understand differences in people’s background, cultures and lifestyles in age- appropriate ways. For example pupils demonstrated their learning in discussion with inspectors. With insight, they told inspectors that different arrangements for families were no issue for them, commenting: ‘The important thing is that the children are loved and looked after.’  The school’s work with parents to promote well-being is effective. Parents say that they have no concerns

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Personal development and welfare

about their children’s personal development and see this area of the school’s work as a key strength. For some parents, this strength was one of the main reasons they sought out the school for their children.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. During social time pupils behave well, chat happily and play together. They show consideration for each other, taking care not to bump into each other and use the stairs safely.  Overall, pupils demonstrate good levels of commitment to their learning and work in lessons. They are proud to be members of the school and are proud of their work. They participate willingly in activities and are ready to ask questions and offer answers and their ideas. Almost always, they follow instructions quickly. This makes a positive contribution to their learning.  Occasionally, a small number of pupils lose focus or interest in their learning for a few moments if they are not challenged sufficiently well in their learning.  While they are well supervised, pupils learn to manage their own behaviours increasingly well as they grow older.  The school’s work to develop positive attitudes is reflected in the very few instances of serious

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Behaviour

misbehaviour. They have been no fixed-term or permanent exclusions for several years and there are no persistent absentees.  Attendance is consistently broadly in line with national averages. Boys and girls attend equally well.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils make good progress from their starting points because good-quality teaching and pupils’ positive attitudes are underpinned by a well-thought-through curriculum. Pupils’ progress is consistently good across a range of subjects.  Pupils develop sound knowledge, skills and understanding in their subjects. This leads to high levels of attainment at the end of the early years and at the end of Key Stage 2. While attainment is above the national average at the end of Key Stage 1, a smaller than average proportion of pupils attained the higher levels. This is because some of the most-able pupils did not make all the progress of which they were capable. Leaders and staff have addressed this weaker area of performance and the work in pupils’ books is improving.  Pupils’ work shows that there are equally high rates of progress in current year groups. The school’s keen focus on reading and writing is leading to these sustained high rates of progress.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Good opportunities to solve problems in mathematics lead pupils to cement their knowledge and understanding. For example, Year 6 pupils rapidly improved their understanding of ratio by re-applying their learning in problems about quantities for recipes. Occasionally, the quality of work in the foundation subjects is not of the same standard as that seen in English, mathematics and science.  Outcomes for children in the early years are well above the national average. Children make good progress from starting points that are typical for their age. At the end of the Reception Year, almost every child achieves a good level of development.  The progress of disadvantaged pupils mirrors that of other pupils in the school because staff attend to their individual learning needs carefully. Staff are quick to see where pupils are struggling and help them move forward quickly. As a result, progress for this group of pupils matches or exceeds that of other

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Outcomes for pupils are good

pupils nationally.  While there are currently no pupils with a statement of special educational needs or education, health and care plan, staff make sure that they plan support and tailor work for boys and girls from different starting points. This leads pupils, including the less able, to learn effectively so that the proportions making expected progress or more in English and mathematics are above the national averages.  A small proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language. Staff quickly identify their needs and put in place personalised programmes to support their linguistic and social development. As a result, these pupils participate fully in all the activities available to them and make the same good progress as other pupils.  Across all year groups, pupils are encouraged to read widely and frequently. Pupils enjoy their reading. From the earliest ages, pupils have access to a good range of reading materials. The initial reading skills,

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Outcomes for pupils are good

well taught by staff, to help pupils link sound and letters together (phonics) mean that pupils are able to make sense of unfamiliar words in their reading books. Pupils read with increasing fluency and intonation as they learn to read with understanding.  The high levels of attainment as pupils leave for secondary school prepare them well for the next steps in their education. Parents were keen to tell inspectors how well their older children had settled and are making good progress at secondary school because of the good start made during their time in this school.

