Tarbiyyah Primary School

Tarbiyyah Primary School Unit 7, Nestles Avenue, London, Middlesex UB3 4SA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leadership over time has not ensured that teaching, learning and assessment are good. As a result, pupils do not make consistently good progress across the school.  Leaders have not been rigorous enough in evaluating the school’s effectiveness to identify its strengths and weaknesses.  Leadership of provision to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is not effective.  Governors and trustees do not hold senior leaders fully to account to ensure that pupils make good progress.  Teachers do not routinely use the assessment information to challenge pupils, especially the most able.  Where teaching is less effective, some pupils lose concentration; this slows their progress.  Some pupils’ phonics skills are not well developed to improve their reading.  Occasionally, pupils do not complete their work; this leaves gaps in their understanding, particularly in mathematics. Pupils’ work in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

books is sometimes poorly presented.  The school’s marking policy is not consistently applied to help pupils improve their work.  Pupils sometimes do not write at length in English and other subjects to improve their writing skills.  In the early years, children’s next stage of learning is not always clearly planned to ensure that there are no gaps in their understanding. The outdoor learning provision is not sufficiently developed to support their learning.  Attendance is below average.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The newly appointed headteacher, who is ably supported by the deputy headteacher, is having a positive impact on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.  Staff are very supportive of the school’s new leadership.  The school’s religious character contributes well to pupils’ personal development. Compliance with regulatory requirements

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school must take action to meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that: – pupils have greater confidence in the use of phonics to read difficult and unfamiliar words and improve their reading, especially the lower attainers – teachers use assessment information constantly to challenge pupils, especially the most able pupils – pupils have greater opportunities to improve their writing skills by writing at length regularly and across subjects – pupils routinely complete their work before moving on to the next topic to consolidate their knowledge and understanding, particularly in mathematics – pupils consistently present their work well to eliminate any mistakes they make.  Improve the early years provision to ensure that children make good progress, by: – ensuring that children’s next stage of their learning is clearly identified and linked to activities to address any weakness in their knowledge, skills and understanding

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– improving the outdoor learning area to further support children’s learning.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that: – the school evaluates its strengths and weaknesses effectively to bring about improvements – the behaviour policy is effectively implemented across the school – the marking policy is consistently followed by staff – pupils’ attendance is average or better – there is effective leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. – governors and trustees hold senior leaders fully to account for the progress pupils make.

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and the written policy, plans and schemes of work take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an education, health and care plan (paragraph 2(1), 2(1)(b), 2(1)(b)(i)).  The proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school: – enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught (paragraph 3, 3(a)) – shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons (paragraph 3, 3(d)).  The proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that the written

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

behaviour policy is implemented effectively (paragraph 9, 9(b)).  The proprietor ensures that an annual written report of each registered pupil’s progress and attainment in the main subject areas taught is provided to the parents of that registered pupil except that no report need be provided where the parent has agreed otherwise (paragraph 32(1), 32(1)(f)).  The proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school: – demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a)). – fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(b)).

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leadership over time has not been effective in ensuring that teaching, learning and assessment are good. Consequently, pupils do not make consistently good progress across the different subjects or classes throughout the school.  Leaders do not have a robust self-evaluation system in place to identify the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Improvement plans are, therefore, not sharp enough to bring about timely improvements in the curriculum and raise pupils’ achievement.  The school provides parents with a detailed annual report on the attainment of pupils in a range of subjects. However, the report does not provide parents with information on the progress their child makes across the curriculum. There has generally been a greater focus on pupils’ attainment rather than on the progress they make from their different starting points.  The role of the special educational needs coordinator is not sufficiently developed to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

ensure that the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective and that this group of pupils make good progress. Leaders have a lack of understanding of what an education, health and care (EHC) plan is; they have identified some pupils having an EHC plan when they have no children requiring such a plan.  Leaders have a marking policy in place for teachers to provide pupils guidance on how they can improve their work. However, some teachers apply this policy well while others do not. Consequently, some pupils do not know how to improve their work.  The headteacher has worked closely with governors and trustees to improve pupils’ behaviour by updating the behaviour policy and reviewing rewards and sanctions. However, the behaviour policy is not consistently implemented across all year groups.  Leaders are now working more closely with parents, particularly to improve attendance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

