The Deenway Montessori School

Emergency inspection school report The Deenway Montessori School

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3–5 Sidmouth Street, Reading, Berkshire RG1 4QX

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Reason for the inspection

 This inspection was conducted by Ofsted at the request of the registration authority for independent schools.  It was carried out with no notice.  The school was last inspected on 4–6 February 2014. A material change inspection took place on 7 November 2014.  The purpose of this inspection was to check the school’s compliance with Part 1 of the independent school standards – Quality of education provided, Part 2 – Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils and Part 8 – Quality of leadership and management of schools. Her Majesty’s Inspector also checked the school’s safeguarding arrangements and aspects of Part 3 – Welfare, health and safety and Part 6 – Provision of information.  Her Majesty’s Inspector was taken on a tour of the school by the headteacher. She visited six lessons to observe the quality of education and walked around the school with the headteacher to check on the quality of education and the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of

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Reason for the inspection

pupils. Meetings were held with the headteacher and a group of 12 pupils, selected by the inspector, aged between five and 15 years. A meeting was also held with three teachers. A range of documentation was scrutinised, including curriculum plans and policies and procedures for safeguarding, including the single central record of checks on staff. The inspector also scrutinised pupils’ work.

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Part 1 – Quality of education provided

 The school provides information to parents about the curriculum for children in the Nursery, Children’s House and Elementary classes. Parents have also been provided with information about the curriculum for older pupils in the secondary classes. Published schemes of work are used to support the delivery of the curriculum, which is suited to the ages and stages of pupils’ learning.  The school curriculum enables pupils to develop a suitable understanding of British values, the rule of law, tolerance, mutual respect and individual liberty. However, pupils are not provided with enough information about a broad range of different faiths and beliefs. This limits their ability to develop mutual respect for and tolerance of people with faiths and beliefs that are different from their own and does not prepare them well enough for life in modern Britain.  The inspector observed pupils learning together in mixed-age, mixed-gender classes. During the

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Part 1 – Quality of education provided

inspection, younger pupils were selecting activities and enjoyed the opportunity to explore their own interests. Older pupils in Years 7 to 10 were engaged in more formal mathematical and language work. The school timetable shows that the secular curriculum is taught for the majority of the school day, with the Islamic curriculum forming a proportion of the afternoon curriculum time. Emergency inspection: The Deenway Montessori School, 22 September 2015 2 of 7

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Part 1 – Quality of education provided

Emergency inspection: The Deenway Montessori School, 22 September 2015 2 of 7  The curriculum gives pupils a wide range of experiences with a particular focus on English literature and the development of speaking and listening, numeracy and scientific skills.  The curriculum does not provide opportunities for pupils to explore thoughts and ideas of all kinds. In particular, the school has not paid sufficient attention to helping pupils to understand about people with different personal, protected characteristics. This could result in pupils’ disregard of or prejudice against people with protected characteristics. It is not preparing them well enough for life in modern British society.  The school is providing opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for organising themselves and their possessions and making choices and decisions. However, older pupils are not provided with enough information about how to prepare for life beyond school. The school has made

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Part 1 – Quality of education provided

insufficient effort to plan and prepare impartial careers guidance that will enable pupils to make informed choices and enable them to reach their full potential.

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Part 2 – Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

 The school ethos promotes pupils' development of self-esteem, self-confidence and self-respect. Pupils are polite, courteous and well-mannered.  Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong and make a positive contribution to the local and wider community through fund-raising and supporting charity work.  Pupils are provided with opportunities to understand about public institutions through visits to the local library, the police station and the fire service.  There are opportunities for pupils to understand and participate in the democratic process by electing members of the school council. Pupils enjoy making decisions about how the money they raise should be spent.  The school does not actively promote respect for and tolerance of a broad range of other religions. As a result, pupils' understanding of other religions and their traditions and beliefs is limited.

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Part 3 – Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 Inspection preparation established that the school’s website did not contain a safeguarding policy. Scrutiny of the policy during the inspection showed that the policy was not fit for purpose because it is out of date. It does not have regard for the most up-to-date guidance issued by the Secretary of State. In addition, not all staff have attended training in child protection, and the headteacher, who is the lead child protection officer, was unable to confirm the date or level of his child protection qualification.

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Part 6 – Provision of information

 Inspection evidence established that the requirements for the information to be published on the school website, namely the arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils and to publish the school inspection report, were not met. The headteacher was made aware of this information. As a result, during the inspection, the headteacher took down the school’s website.

