King Fahad Academy

King Fahad Academy Bromyard Avenue, Acton, London W3 7HD

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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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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Satisfactory

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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

 Leaders and governors do not ensure that the school meets all of the independent school standards. Standards relating to pupils’ progress, the school’s complaints procedure and leadership and management are unmet.  Leaders do not focus sufficiently on current pupils’ progress. Systems for monitoring and tracking pupils’ progress are not embedded across the school. Consequently, leaders and governors do not have a clear enough view of pupils’ progress in all year groups.  Governors do not always receive the information they need to hold leaders thoroughly to account for pupils’ progress.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable. In some lessons, teachers do not plan effectively to meet the learning needs of all pupils. Teachers do not always follow the school’s assessment policy. As a result, pupils do not make strong progress in all subjects.  The behaviour of pupils, particularly boys, in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

some lessons falls below the high standard expected of them. The behaviour policy is not implemented consistently. This has a negative impact on the progress of pupils in some lessons.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors prioritise the personal development and welfare of all pupils. The school promotes harmony and prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.  Governors have a clear understanding of the culture of the school. They are fully supportive of the work leaders do to create an inclusive, caring and safe school community.  Provision in both the early years and sixth form is stronger than elsewhere in the school. This is because teachers’ subject knowledge, planning and assessment are more secure in these areas. As a result, pupils make better progress in these years than in other years in the school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

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. The details are listed in the full report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management of the school by: – promoting consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning, particularly in the International Baccalaureate (IB) middle years programme – providing governors with up-to-date information on pupils’ progress so that they can hold leaders to account for the outcomes of all pupils – ensuring that all staff follow the school’s policies consistently.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that: – teaching meets the needs of all pupils, including groups of pupils, and engages and challenges pupils of all abilities – the school’s assessment systems enable leaders to track accurately the progress of current pupils against their starting points.  Improve the behaviour of pupils so that pupils, particularly boys, meet the expectations of the school as stated in the school’s behaviour policy, and any incidents are addressed swiftly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

The school must meet the following independent school standards:  Ensure that teaching 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)).  Ensure that a complaints procedure is drawn up and effectively implemented (paragraph 33, 33(f)).  Ensure 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 and that they fulfil their responsibilities effectively (paragraph 34, 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)).

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The school does not meet all of the independent school standards. Standards relating to pupils’ progress, the school’s complaints procedure, and leadership and management are unmet.  Leaders and governors do not ensure that teaching, learning and assessment are of a consistently high quality to enable pupils to make strong progress. The quality of teaching is variable. Lessons do not provide sufficient challenge for pupils, especially for the most able pupils in the IB middle years programme. As a result, pupils do not make sufficient progress in some lessons. In other lessons, pupils make better progress because teachers have higher expectations and lead engaging activities that help pupils learn.  Leaders and governors do not ensure that staff follow several of the school’s own policies. For example, many teachers do not comply with the school’s feedback policy. As a result, the quality of work in some pupils’ books is poor. Leaders regularly scrutinise pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

books but do not take appropriate action to ensure that the quality of pupils’ work improves.  Although assessment information relating to current pupils’ progress is gathered by leaders, they do not analyse the progress of current pupils in a systematic and detailed way. The information gathered is not shared regularly with governors, which in turn hinders governors’ ability to hold leaders to account effectively. As a result, school leaders and governors do not have a clear enough picture of how well current pupils are doing academically. Leaders rely predominantly on results from final examinations to gauge pupils’ progress. These results do indicate improvement over time.  Leaders and governors do not ensure that the school’s high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, as stated in the school’s behaviour policy, are met. While pupils behave well around the school site, the behaviour of some pupils, particularly boys, in lessons disrupts

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

learning and has a negative impact on progress. In some lessons, teachers do not challenge incidents of poor behaviour effectively.  Leaders do not comply with the school’s own procedure for managing complaints because they do not respond to complaints within the stated timeframe, and nor do they keep a central record of all complaints.  Leaders and governors promote pupils’ personal development and welfare well. The school encourages pupils to be tolerant and respectful, and pupils are well informed about democracy, British institutions and the rule of law. The school has adopted the IB curriculum for all years, which provides a framework for a broad range of subjects. Girls and boys, while taught separately between the ages of 11 and 16, have equal access to all subjects.  The quality of education provided in both the early years foundation stage and in the IB diploma programme is good. Leadership of the IB primary years programme is also

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

effective. This is because leaders and teachers in these stages are focused sharply on what helps children and students to learn and make progress. Teachers have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve in these stages of learning, and structure their teaching accordingly.