Although attendance has improved, it remains below average.  The headteacher is committed to bring about improvements and is effectively supported by the deputy headteacher. Since taking up her post less than a year ago, the headteacher has implemented a tracking system to monitor pupils’ progress and has improved the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. She has plans to strengthen leadership further by appointing subject leaders to monitor the foundation subjects and so increase the leadership capacity within the school. Staff are highly supportive of the leadership.  Senior leaders monitor the quality of teaching well and provide good feedback to staff to improve the quality of teaching. Performance management is improving and teachers’ targets for improvement are linked to the teachers’ standards.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. It is enriched by visits, for example to the British

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

Museum, Woburn Safari park and Bocketts Farm. The range of after-school clubs such as art, girls’ and boys’ football, science and ‘skills for life’ have good levels of pupil participation. Pupils also enjoy learning Arabic and Islamic studies. However, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to write at length in English and across the different subjects.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted. Assemblies and personal, social and health education and citizenship lessons teach children about rights and responsibilities and the difference between right and wrong. The school’s ethos and values contribute well to pupils’ understanding of moral and ethical issues, including valuing diversity. Year 5 and 6 pupils, for example, learn about tolerance and respect and people with protected characteristics, as defined in the 2010 Equality Act.  Leaders are committed to promoting British values. Pupils learn about elections,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

democracy, the rule of law and Parliament. Pupils know about different faiths and cultures and are respectful of other people’s beliefs. The school prepares them well for life in modern Britain.  Leaders have updated the policy on safeguarding, taking into account the current government requirements. This is made available to parents on the school’s website.  At the progress monitoring inspection in January 2015, leaders, including governors and trustees, were effective in meeting all of the unmet standards identified in the school’s full inspection in October 2013. However, leaders have not ensured that all of the standards continue to be met. The unmet standards do not have a negative impact on pupils’ welfare, health and safety, academic or personal development, including the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Governance

 Governors and trustees have not ensured that the school meets all the independent school standards.  Governors have not challenged senior leaders effectively in ensuring that pupils make good progress.  Governors and trustees, including senior leaders, have not been rigorous enough in evaluating the effectiveness of the school. For example, they have not considered the full impact on outcomes when a decision was made a year ago to teach boys and girls in Years 5 and 6 separately. They also do not check closely enough the impact of any additional support provided to pupils to enable them to make better progress, especially those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Governors and trustees have managed the move to the new premises well. However, they are in a process of improving the playground to minimise minor accidents to pupils during play.  Governors and trustees want the very best for all pupils. They visit the school regularly

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Governance

and undertake learning walks. They know, for example, which year groups have some challenging behaviour among pupils and some of the strengths in teaching.  Governors and trustees have risen to the challenge of recruiting staff well to ensure all classes are adequately staffed.  Governors and trustees are highly committed to keeping pupils safe, including from any extremism and radicalisation. They ensure that they keep themselves updated on safeguarding and attend the relevant training. They have a secure understanding of the ‘Prevent’ duty.  Governors and trustees provide good support for the headteacher and ensure that there are suitable arrangements for the management of staff performance and appraisal in place, including pay awards for teachers. They manage the headteacher’s performance well and set appropriate targets to improve the curriculum and pupils’ outcomes.  Safeguarding  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Governance

 All staff have received recent training on safeguarding based on current guidance, including ‘Keeping children safe in education’. They know about the appropriate action to take if they have any concerns about pupils’ safety, including those who may be at risk of abuse, neglect or sexual exploitation. They have a secure understanding of the ‘Prevent’ duty. Leaders and staff know that they can share any concerns they may have about pupils’ safety, including with the local authority.  Leaders ensure that all the risk assessments are completed for all activities, both in school and for school visits, and that procedures for administrating any medication are secure. The headteacher is tightening up the procedures to check pupils’ absence more rigorously for any potential safeguarding concerns.  Leaders ensure that safeguarding documents, records, processes and procedures are implemented well to create a safe a caring culture in the school.

