Rabia Girls' and Boys' School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Rabia Girls’ and Boys’ School 10 January 2017

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Portland Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU4 8AX

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 3, 3(a), 3(c), 3(d), 3(e), 3(g)  At the standard inspection in April 2016, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment required improvement and the independent school standard was not met because: – pupils’ knowledge and understanding of phonics were weak – outcomes in mathematics in the primary phase were below expectations – by the end of key stage 4, outcomes were too low – the most able pupils were not challenged sufficiently – teachers’ subject knowledge and their expectations of what pupils can achieve were too low – the work in pupils’ books was often poorly presented.  In the action plan, the proprietor undertook to: – train staff in the use of resources, assessment, the teaching of phonics and subject specialisms – train curriculum coordinators and senior managers to support staff to teach subjects effectively – devise, implement and monitor the system to track pupils’ progress

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Main inspection findings

– train teachers to identify and support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who need extra help in speaking English and those who fall behind in their learning – make sure that leaders scrutinise the quality and presentation of pupils’ work and teachers’ feedback to pupils about how the work can be improved – reorganise how subjects are taught to primary-aged pupils.  The quality of teaching across the school since the inspection in April 2016, as seen over time through lesson observations and pupils’ work, has improved but does not yet enable most pupils to make good progress.  The quality of teaching and pupils’ learning are better for the girls than for the boys and this is linked very clearly to the opportunities available for the curriculum coordinator on each site to challenge and support staff to improve.  Across the school, teachers now plan for pupils’ different abilities. Where the plans are

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Main inspection findings

suitably specific yet flexible and executed well, pupils gain greater understanding and new skills quickly and this happens a lot on the girls’ site.  Teaching on the boys’ site often does not inspire or challenge boys sufficiently, particularly when teaching relies on finding out and rehearsing what pupils can do already. Good teaching does occur when learning is moved on rapidly from what the boys already know, but this is not the norm and learning time is wasted.  Whereas the girls’ site provides a lively and vibrant learning environment, the environment on the boys’ site is not conducive to good learning. On the boys’ site: – computers and other electronic equipment are available but not used enough to support pupils’ learning – pupils’ work is not displayed well to celebrate and model high standards – there are too few prompts on display to support teaching and encourage pupils to explore, check or improve their learning

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Main inspection findings

– walls, radiators and whiteboards are dirty.  Work in girls’ books is often well presented, but the quality of work in boys’ books is inconsistent between subjects and from one lesson to the next. Uneven standards result from variable expectations across the school in respect of setting out work, the use of pens, pencils and rulers and the feedback that pupils get on the quality of their work.  Improved subject-specialist teaching is helping pupils make better progress, particularly in the primary phase, where pupils are now taught English and mathematics by subject specialists. A new, systematic approach to teaching phonics in key stage 1 has been in place since September 2016 and is effective. Pupils make good attempts at sounding out words and teachers have high expectations for pupils to apply the phonics skills taught.  Although it is too early to judge the sustainability and reliability of the new assessment

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Main inspection findings

arrangements, the quality and use of assessment have improved significantly. A tracking system was implemented in September 2016 and training took place in the autumn term 2016 on how to identify gaps in what pupils know and can do. As a result of the changes: – targets are set for all pupils from the key stage 2 outcomes and are suitably challenging – pupils’ progress is tracked half-termly – senior managers now pick up where additional support is needed – those who are falling behind, either because they have missed or misunderstood the learning or because they may have special educational needs, are now starting to get appropriate help, but the support is not yet consistently across the school.  This independent school standard remains unmet. Part 6. Provision of information Paragraphs 32(1), 32(1)(b), 32(3), 32(3)(b)  At the standard inspection in April 2016, details of the school’s provision for pupils who

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Main inspection findings

have education, health and care (EHC) plans and for pupils who speak English as an additional language were not provided for parents.  In the action plan, the proprietor undertook to ensure that policies for special educational needs and English as an additional language are in place, well implemented and available to parents.  The relevant policies are now in place and available on the school’s website.  This independent school standard is now met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)  At the standard inspection in April 2016, the school did not meet all of the independent school standards. In addition to the standards not met, there were weaknesses in the leadership of the school. – Leaders and governors did not lead by example in modelling the fundamental British values that they teach to pupils. – Leaders had not identified the most important priorities for improvement or

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Main inspection findings

monitored the school’s performance closely enough. – Information on the school’s performance focused too much on what happened on each site, rather than across the school as a whole. – Governors did not hold leaders and managers to account sufficiently.  In the action plan, the proprietor undertook to make sure that: – senior managers and curriculum coordinators demonstrate the knowledge to train, support and monitor the quality of teaching and learning – staff use assessment procedures with rigour to plan for the next steps – teachers, coordinators and the senior management team track the progress of individuals and groups – policies and procedures are in place, and made available to parents, for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and for those who speak English as an additional language – governors, the senior management team and staff receive training to understand how to meet the independent school standards.