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Governance

 Governors strongly support the ethos of the school. However, they do not hold senior leaders to account sufficiently well for all aspects of the school’s work. This is, in part, due to the limited information they receive.  Governors monitor administrative and financial matters effectively and ensure that the school is well resourced. This supports pupils’ learning.  Governors ensure that the school complies with requirements for staff training relating to safeguarding and follows safe recruitment practices when employing staff.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The safeguarding policy is appropriate and is available on the school website. It is up to date and meets the most recent advice published by the government. Procedures relating to staff recruitment are effective. The school maintains accurate records of its safeguarding practice.  Leadership of safeguarding is strong. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained and receive regular updates on how to keep children safe. Staff who are new to the school participate in a comprehensive induction process that includes safeguarding.  The school works closely with other agencies and fulfils its reporting requirements when pupils leave the school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment varies across subjects and year groups. As a result, current pupils do not make consistently strong progress.  Teachers delivering the recently introduced IB middle years programme do not plan lessons that challenge pupils sufficiently. In some lessons, teachers do not have high enough expectations of the pupils. For example, when pupils finish activities in the lesson earlier than expected, teachers have not planned further activities. As a result, pupils have little to do and make slower progress than they could.  In some lessons, teachers ask relevant and probing questions which deepen pupils’ understanding. However, in other lessons, teachers’ questioning is limited to factual recall and sometimes the teachers’ questioning causes confusion.  Some teachers do not ensure that work is pitched at the right level for pupils of different abilities. In some lessons, the most able pupils were not challenged, while in other

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

lessons, lower ability pupils did not always receive the support they needed.  Subject leaders track pupils’ performance in regular assessments in their subjects. However, this information does not always give a clear enough picture of how well pupils are doing. This is because leaders do not always track the progress of pupils by groups and therefore are not able to tell whether pupils in a particular group, for example the most able, are making the progress they should. Different sources of information provided by leaders give contrasting views of pupils’ progress.  Teaching in some lessons is strong. For example, teachers’ subject knowledge is secure in the humanities and in world religions. In these lessons, teachers are enthusiastic and learning activities are probing. As a result, pupils are fully engaged and make better progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils’ personal development and welfare are promoted throughout the curriculum. Pupils learn about different cultures and identities. Leaders and governors focus ‘not on the contrasts between traditions but what is common between them.’ As a result, pupils are knowledgeable and open-minded about traditions other than their own. One pupil told inspectors that ‘Islam teaches us tolerance.’  The curriculum supports in-depth understanding of democracy, for example through school trips to the Houses of Parliament and through the elected school council. Sessions led by local members of Parliament and councillors extend pupils’ understanding of democracy in action.  Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain through the broad curriculum and a range of other activities. Assemblies promote wider

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Personal development and welfare

understanding of world issues. Pupils are courteous and polite around the school, holding doors open for others and greeting inspectors confidently. Pupils are self-assured and not afraid to voice their opinions.  Displays around the school and in corridors encourage curiosity and celebrate the school’s culture and ethos. They also promote literacy. The school environment is well maintained and leaders ensure that the independent schools standards relating to the site and safety are all met.  Pupils feel safe at school. They know whom to speak to if they need to. Staff receive regular updates on safeguarding matters and all have received up-to-date training on this.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils’ behaviour in some lessons falls below the standard expected of them. In these cases, teachers and senior leaders do not take effective action to ensure that all pupils meet the standard of behaviour expected by the school’s behaviour policy.  Staff do not always challenge inappropriate behaviour, particularly that of boys. The school’s own information on behaviour indicates that the number of incidents of poor behaviour by boys far outweighs that of girls. It is unclear that leaders take effective action to remedy this. In a few lessons, some boys were observed being disrespectful to teachers by calling out and speaking over them.  In other lessons, pupils are not sufficiently challenged by the activities they are given to do. In these lessons, their interest wanes and their attitudes deteriorate. Pupils confirmed to inspectors that in some lessons, behaviour is worse than in others.

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Behaviour

 Attendance is below the national average. Leaders believe that this is because some pupils travel with their parents to their home countries during the school term. Leaders understand that this has an impact on pupils’ learning and follow up pupil absence rigorously.  The behaviour of pupils around the site, at break- and lunchtime, and in most lessons is orderly.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 The school now follows the IB curriculum throughout the school, operating the IB diploma programme, the IB middle years programme and the IB primary years programme. The school was accredited for the IB middle years programme in 2015. Current grade 10 (Year 11) pupils will sit the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations in the summer term of 2017. This will be the last non-IB cohort in the school. The school does not participate in national accountability measures and does not analyse its results against those of other schools that operate the IB programmes.  The school’s assessment framework ensures that all pupils’ work in subjects is assessed regularly. However, senior leaders do not check the quality of these assessments for accuracy or analyse the outcomes from them rigorously enough.  Information on how well current pupils are doing is not readily available. As a result,