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Governance

 The parents that the inspectors met had no safeguarding concerns and stated that their children are kept safe by the school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Leaders have not ensured that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good and pupils make good progress from their different starting points.  Teachers do not use the assessment information effectively to meet the learning needs of pupils. Consequently, the work that is set on occasions is not sufficiently challenging for pupils to extend their thinking and deepen their knowledge across the curriculum, particularly for the most able pupils.  Sometimes, the most able pupils are not challenged enough through tasks and questioning to enable them to think hard and strengthen their learning. Occasionally, once they have completed their task, they have to wait for a further task. This slows their learning.  Teachers do not have accurate information about the needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities because there is a lack of assessment information made available to them. The additional support that this group of pupils receive is not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

always evaluated for its impact on their progress. Consequently, they do not make enough progress.  Occasionally, some pupils, especially the lower-attaining pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not always complete their work before moving on to a different area of learning or concept. This leaves gaps in their learning, particularly in mathematics.  Sometimes when the teaching is not strong, a small number pupils do not pay sufficient attention and engage fully in their learning. Low-level chatter by individual pupils sometimes prevents other pupils from making the progress of which they are capable.  Some teachers do not adhere to the school’s policy on marking. This means that marking is inconsistent across the school, with some pupils receiving guidance on how to improve their work further while others do not. Teachers occasionally do not comment on the poorly presented work by some pupils, particularly in mathematics where they sometimes

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

make mistakes with their calculations.  Pupils are not always provided with sufficient opportunities to write freely and at length in English and across the different subjects to improve their writing skills. This slows their progress in writing.  Leaders have identified further training for teachers to improve the teaching of phonics. At present, some pupils, particularly the younger pupils, are not given sufficient guidance to enable them to have a secure understanding of how to use phonics to help them read difficult or unfamiliar words.  Teachers have good subject knowledge overall to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. There are specialist teachers to teach Arabic and the Qur’an.  Most pupils enjoy their learning. This was evident, for example, in practical mathematics session in a Year 2 class. Pupils first estimated items around the class and then measured them using a ruler to obtain an accurate measurement. One pupil was

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

pleasantly surprised about the findings: ‘I thought the bin was 20cm, but it was only 10cm when I measured it.’ Boys and girls in Years 5 and 6 interacted well with each other and displayed good levels of team work and collaboration to solve practical problems on shapes in the hall.  Teaching assistants are generally well deployed during classroom activities to support pupils’ learning. However, occasionally they are less active during the period when the teacher introduces the lesson to pupils.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  There are very few links with external agencies to ensure that the support for pupils who are potentially vulnerable, including those who have special educational needs, is of high quality.  Pupils said that ‘children get hurt’ during playtimes. Leaders are in the process of addressing this issue by redesigning the playground.  A few pupils do not take enough pride in their work by ensuring that it is routinely well presented.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. They are taught about safety when crossing roads and fire safety. Pupils feel safe in school. They said that they would approach a member of staff if they have concerns about their safety; they are confident that staff will deal with the matter quickly and effectively.  They know about different types of bullying, including cyber bullying, and said that

