Park Avenue Girls' High School

School material change inspection report

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Park Avenue Girls’ School October 13 2016 24 Avenue Rd, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DT

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)  The school is not fully meeting safeguarding requirements.  The school has a safeguarding policy but there is no record of the policy having been agreed by the trustees. The policy does not make reference to the most up-to-date version of ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (2016). The school is in the process of reviewing the policy. Paragraph 11  The school has a health and safety policy but it is inaccurate. For example, it lists jobs such as checking for fire security and the security of windows at the end of the school day to be carried out by a caretaker, but the school has no such job role as caretaker. The policy requires review by the health and safety committee, but the school has no health and safety committee. The health and safety policy makes no reference to the new site even though it was reviewed in August 2016. There is no asbestos plan for

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Main inspection findings

the new site. Paragraph 12  There is a fire safety policy for the current school site. It was reviewed on 12 October 2016 but takes no account of the plans to move to the new site. The school has not made an application to the relevant fire authority for a visit to the site in order to draw up fire safety plans. There are no fire evacuation plans relevant to the proposed site. Paragraph 16,16a, 16b  There is no risk assessment policy. There are no risk assessments relevant to safeguarding and there are no risk assessments for safety relevant to the many risks on the proposed site. For example, the site has boundaries on three sides with a public thoroughfare and pavement. There are no risk assessments to manage the associated risks of intruders or pupils gaining access to the street.  Standards are not met and the school is unlikely to meet the standards in this part in relation to the material change request.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 21(1), 21(2), 21(3)(a), 21(3)(b), 21(5)(a), 21(5(b), 21(5)(c) and 21(6)  The school is not fully meeting safeguarding requirements. The single central record is not accurate. Although it lists staff as checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), the school does not have accurate records of all these checks. Some are missing. The school does not have procedures for checking the DBS status of contractors working on the site at the same time as pupils are present.  The standards in this part are not met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraphs 22, 23(1), 23(1)(a), 23(1)(b)  There are suitable toilet and washing facilities for the sole use of pupils. However, at the time of this inspection, the sinks were unclean and signs intended for the wall had fallen off and were lying in the sinks. The headteacher had no plans for any contractors to do any further work in the school. Paragraph 23(1)(c)  There are separate changing accommodation and showers. However, the changing accommodation does not allow for privacy and opens directly onto a main corridor of the school. The shower room doubles as a general purpose storage facility: there are shelf units holding general school supplies. This is unsuitable for an area intended for showering. The showers have a blocked drainage outlet. The shower heads are separated by thin plastic curtains that were unclean and would offer little privacy for

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Main inspection findings

pupils. Paragraphs 23(2), 24(1), 24(1)(a), 24(1)(b) 24(2), 24(3)  There is a separate toilet and washing facility for the use of disabled pupils. This could be used by other pupils and adults whether or not they are disabled. There is accommodation for the medical examination and treatment of pupils. The accommodation is near to a toilet facility. It has no bed, though one is planned to be placed in the room. It has a sink, which was unclean, and it has running water. The temperature of the hot water could not be inspected since the boiler for the water on the site had not been switched on. Paragraphs 25, 26, 27, 27(a), 27(b), 28(1), 28(1)(a), 28(1)(b), 28(1)(c), 28(1)(d), 28(2), 28(2)(a), 28(2)(b), 29(1), 29(1)(a), 29(1)(b)  There are five classrooms, a science room, a computer room, a common room and a hall for use as teaching spaces. The school offered no plans for cleaning and maintaining these rooms. Much of the work is to be undertaken by volunteers. In the

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Main inspection findings

science room and the IT room, some of the wiring is exposed. The headteacher made a note of this during the inspection and said it would be attended to. It is a matter of concern that it had not been noticed prior to the inspection.  The acoustics of the classrooms, science rooms, computer room, common room and hall are all suitable.  The lighting of the classrooms, science rooms, computer room, common room and hall is all suitable. There is a light over the door outside the main entrance. There are no other lights on the exterior of the school. This is despite there being many returns and recessed corners to the building.  There are cold water taps at all the sinks. The temperature of the hot water could not be inspected since the boiler was not switched on during the inspection. Drinking water, separate from the toilet areas, is not provided. It is expected by the school that pupils will bring their own water in and the school will provide some bottled water.

