Al-Ameen Primary School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Al-Ameen Primary School 21 September 2016 Al Ameen Foundation, Stanfield House, 447 Warwick Road, Tyseley, Birmingham B11 2JR

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1) and 2(1)(a)  The previous inspection judged the curriculum to be narrow. Now there is a good written policy on the curriculum, and the school has worked hard to create appropriate plans and schemes of work across all subjects. These schemes of work are not yet implemented effectively, resulting in some pupils making poor progress. For this reason, this standard is not met. Paragraphs 2(1)(b), 2(1)(b)(i)(ii), 2(2), 2(2)(a), 2(2)(b), (2)(d), 2(2)(f), 2(2)(h) and 2(2)(i)  The policy, plans and schemes of work show that work will get harder as the children get older. Some plans are adapted for pupils of different abilities.  Year 6 pupils understand how democracy works in Britain. They can also name past and present prime ministers and talk knowledgeably about the EU referendum.  Lessons across the curriculum ensure that pupils gain experience in a wide range of

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Main inspection findings

subjects. Pupils are particularly enthusiastic about new lessons they have in design and technology, art and drama.  Pupils are encouraged to speak, read and write about their learning. Year 6 pupils read a wide range of interesting books and are able to speak confidently about their lessons. Numeracy skills are taught in mathematics and included in other subjects across the curriculum.  Policies and plans are well written, clearly supporting the school’s religious ethos and aims for the learning of the pupils. They state all subjects to be taught and give detail about protected characteristics.  The school follows the early years foundation stage programmes of study recommended for schools. This ensures that the needs of the youngest children are provided for.  Pupils have opportunities to learn and make progress. In many lessons, they are supported, not only by the teacher, but by teaching assistants who caringly and

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Main inspection findings

enthusiastically give extra support to some individuals and groups. Pupils who have been absent, as well as pupils who need support, are helped to catch up by teachers during short periods of the lunch break.  The school has made contact with other religious institutions so that the pupils can visit their places of worship. Year 6 pupils have also had several opportunities to meet and work with children from a Christian school in the borough. The yearly graduation ceremony is attended by the mayor and by local members of parliament who give guidance to pupils in their speeches. These standards are met. Paragraphs 3, 3(a), 3(b) and 3(g)  Less-able learners fall behind because teachers do not help them by providing appropriate support, while the most able learners are not given work that is hard enough for them.  Pupils work hard in their lessons doing what the teachers have asked them to do, but show little sign of self-motivation. The work set is not challenging enough for the most

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Main inspection findings

able pupils.  Teachers have recently had some training from an outside consultant in how to plan lessons and this training is continuing. Despite this, planning for learning is not always well managed, nor focused sharply enough on the key subject content.  Teachers test pupils every half term to find out how they are doing and to plan their future learning. If pupils have fallen behind or if they have been absent, teachers work with them for a short time at lunchtime to help them catch up. Some pupils are not making good enough progress, especially in their writing. These standards are not met. Paragraphs 3, 3(h), 3(i) and 3(j)  Pupils are friendly and courteous. In almost all lessons observed and around the school, pupils behaved extremely well and worked hard. A new motivating reward system has been introduced to encourage pupils to want to do their best in every aspect of school life. There is a class trophy for attendance that is awarded weekly.

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Main inspection findings

 British values are actively promoted. This can be seen in teachers’ classrooms, in pupils’ books and in displays, and in what pupils could talk about.  There was nothing discriminatory against pupils with protected characteristics found in the school’s policies and plans for pupils’ learning, nor in any activities taking place during the inspection. These standards are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Paragraphs 5 and 5(a)  The school actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy and the rule of law. There are displays about British values in several of the key stage 2 classrooms. Some displays of pupils’ writing showed a very good understanding of public institutions and services. Pupils were able to talk about how they consider each other’s feelings, as well as learning that they ‘should not be mean’ to people of different faiths. The school actively encourages the pupils to gain knowledge of different faiths by visiting other religious buildings and a Christian school. This standard is met. Paragraphs 5, 5(b), 5(b)(ii), (iii), (iv), (v) and (vii)  A respect for the laws of England is promoted throughout the school; for example, in Year 4, pupils study why we have rules, human rights and the Human Rights Act while

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Main inspection findings

also writing about their own school’s rules.  In every year group, pupils learn about citizens and citizenship. For example, in Year 1 pupils learn about ‘people who help us’; in Year 2, they learn about ‘Me and my community’; and in Year 3, they write about knowing something about everyone in their class. Pupils have made collections of non-perishable foods to be given to homeless people.  All pupils in the school had the opportunity last year to take part in a workshop with a police officer from the West Midlands Police. Pupils learned about keeping safe, not talking to strangers, the harms of crime and the need to show responsibility for actions. They enjoyed the workshops and developed a respect for the police. Pupils have also visited the Houses of Parliament, the local council offices, the post office and the library. A school council is elected every year.  Year 6 pupils can explain what they know about Christianity and Hinduism. Last year,

