Hafs Academy

Hafs Academy Unit 3, 26 Maryland Road, Stratford, London E15 1JW

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Inspection dates 29 November–1 December 2016

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Adequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietor and leaders have failed to ensure that the independent school standards are met.  Leadership and management are inadequate because leaders have not ensured that pupils are safeguarded. Some essential checks on staff are not completed prior to their employment in school.  The curriculum is inadequate because pupils do not have enough opportunities in human and social, aesthetic and creative education.  Leaders and teachers do not have an accurate understanding of pupils’ attainment because assessment is underdeveloped.  The proprietor and leaders do not check the school’s work systematically, so their evaluation of its effectiveness is overgenerous.  Outcomes for pupils require improvement. Pupils are insufficiently challenged to make good progress from their individual starting points.  Teaching requires improvement. Many staff are inexperienced. They do not receive regular or informed feedback on how to improve the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  The trustees are insufficiently knowledgeable about the school’s work. They have not held leaders to account to improve the school rapidly since the last monitoring inspection.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are supported and guided to become polite and confident individuals.  Pupils enjoy reading and do so fluently in both contemporary fiction and Islamic texts.  Pupils’ attendance is excellent. They enjoy what the school has to offer and absence is rare.  Leaders’ strong vision for pupils to be successful citizens in modern Britain is shared and valued by parents, staff and pupils.

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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 and impact of leaders and managers, so they: – systematically check that all independent school standards are met – ensure consistent implementation of safeguarding, and health and safety policies – complete thorough pre-employment checks for all staff currently employed in school, and for new staff prior to their employment – address priorities identified in the annual fire audit immediately – make sure that the school website is compliant in the provision of information to parents – provide regular feedback to individual members of staff, especially inexperienced teachers – use performance management to promote effective practice – monitor the priorities in the strategic action plan and ensure that tight deadlines for school improvement are met – assess all pupils’ performance at regular intervals throughout the year, referenced to national norms – increase curriculum opportunities for pupils to learn about human and social, creative and

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

aesthetic aspects, including in history and music.  Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils make good progress, by: – using accurate assessment information about pupils’ prior attainment when planning lessons – raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in all subjects, including English and mathematics – developing teachers’ subject knowledge where they have weaknesses – ensuring that teachers set demanding tasks and ask challenging questions.

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

 Ensure that the full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory age gives pupils experience in human and social, creative and aesthetic education (paragraph 2(2)(a)).  Ensure that teaching at the school 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(d)).  Ensure 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 progress (paragraph 3(g)).  Ensure that a framework is in place for pupil performance to be evaluated, by reference to the school’s own aims as provided to parents or national norms, or to both (paragraph 4).  Ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and such arrangements must have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

(paragraph 7(a), 7(b)).  Ensure that relevant health and safety laws are complied with by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy (paragraph 11).  Ensure compliance with the Regulatory Fire Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (paragraph 12).  Ensure that appropriate checks to confirm a person’s suitability to be appointed as a member of staff in the school, other than the proprietor and supply staff, and such checks must be completed before a person’s appointment (paragraph 18(2)(c), 18(3)).  Ensure that the premises and accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured (paragraph 25).  Ensure that particulars of the arrangements for meeting the standard contained in paragraph 7 and actions specified in sub-paragraph 32(4) are published on the school’s internet website or,

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

where no such website exists, are provided to the parents on request (paragraph 32(1)(c), 32(1)(j)).  Ensure that information is 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: the proprietor’s full name, address for correspondence both during term-time and holidays and a telephone number or numbers on which the proprietor may be contacted, and, where there is a governing body, the name and address of its chair (paragraph 32(2)(b)(ii), 32(2)(c)).  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; fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the school standards are met consistently; and actively promote the well-being of pupils (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b),