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Main inspection findings

This is not suitable.  The outdoor spaces are dangerous. There is a single continuous space which doubles as a car park. Some separation is planned, but it is unclear what this will entail. There are large boulders, upturned tree trunks, mounds of litter, broken bottles, graffiti, multiple trip hazards and broken surfaces in the open area. It cannot be called a playground in any reasonable meaning of that word. The exterior walls are low. No attempts have been made to ensure that they prevent intrusion. On top of some walls there is broken and rusting metal fencing. The perimeter of the school is thus a danger to the pupils and adults and easily scalable by anyone seeking unauthorised access in the day or night. CCTV security is planned, but there is no written confirmation of this.  The school is unlikely to meet the majority of the standards in these paragraphs.

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Main inspection findings

Part 6. Provision of information Paragraph 32(1), 32(1)(a),32(1)(b), 32(1)(c)  The school has published the safeguarding policy on its website although it requires updating. The school is in the process of reviewing the policy.  The school is likely to meet the standards in this part.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c), 34(2)  The trustees and proprietor of the school were not available during the inspection.  It is unclear who the trustees are. The headteacher believed the trustees would change once the school moves to its new site. There is a serious lack of clarity in respect of the school’s governance.  The headteacher is left to lead the school on his own. There is no evidence that he has the support of the trustees. He has a passionate commitment to the principles of a sound and moral education for the pupils of the school. However, he does not have adequate knowledge of safeguarding, health and safety or an understanding of the independent school standards. This failing must be shared by the trustees who, though absent during the inspection, cannot escape responsibility for the inadequate planning of the school’s proposed move.

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Main inspection findings

 The proposals do not actively promote the well-being of pupils. There is a lack of clarity about leadership, and failings in safeguarding and health and safety. Much of the site is unsuitable for any form of education.  The standards are not met and the school is unlikely to meet the standards in this part in relation to the material change request.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school is unlikely to meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that are relevant to the material change.

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The school is unlikely to meet the following independent school standards

 Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils, paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 11, 12, 16, 16(a), 16(b)  Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors, paragraph 21(1), 21(2), 21(3)(a), 21(3)(b), 21(5)(a), 21(5(b), 21(5)(c) and 21(6).  Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools, paragraphs: 22, 23(1), 23(1)(a), 23(1)(b), 23(1)(c), 23(2), 24(1), 24(1)(a), 24(1)(b), 24(2), 24(3), 25, 26, 27, 27(a), 27(b), 28(1), 28(1)(a), 28(1)(b), 28(1)(c), 28(1)(d), 28(2), 28(2)(a), 28(2)(b), 29(1), 29(1)(a), 29(1)(b)  Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools, paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c), 34(2)

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School details

Unique reference number 139784 DfE registration number 6010 Inspection number 10023000 This inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s likely compliance with the independent school standards relevant to the material change that the school has applied to make. Type of school Independent school School status Open Proprietor Sultan Munir Ahmed Chair Not applicable Headteacher Abdul Gafoor Salloo Annual fees (day pupils) £1,500 Telephone number 01782 499091 Website www.parkavenueschool.co.uk Email address info@parkavenueschool.co.uk Date of previous standard inspection June 2014

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recommendation

Age range of pupils 11 to 16 11 to 16 0 Number of pupils on the school roll 20 25 0

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Gender of pupils Girls Girls Number of full-time pupils of compulsory school age 22 25

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of part-time pupils 0 0 Number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities 0 0

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan 0 0

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils paid for by a local authority with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan 0 0

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of full-time equivalent teaching staff 6 6

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of staff in the welfare provision 0 0

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Information about this school

 Park Avenue Girls’ High School is an independent day school that provides full-time education for girls aged from 11 to 16 years from families within and beyond the Muslim community in the Shelton area of Stoke-on-Trent.  The school was last inspected in June 2014 and was found to require improvement overall.  The school is registered for 100 girls, aged 11 to 16 years. There are currently 20 pupils on roll.  No pupils have been identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The school aims to ‘provide a safe welcoming environment in which children can feel confident and secure; value each child as an individual, ensuring that they reach their full potential spiritually and academically; encourage good behaviour, respect and the value of working together; empower our children to become aspiring, effective and productive members of our society.’

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Information about this inspection

 The school proposes a material change to move premises.  The trust has submitted a plan to the Department for Education (DfE), the registration authority. DfE asked Ofsted to inspect the school’s proposals against the independent school standards paragraphs 11, 12, 16, all of Part 5 and paragraph 34; to check the school’s safeguarding policy (Part 3); and to check that the safeguarding policy is published on the school’s website or otherwise made available (Part 6).

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Inspection team

Graham Tyrer, 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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