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Main inspection findings

 Staff and governors took swift and well-considered action to address the inadequacies identified at the time of the inspection in April 2016. Although there is still much work to do to ensure good teaching and progress, some good work has taken place to gain momentum for change. – Governors and the senior management team have used the action plan well to focus their work on pupils’ outcomes. – Collaboration between staff across both sites, including joint training on assessment, is making a positive difference to the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning at subject level and senior leadership level. Staff have embraced the opportunities available for their professional development. – A consistent approach to checking pupils’ progress is starting to improve pupils’ opportunities to succeed in some subjects, such as in information and communication technology (ICT). Stronger skills in planning and assessing ICT

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Main inspection findings

coursework are supporting weaker practice across the school. – Roles and responsibilities for the two curriculum coordinators have been redefined. The coordinators are leading the work on improving the quality of teaching. – Staff are clear about what the acting headteacher and the curriculum coordinators expect for planning lessons, challenging the most able pupils and expecting pupils to participate fully.  Better progress for the girls is linked to good opportunities for the curriculum coordinator on the girls’ site to support and develop teachers’ skills. The curriculum coordinator on the boys’ site does not have sufficient time to bring about the same level of improvement. Where coaching and advice have been provided for staff teaching the boys, improvements are clearly evident.  Arrangements to safeguard pupils have been enhanced. – One of the designated safeguarding leads has gathered the personnel records for all

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Main inspection findings

staff across the school in one place and has checked the contents for consistency and sufficiency. – In October 2016, the single central register of checks was completely revised to make sure that the information was an accurate reflection of the evidence in staff files. – Staff trained together in September 2016 to update their knowledge of the school’s safeguarding arrangements, and almost all have followed up the face-to-face training with online learning. – The safeguarding policy has been updated to reflect changes in statutory guidance and the policy is available on the school’s website. However, this policy and other policies associated with pupils’ protection and well-being are lengthy, with some unnecessary duplication, which has the potential for muddled information and inaccurate interpretation.  The action plan has now run its course and set the scene suitably for the next steps in the school’s improvement. Governors now need to establish a new plan for continued

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Main inspection findings

improvements.  Although improvements are clear, the standard for the quality of teaching, learning and assessment remains unmet and weaknesses in leadership and management remain.  This independent standard remains unmet.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

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 to not 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

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain un-met at this inspection  The proprietor must ensure 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 – involves well-planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time – shows 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 – demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can make progress (paragraphs 3, 3(a), 3(c), 3(d), 3(g)).  The proprietor must ensure that persons with leadership and management responsibilities

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

at the school: – demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their roles so that the independent school standards are met consistently – fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently (paragraphs 34(1), (34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)).

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The school now meets the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that the particulars of educational and welfare provision for pupils with EHC plans and pupils for whom English is an additional language are provided to parents of pupils and parents of prospective pupils and, on request, to the Chief Inspector, the Secretary of State or an independent inspectorate (paragraphs 32(1), 32(1)(b), 32(3), 32(3)(b)).

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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

Type of school Independent day school with a Muslim ethos

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School Details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School Details

Annual fees £1,950 (primary), £2,300 (secondary)

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School Details

Date of previous standard inspection 12–14 April 2016

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Information about this school

 The school was established in 1996 and is registered with the Department for Education (DfE) to admit up to 330 boys and girls aged five to 16 years. Very occasionally, the school admits children from their fifth birthday into the Reception Year but does not plan to do so in the future.  Of the 129 pupils currently on roll, there are – 85 girls in Years 1 to 11 – 44 boys in Years 1 to 6 and Years 8 to 11 – 9 boys and girls are in the Reception Year, Year 1 and Year 2.  The school has a Muslim ethos.  Most pupils are of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage. All pupils speak English as an additional language.  There are no pupils with an education, health and care plan or statement of special educational needs.  The school operates from two sites within a few minutes’ walk of each other. – For Years 3 to 11, the boys’ provision is at 326–340 Dunstable Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU4 8JS. – For Years 3 to 11, the girls’ provision is at 12–16 Portland Road, Luton, Bedfordshire

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Information about this school

LU4 8AX. – Boys and girls in the Reception Year, Year 1 and Year 2 are educated together at the Portland Road site.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The headteacher has been absent from the school due to illness since the inspection in April 2016. An acting headteacher leads the school across both sites, supported by a curriculum coordinator on each site.  Three teachers have joined the school since the standard inspection in April 2016, replacing the staff who have left.  One new governor has joined the governing body and one has left.  The school was issued with a warning notice on 12 May 2016 and was required to provide the DfE with an action plan to address the standards not met at the standard inspection in April 2016.

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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 to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This is the first progress monitoring inspection since the school’s standard inspection in April 2016, when the overall effectiveness was judged as inadequate and four of the independent school standards were judged by Ofsted as not met. This progress monitoring inspection was commissioned by the DfE to evaluate the school’s progress in meeting the three independent school standards that the DfE judged as not met, namely those relating to the quality of teaching, the provision of information and leadership and management.  The school’s action plan was evaluated by Ofsted in June 2016 and judged as

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Information about this inspection

acceptable.  This progress monitoring inspection was unannounced.  Inspectors met formally with the two curriculum coordinators, the designated safeguarding lead on the girls’ site and two members of the governing body. On both sites, lessons were observed, pupils’ work scrutinised and pupils’ and staff’s views sought.  It was not possible to meet the acting headteacher or the chair of the governing body during this inspection because they were temporarily out of the country.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s documents relating to safeguarding pupils, the school’s monitoring of teaching and learning and minutes of meetings. The school’s website was scrutinised.  There are no new entries on Parent View since the standard inspection in April 2016.

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Inspection team

Heather Yaxley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mary Rayner Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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 visitwww.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

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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