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Despite previous monitoring inspections and a warning notice issued by the Department for Education in July 2015, leaders have not ensured that independent school standards are met, especially in pupils’ safety, the quality of their learning and academic outcomes.  Leaders do not carry out all of the necessary pre-employment staff checks prior to their employment in school. Staff recruitment does not include identifying gaps in service. Consequently, leaders cannot confirm staff suitability to work in school.  Leaders have not ensured pupils’ safety because checks on the implementation of the school’s health and safety policies are weak. For example, urgent actions following the annual fire safety audit in July 2016 have not been carried out. This places pupils, staff and visitors at risk.  Leaders have addressed some failings in curriculum planning; secondary-age pupils now receive careers guidance. Shortcomings remain because pupils do not cover all areas of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

learning. They do not develop creative and aesthetic skills. They are taught nasheeds (lyrics that refer to Islamic beliefs) but they do not experience different types of music. In key stage 3, standards in art are inadequate. No pupils are taught history.  In the summer term, leaders introduced a new system in key stage 3 to assess pupils’ starting points and track their progress. This information demonstrated pupils’ underachievement between different subjects and in different year groups. Leaders have not acted upon this information. In key stage 2, there is no accurate analysis of pupils’ achievement with reference to national norms.  Leaders’ checks and feedback on the quality of teaching are too infrequent and overgenerous to drive improvement. Leaders have not established a formal system of performance management to promote effective practice. These weaknesses mean that improvements to teaching, learning and assessment are limited.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 The strategic plan identifies correct priorities but leaders do not check the school’s work systematically or against agreed deadlines and targets. Leaders’ judgements are, again, overgenerous and do not reflect where the school currently is. This hampers leaders’ sense of urgency about how quickly the school must improve.  Leaders have a strong vision for how their new school should function. They speak passionately about ‘The Balance’ approach to linking the best of Islamic teachings with British citizenship. Inspectors found this vision to be reflected and valued in different discussions with pupils, staff and parents. Parents who responded to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View, were positive about the school’s approach, exemplified by the comment, ‘My child learns discipline and Islamic manners as well as the national curriculum and different religions so he can lead his life as a good person.’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 The school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Pupils learn, discuss and compare different faiths and cultures and gender issues meaningfully, as demonstrated in their books and in display areas. Pupils have a good understanding of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010.

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Governance

 The school is governed by a body of trustees. They review finances, fundraising and community engagement. A monthly agenda is agreed to discuss school improvement, but trustees do not keep formal records so there is no record of effective challenge.  After the progress monitoring inspection, trustees responded by expanding the middle leadership team to include new staff responsibilities for assessment and school development. These leaders are invited to present their findings at trustees’ meetings but they are not held to account to check that the school is improving rapidly since its last inspection.  The trustees’ strategic role in promoting rapid improvements is undeveloped. Trustees do not have an accurate understanding of the school’s performance. They have not checked carefully that leaders deliver the necessary improvements set out in the school’s action plan.  Trustees share leaders’ passion to improve the school in line with their principles and values

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Governance

but they have not checked pupils’ safety or well-being in line with health and safety policies.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective.  Leaders’ checks to ensure that pupils are safe are neither systematic nor robust. There are gaps in the checks made on staff prior to their employment. The school’s statutory policies were not available on the school’s website prior to inspection.  Prior to the inspection, leaders had not ensured the removal of the school’s website, which they state was hacked 18 months ago. The website contained access to inappropriate video footage.  Leaders have not addressed urgent priorities identified in the annual fire safety assessment, for example to change internal fire safety doors.  Staff have a good awareness of other safeguarding issues. They know their responsibilities in relation to ‘Prevent’ duties. They have a very clear understanding of how to protect and counteract negative influences on pupils about radicalisation or extremism. Staff receive