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Part 8 – Quality of leadership and management of schools

 The proprietor has not ensured that the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 are met. The proprietor has not kept up to date with current guidance issued by the Secretary of State, particularly in relation to safeguarding and child protection. As a result, the well-being of pupils is not promoted well enough. Emergency inspection: The Deenway Montessori School, 22 September 2015 3 of 7

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Part 8 – Quality of leadership and management of schools

Emergency inspection: The Deenway Montessori School, 22 September 2015 3 of 7

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school must take action to meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements:  Ensure the proprietor’s written curriculum policy, plans and schemes of work do not undermine the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs (paragraphs 2(1), 2(1)(a) and 2(1)(b)(ii)).  Ensure the proprietor includes the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, careers guidance and sufficient preparation for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in British society in the written curriculum policy (paragraph 2(2)).  Ensure the provision for personal, social, health and economic education includes information on protected characteristics and encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010 (paragraphs 2(2)(d) and

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

2(2)(d)(ii)).  Ensure that pupils receiving secondary education access accurate, up-to-date careers guidance and that it is presented in an impartial manner to enable pupils to make informed choices about a broad range of career options and to encourage pupils to fulfil their potential (paragraphs (2)(e), 2(2)(e)(i), 2(2)(e)(ii) and 2(2)(e)(iii)).  Ensure that all pupils are provided with effective preparation for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in British society (paragraph 2(2)(i)).  Ensure that teaching at the school does not undermine the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs (paragraphs 3 and 3(i)).  The proprietor must ensure that the standard about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is met by actively promoting pupils’ mutual respect for and tolerance of a

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

range of different faiths and beliefs, actively promoting the principles of the Equality Act 2010 and encouraging pupils to respect people with protected characteristic (paragraphs 5, 5(a), 5(b) and 5(b)(vi)).  The proprietor must ensure that the safeguarding policy is up to date and refers to the most up- to-date guidance issued by the Secretary of State. The proprietor must also ensure that all staff are trained at a suitable level to safeguard pupils’ welfare and that this also complies with the most up-to-date guidance from the Secretary of State (paragraphs 7, 7(a) and 7(b)).  The proprietor must ensure that all required information is provided for parents, including the arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils and publish the school inspection report (paragraph 32(1), 32(1)(c) and 32(1)(d)).  The proprietor must ensure that persons with leadership and management responsibilities

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently. They must fulfil their responsibilities effectively, and actively promote the well-being of pupils (paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c) and 34(2)).

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School details

Unique reference number 135995 Inspection number 10006750 DfE registration number 870/6016 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 Montessori day school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 3–16 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 89 Number of part-time pupils 27 Proprietor The Deenway Company Ltd Chair Mr Munawar Karim Headteacher Mr Munawar Karim Date of previous school inspection 4–6 February 2014 Annual fees (day pupils) £3,600 Telephone number 0118 957 4737 Email address connect@deenway.org

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Information about this school

 The Deenway Montessori School is an independent Islamic day school for boys and girls from three to 16 years. The school opened in 2009 and is registered for up to 110 pupils. It is situated in a Grade II listed building located in the centre of Reading, Berkshire. The school uses local facilities for physical education. It is owned by The Deenway Company Limited, a not- for-profit social enterprise. The school was last inspected in February 2014. A material change visit in November 2014 recommended the increase in numbers to 110 and ages from 11–16 years. The Department for Education approved these changes in June and July 2015.  There are currently 89 pupils on roll. None has a statement of special educational needs. The 19 secondary-aged pupils started on 14 September 2015. There are 27 children who attend part time in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils have diverse heritages. Some pupils speak

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Information about this school

English as an additional language. Not all pupils are Muslim.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The school teaches the Montessori curriculum to children up to the age of 11. Pupils aged 11– 16 are taught the liberal arts curriculum. Pupils are taught in eight classes: the Nursery (three- to four-year-olds); the Children’s House (five- to six-year-olds); the Lower Elementary class (six- to nine-year-olds); and the Upper Elementary class (nine- to 11-year-olds). Pupils aged 11–16 are taught in the Unicity College in four classes. There are no pupils in Year 11. Emergency inspection: The Deenway Montessori School, 22 September 2015 5 of 7  The school aims to ‘nurture the mind, body and spirit of each child’ and to prepare them to be able to direct their own learning and development throughout their lives.

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Inspection team

Ann Henderson, lead inspector 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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