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Main inspection findings

they visited a Christian school to work with the pupils there. Pupils have also visited different religious buildings. The teachers are planning to have an ‘inter-faith day’.  Year 6 pupils speak impressively when they compare the democratic system in the school, where pupils vote for school council members, with British democratic institutions. Throughout the school there are displays of pupils’ work that show knowledge of British values and the democratic process. These standards are met. Paragraphs 5, 5(b), 5(b)(vi), (5)(d)(i), (ii) and (iii)  Year 6 pupils do not know enough about laws relating to people with protected characteristics. Their understanding does not go beyond the idea that we should not be ‘mean to other people’.  The school makes sure that the pupils are given balanced views about some issues. Teachers, however, have not taught the pupils to have constructive arguments and debates where they consider opposite views. These standards are not met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a) and 7(b)  Safeguarding has greatly improved since the last inspection. A good policy has been drawn up and it is updated yearly. Senior leaders are well trained to care for pupils. All adults, including the governors, have also been appropriately trained. However, teachers still need to respond more quickly to child safety concerns, to make sure that all pupils attend school every day and to teach them how to keep themselves safe. These standards are not met. Paragraphs 11, 12, 15 and 16  A good health and safety policy has been drawn up.  Risk assessments and fire safety checks are made regularly in compliance with the fire safety order. A fire safety risk assessment was made in May 2016 that included testing of smoke detectors, call points, sounders and fire extinguishers, and a portable appliance (PAT) test.  The admissions register and attendance registers are well kept.

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Main inspection findings

 A rigorous programme of risk assessments is in place. These standards are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraphs 25 and 29(1)  Toilet areas seen during the inspection were clean and well maintained. There are still some areas of the school that need to be redecorated, and some classrooms are cramped. In one classroom, pupils had to put their coats and bags in a pile in the corner. Classrooms are, however, cleaned every day.  Playtimes are now staggered so that only two year groups at a time use the outdoor area. In this way, there is adequate room for children to play and relax outside. These standards are met. Paragraph 29(1)  At the time of the inspection, it was not possible to provide adequate physical education (PE) lessons because there is no school hall and the outdoor area is too small for athletics or games activities. In bad weather, it is not possible for pupils to have lessons in PE at all. The governors have bought a minibus so that pupils can be

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Main inspection findings

taken to external facilities for their PE lessons. At the time of the inspection, this minibus was not yet available. This standard is not met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 6. Provision of information Paragraphs 32(1), 32(1)(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g)  Policies, schemes of work and lesson plans are provided on the website and to parents on request.  Information about pupils’ attainment, a safeguarding policy and a copy of the school’s previous inspection report are provided on the school website.  Appropriate annual reports are written for parents and carers that tell them about their child’s attainment and progress in all subjects taught.  The school provided all necessary documentation for the inspection. These standards are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a) and (b)  Despite some improvements since the previous inspection, leaders have not been successful in making sure that all of the independent school standards are met. A number of standards remain unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 34(1)(c)  Governors make regular visits to the school. They support the headteacher with improvements taking place and undertake learning walks to learn more about the quality of teaching. All senior leaders actively promote the well-being of pupils. This standard is met.

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Main inspection findings

 At present, there are no pupils who have disabilities in the school who need specific arrangements to make learning accessible. The school has a ramp that can be used so that wheelchair users can access the ground floor of the building. The school has no disability plan. For this reason this standard is not met.

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Main inspection findings

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged not to comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards:

 Part 1: 2(1) and 2(1)(a), 3, 3(a), 3(b) and 3(g)  Part 2: 5, 5(b) and 5(b)(vi), (5)(d)(i), (ii) and (iii)  Part 3: 7, 7(a) and 7(b)  Part 5: 29(1)  Part 8: 34(1), 34(1)(a) and (b)

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The school now meets the following independent school standard:

 Part 6: 32(1), 32(1)(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g)

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School details

Unique reference number 130244 DfE registration number 330/6113 Inspection number 10019072 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 faith school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 172 Number of part-time pupils 7 Proprietor Al Ameen Foundation Chair Moin Uddin Headteacher Mohammed Rahman Annual fees (day pupils) £1,800 Telephone number 0121 706 3322 Website www.alameenfoundation.org.uk Email address info@aleameenfoundation.org.uk Date of previous standard inspection 30 September 2015

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Information about this school

 Al-Ameen Primary School is an independent Muslim day school that provides full-time education for boys and girls aged three to 11 years.  The school is affiliated to the Association of Muslim Schools UK.  The school is registered for 180 pupils and currently has 167 boys and girls on roll.  Currently all the families that send their children to the school are practising Muslims. These families are mainly of British Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage, although there is an increasing number of pupils from other backgrounds.  No pupil has an education, health and care plan.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged not to comply with at its previous inspection.  This inspection was carried out with no notice.  This was the first monitoring inspection since the evaluation of the action plan on 3 March 2016.  The school’s action plan was agreed by the Department for Education on 6 April 2016.  The inspector observed learning by: visiting lessons in Year 1, Year 2, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6; talking to pupils about their work; and scrutinising the work in their books.  Informal discussions were held with pupils in lessons and at breaktime. A discussion was held with a group of Year 6 girls who were later joined by a group of Year 6 boys.  Meetings were held with the headteacher and other senior leaders to discuss the

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Information about this inspection

school’s curriculum, safeguarding arrangements, assessment procedures and attendance. A meeting was also held with the chair of governors and two other governors to discuss how governors support the school.  A range of documents was examined, including curriculum policies, schemes of work and the school’s assessment information. Records relating to safeguarding, attendance and behaviour were also scrutinised.  A visit was made to the library.

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Inspection team

Mary Maybank, lead inspector Ofsted 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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