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

senior leaders have an incomplete picture of how well pupils, including key groups of pupils, are progressing.  Subject leaders undertake closer scrutiny of pupils’ progress. This information, together with results from external examinations and observations of pupils in lessons, show that pupils are making progress over time and that academic outcomes are improving. School leaders accept that a priority for the school is to improve further the academic progress that pupils make.  Most of the pupils who attend the school are nationals of Saudi Arabia whose parents are working in London. A significant number of pupils start at the school mid-year and leave before the completion of the relevant programme of study. Some arrive with little or no spoken English. The school’s assessment procedures do not provide a clear enough picture of pupils’ starting points so that their progress over time can be monitored closely.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils who require support with English are supported well within class and through withdrawal groups, and the majority make good progress. The school runs a reading programme and pupils are encouraged to read widely and do so fluently. Pupils can choose books from the well-stocked library, which contains a range of appropriate fiction and non-fiction books.  The school provides effective careers guidance. Students on the IB diploma programme feel well prepared for the next stage of education, training or employment. They are supported well in applying to university. The majority are successful in gaining places at their choice of institution, which is celebrated by the school.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years provision is good because children make strong progress. Many start school with minimal spoken English. The school prioritises English language acquisition for these children. At the end of the early years, children are well prepared for their next stage of learning.  Teaching in the early years provision is good. This is because teachers assess children’s work in all relevant areas accurately and regularly. They use and analyse this assessment information well to shape planning. Leaders monitor the progress children are making effectively, and accurately evaluate the areas of strength and development of the provision. They act swiftly to take action when needed.  Teachers provide children with a wide range of stimulating learning activities, both inside and out of doors. These encourage children’s curiosity for learning and support them in the development of their social skills.

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders and teachers prioritise children’s personal development. As a result, children have good relationships with each other, settle quickly and play amicably. They know how to take turns and show respect for one another and their teachers. Staff have positive relationships with parents, and meet with them regularly. Parents are given helpful information on how to support their children’s learning at home.  There are currently 33 children on roll. The school meets all of the independent school standards in relation to early years provision.

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Sixth form provision Good

 Provision in the IB diploma programme for students in the final two years at the school is good because teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and their planning is effective. Leaders track the progress of students accurately. Regular and accurate assessment of students’ work enables students to make strong progress and teachers use the information to inform planning.  The cohort in the sixth form is small, with 11 students in IB1 (Year 12) and 15 students in IB2 (Year 13). All students study the IB diploma programme, which ensures that students study a wide range of academic subjects. Most students remain on the programme for the full two years.  Good relationships between students and teachers prevail in lessons. As a result, students are fully involved in their learning and contribute perceptively in lessons. Some students feel that occasionally teachers discourage them from interacting freely in lessons.

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Sixth form provision Good

 Leadership of the IB diploma programme is effective. Leaders evaluate the quality of provision accurately and students speak confidently about their positive experiences. They report that they find the IB diploma programme challenging and that they receive good support from teachers. Students feel well informed when making decisions about the next stage of their education, employment and training.  Students are self-assured and have positive attitudes to learning. Students are confident and articulate. Behaviour in lessons is generally good, although some boys were observed speaking disrespectfully to teachers.  The school provides effective and relevant work-experience opportunities for students through the creativity, activity and service element of the IB diploma programme curriculum.

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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

Gender of students in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 26

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School details

Chair HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz Headteacher General Director Dr Othman Alzamil

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2–3 October 2012

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Information about this school

 The school’s previous standard inspection took place on 2 and 3 October 2012. An emergency inspection took place at the request of the registration authority for independent schools on 23 April 2015.  King Fahad Academy is an independent day school of Islamic religious character. A significant proportion of pupils join and leave the school during the school year because their parents or carers are nationals of Saudi Arabia and are relocated elsewhere.  The school follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum for all pupils and students. It operates the IB diploma programme for students aged 16–18 years, the IB middle years programme for pupils of secondary school age, and the IB primary years programme for pupils of primary school age.  The school teaches children, pupils and students in the early years, primary years and in the sixth form respectively in mixed groups. It operates separate provision for boys and

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Information about this school

girls in other years.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 33 lessons, most of these jointly with a senior leader.  Meetings were held with the director, senior leaders, heads of department, staff and governors, including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors scrutinised an extensive range of documentation provided by the school, including minutes of governing body meetings, school policies, information relating to attendance, behaviour, curriculum and assessment, and the school’s records relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors undertook a scrutiny of work in a wide range of pupils’ books jointly with a senior leader.  Inspectors met pupils and students both formally and informally. Inspectors heard pupils read.  Inspectors undertook a tour of the school site and checked the school’s compliance with the regulations for independent schools.  Inspectors considered 52 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and 25 responses to Ofsted’s

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Inspection team

Vanessa Ward, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kanwaljit Singh 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

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 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

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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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