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Personal development and welfare

bullying and name-calling are rare. The school’s records confirm this to be the case.  Pupils have various responsibilities around the school, including, for example, playground buddies, prefects, eco monitors and being members of the school council. They take these responsibilities seriously.  The parents that the inspectors met said that their child is safe at school and bullying is not an issue.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  A few pupils lose concentration and begin to fidget and chatter when lessons are not sufficiently challenging or stimulating. This impacts negatively on their and other pupils’ learning. Pupils confirm this and said sometimes pupils ‘talk over the teacher’ and ‘do not listen’.  Pupils’ attendance is below average. Punctuality is sometimes poor. Leaders are working closely with parents to gain their support to improve attendance. The headteacher acknowledges the challenges that a few parents face bringing their children to school in the mornings when they live at a considerable distance from the school.  Pupils are very kind, courteous and friendly and are eager to talk about their achievements. They are generally respectful to each other and adults.  There have been no exclusions since the previous inspection.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils, overall, do not make consistently strong progress across a wide range of subjects, including in reading, writing and mathematics, from their various starting points.  Work in pupils’ books and information about pupils’ achievement show that progress is not consistently good.  The progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are the most able pupils is not tracked closely enough across the school. Consequently, they are not identified quickly enough for timely support to ensure their learning needs are met and they make good progress.  The most able pupils are sometimes not challenged sufficiently in lessons to ensure that they make the progress of which they are capable.  Pupils do not make enough progress in writing because they do not routinely write at length and across the different subjects to improve their writing skills.  At the end of key stage 2 tests in 2016, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

standards was about average in reading and mathematics and above average in English grammar, punctuation and spelling. The school did not provide information on pupils’ standards achieved in writing.  Leaders do not have the information available on the key stage 1 tests in 2016 or the phonics screening check, or the school’s own assessment information on phonics, at the end of Years 1 and 2.  The current school information shows that girls in Years 5 and 6 are making better progress than boys in reading and mathematics; progress in writing is weaker for both girls and boys. However, there is no significant trend in the progress of boys and girls. Overall, pupils’ progress is better in Years 2 and 4 than in other year groups because of stronger teaching.  Teachers ensure that pupils read regularly. The most able pupils tend to read a range of texts with fluency and expression. Pupils are encouraged to read at home and have

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

reading records to log their reading. This is contributing to the improvements that most pupils are making in reading.  Although pupils’ progress is inconsistent in different subjects across the year groups, the progress they make is stronger in art and design, computing and design and technology compared to other subjects.  Current school information shows that progress is improving because of the improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 A majority of children join the Nursery Year with knowledge and basic skills that are typically below average for their age. Most of the children transfer from the Nursery Year to the Reception Year.  In 2015/16, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development was below average and was below that achieved in 2014/15.  Children develop sufficient skills, knowledge and understanding so that they are ready for Year 1. However, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not strong enough to ensure that children make consistently good progress from their particular starting points across the different areas of learning, particularly in literacy and mathematics. Boys do less well than girls overall. However, boys’ starting points are generally lower than girls’.  There are no disadvantaged children or children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in the Nursery and Reception classes, and no child has been identified

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Early years provision Requires improvement

as the most able.  Children’s learning journals successfully capture what they learn and can do. However, the next steps for learning are not always identified with activities to address any gaps in children’s knowledge, skills and understanding and to promote good progress.  The outdoor learning area is not sufficiently developed and is not always stimulating enough to ensure that all the areas of learning are promoted effectively. For example, there is a lack of equipment to promote children’s physical development and coordination. Leaders are in the process of further securing some of the fencing leading to the outdoor learning area to continue to keep children safe.  Children display good behaviour and attitudes to learning overall. However, children’s behaviour and attitudes are stronger in the Reception Year than in the Nursery Year because teaching is more effective for this age range. On the whole, children mix and

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Early years provision Requires improvement

cooperate well. For example, they work together to tidy up and put equipment away and enjoy learning and playing together.  In the Reception class children were learning ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’. Adults used both English and Arabic to give children instructions about activities. This contributed well to a strong environment where bilingualism thrives. Children were involved in a range of activities. For example, they cut shapes that enhanced their fine motor skills, read about bears, made bears from play dough and played counting games. Staff used questioning well to extend children’s thinking.  The new leadership of the early years is good and improving the quality of teaching. The early years leader has a secure understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in provision and has clear plans to address the areas for improvement. For example, greater involvement of parents in the learning of their children and improving the provision for

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Early years provision Requires improvement

phonics. The early years leader’s actions are improving the involvement of parents in their children’s education. She works closely with the local authority to moderate assessments and to ensure that they are accurate.  All of the independent school standards are met in relation to the early years provision and there are no breaches of statutory welfare requirements.  Safeguarding is effective.