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Early years provision is good

 Leaders ensure that all the independent school standards and specific welfare requirements for the early years are met. Leaders and staff keep a sharp eye out for children’s safety and take all reasonable steps to minimise risks. As result, children enjoy their day-to-day experiences in the early years and feel happy, safe and secure.  The detailed knowledge staff have of children’s needs and interests is complemented by the warm and stimulating atmosphere. This leads to the development of good relationships between staff and children, which accelerate children’s personal development and independence.  Leaders ensure that, from the first point of contact with the school, parents are engaged with staff to share key information about their child’s learning and development needs. As a consequence, staff target learning carefully, supplementing this knowledge with further information gathered through careful

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Early years provision is good

observation. Staff in the early years lead children’s progress through careful questioning and prompting, which helps children articulate their ideas and develop initial skills in number work and communication skills.  Activities for children are well organised. They enable children to explore their ideas, and follow their interests and aptitudes. For example, children developed their play in the kitchen area imaginatively, extending it to being on holiday, cooking in a tent for their families. They chatted happily, developing their verbal skills, to select different vegetables for a healthy meal, and their personal skills by inviting the inspector to wear a hat to keep his head warm because the weather was cold.  Targeted sessions to develop children’s knowledge of phonics are successful. Children develop early mark-making, writing and reading skills quickly as a result. They can recognise and write common words

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Early years provision is good

related to their families and their activities.  Staff supervise children well. They prompt children to take increasing responsibility for their own needs, such as putting on shoes and coats. They help children to understand risk in simple ways, such as how to move around the classroom carefully. Staff help children gain an early understanding of public institutions, for example by making models of police cars or fire engines. Children understand why these are important to their lives, saying: ‘They help us if there is a fire, because it’s dangerous to play with fire.’  Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress through formal reporting, the day-to-day conversations with staff and the home/school journal. As a consequence, they know what they can do to support their child’s learning. Parents speak very highly of the school’s support for their children and are confident that children are kept safe, are cared for well and thrive in their learning.

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Early years provision is good

 In 2015, the proportion of children who achieved a good level of development or exceeded it was very high, well above the national average. The progress that children are making currently shows that effective provision is enabling similarly high proportions to achieve the same levels this year.

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School details

Unique reference number 130857 Inspection number 10007706 DfE registration number 380/6066 This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, 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. Type of school Muslim primary school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 135 Number of part-time pupils 0 Proprietor Ahmed Ali / Abdul Raqeeb Chair Not applicable Headteacher Rashta Bibi Annual fees (day pupils) £1,300 Telephone number 01274 573004 Website www.crystalgardens.org.uk Email address crystalgardens@hotmail.co.uk Date of previous school inspection 21 April 2010

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Information about this school

 Crystal Gardens is a mixed day independent day school for pupils between the ages of four and 11 years. It aims to provide high-quality education and opportunities for personal development, reflecting the values and teachings of the Islamic faith, to boys and girls.  Pupils come from the immediate locality and more widely across the city of Bradford.  A much higher than average proportion of pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds.  The school was opened in November 2005. Currently there are 135 pupils on roll, including 19 in the early years.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school was last inspected in April 2010.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and the proprietors to check that the independent school standards are met and learn about how well they safeguard pupils, and check on the quality of teaching and the welfare of pupils.  Through observations in lessons, some held jointly with the headteacher or senior staff, and scrutiny of pupils’ work, inspectors examined how well current pupils learn and make progress.  Inspectors observed pupils during social time and when moving around the school to see how well pupils socialise and conduct themselves.  Inspectors sought the views of pupils informally and in discussions to gather their views and find out what it is like to be a pupil in the school, and whether they feel safe and cared for well.  Inspectors scrutinised a large number of documents, including plans for learning, the arrangements to safeguard pupils and keep them safe, as well as the school’s records of pupils’ achievements.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors talked with a range of parents and took into account their responses to the online questionnaire used by Ofsted to gather parents’ views, Parent View, and those made in writing.  Inspectors considered responses to the staff questionnaire and held discussions with a large number of staff.

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Inspection team

Chris Campbell, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Lunn Her Majesty’s Inspector 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

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