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School details

Unique reference number 137273 DfE registration number 312/6003

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School details

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.

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School details

Proprietor Heathrow Community Initiative

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School details

Email address schooloffice@tarbiyyah.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8−10 October 2013

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Information about this school

 Tarbiyyah is an Islamic primary school for boys and girls aged three to 11 years and was first registered in 2011. The school aims to ‘… instil the proper Tarbiyyah (education and upbringing/cultivation) in our children regarding every aspect of their lives in order to please our Creator and then prepare children in our care for the future with the best possible tools for the best possible outcomes… ’  The school moved to its new premises from the London borough of Hounslow to the London borough of Hillingdon in Hayes in September 2015. The school premises are larger than the previous premises. The school currently has 163 pupils on roll.  Pupils are taught all areas of the national curriculum. Pupils also learn Arabic, including the Qur’an, and do Islamic studies.  Most of the staff are new to the school since the previous inspection. The headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher, early years coordinator and the special

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Information about this school

educational needs coordinator were appointed to their roles in summer 2016.  The early years consists of a part-time Nursery and a full-time Reception class.  Currently there are no pupils known to be disadvantaged or pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan. There are a very small number of pupils identified as the most able pupils.  In September 2015, the trustees took a decision to merge Years 5 and 6 to teach boys and girls separately in mixed-aged groups.  No pupils attend off-site provision.  The school was last inspected in October 2013. The school was in new premises and operational for only a very few weeks before the inspection. During this inspection, it was found that the school failed to meet 21 education standards. Most of the failed independent school standards were in relation to Part 1, the quality of education provided; Part 2, the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils; Part 3,

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Information about this school

the welfare, health and safety of pupils; and Part 5, the premises and accommodation of the school. The school was judged as inadequate in all prime areas of the inspection. A published report can be found on the Ofsted website.  The school submitted an action plan which was evaluated in February 2014. The action plan was judged to be not fit for purpose. No further action plan was submitted. The school had a progress monitoring inspection in July 2014; this found that the school failed to meet two of the independent school standards in relation to Part 3, the welfare, health and safety of pupils.  The school had its second progress monitoring inspection in January 2015 to monitor the progress the school had made in implementing its action plan in relation to the unmet independent school standards in Part 3. This inspection found that the school met all of The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated

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Information about this inspection

 The school was informed of this inspection on the day before the inspection started. Two inspectors carried out the inspection.  The inspectors observed learning in lessons in all of the classes. Most were joint observations with the headteacher.  A meeting was held with pupils to discuss their learning and views about the school. Inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 1 and 6 and discussed their reading with them. In addition, inspectors listened to pupils read in lessons.  Inspectors scrutinised books, checked the single central register of employment checks on staff, looked at pupils’ attendance and behaviour records, school improvement plan and examined documents and policies on the curriculum, safeguarding, welfare, and health and safety.  The inspectors met with senior leaders, managers, parents, governors and trustees.  There were very few responses the Parent View to generate a report. Inspectors met

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Information about this inspection

some parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors considered 19 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff. Pupils in all year groups responded to the Ofsted pupil survey in their classrooms.

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Inspection teams

Avtar Sherri, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection teams

Martin Roberts 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 teams

Parent View 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 teams

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 teams

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Inspection teams

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Inspection teams

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Inspection teams

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Inspection teams

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