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Safeguarding

annual training to be aware of female genital mutilation. They understand how to make a referral to the designated officer in school or at the local authority.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement because pupils do not learn or make good progress in a range of subjects. Many teachers are inexperienced and their subject knowledge is weak. They lack the confidence to adapt schemes of work to meet pupils’ needs.  Pupils’ books demonstrate that they manage tasks successfully and with increasing difficulty from one day to the next. However, they are not allowed to move on to the more demanding daily ‘challenges’ until they finish set questions on a page or the teacher gives permission. This restricts progress for many pupils, but particularly the most able.  Leaders correctly identify that improving teachers’ questioning and pupil engagement in learning are two areas requiring further development and training. Teachers often use questions that require one-word answers, which do not demonstrate pupils’ understanding of a concept. During the inspection, stronger practice was observed in citizenship, fiqh (the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

study of Islamic laws) and English. In these subjects, pupils engaged in role play, peer assessment and discussion. This practice is inconsistent in year groups and in subjects.  Pupils have daily opportunities to practise and improve their literacy and numeracy skills. In some year groups, pupils apply this knowledge more widely into extended writing or mathematical problem-solving, but this is inconsistent.  Teachers encourage pupils to read fluently. Phonics is taught well. In key stage 2, pupils apply their knowledge to work out unknown words when reading aloud. Teachers ensure that pupils’ needs are met in small-group work and, sometimes, through one-to-one support. Leaders have recently restocked the library with books by current popular authors, which motivates pupils to read regularly.  Teachers promote pupils’ writing well. They are guided to develop their skills from daily reading comprehension and grammar activities into competent fiction and non-fiction pieces.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

Poetry is a strength in the school. Pupils write confidently using powerful emotional vocabulary on themes such as death and immigration, frequently winning competitions for publication in national compilations.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  Inspectors found inadequacies in health, safety and welfare provision. Leaders do not check pupils’ safety systematically or as soon as potential issues arise. This means that there is a risk to pupils’ safety when they are in school.  Pupils develop self-confidence and they are given genuine opportunities to express their feelings. Inspectors observed an assembly where pupils complained about Year 9 litter left after break. The student council made representations to the local authority in a bid to install a pedestrian crossing on the busy road between the two school sites.  There are no records of bullying, but if there were bullying incidents, pupils told inspectors that they could talk to any staff member about their worries or concerns.  Risk assessments for the range of regular off-site visits for physical education or enrichment

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Personal development and welfare

activities are secure. Pupils enjoy safe visits for ice-skating, kayaking and to museums, which enhance their personal development.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Leaders are good role models and ensure that pupils behave well. Pupils are respectful of one another, members of staff and visitors. Pupils confirmed that they feel that they are treated fairly, including the small number of girls in key stage 2.  Pupils listen well and they respond quickly to instructions. When teachers choose to deploy talk partners, peer assessment and practical tasks, pupils participate with relish and excitement.  Pupils’ attendance is well above the national average. It is consistently above 97%. It is rare for any pupil’s attendance to fall below this figure; when it does, leaders follow up at home or with external agencies as required.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress from their starting points requires improvement overall. Expectations for pupils’ achievement in some subjects are low compared to nationally expected standards of pupils’ work. Progress slows when pupils complete work that is too easy for them.  Pupils make inadequate progress in art in key stage 3. Pupils’ sketchbooks show negligible development in sketching and shading techniques. They use very limited media to explore different artistic effects. Presentation in workbooks is poor. Pupils do not make the progress they should in history or music.  Pupils’ progress in English and mathematics is variable between year groups and requires improvement. The narrow curriculum restricts pupils’ learning experiences and limits the progress they make, including in literacy and numeracy. Pupils make better progress in reading. They appreciate the new resources they can choose in the school’s library.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils’ knowledge, understanding and progress in Islamic studies are good. Leaders drafted and implemented an approach to Islamic subjects, tailored to the principles at Hafs Academy. This allows pupils to work at their own level and to attend additional classes voluntarily. Pupils are committed to improving their studies and recitation and choose to come to school early and attend regularly.

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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 pupils Mixed in key stage 2, boys in key stage 3

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25–26 June 2013

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Information about this school

 Hafs Academy is an independent day school in Stratford, East London. The school opened in September 2012, offering places for boys between the ages of 11 and 14 years. In September 2015, after a successful application for a material change, the school extended its provision to include boys and girls between the ages of seven and 11 years.  The school occupies two premises. One is based in a former industrial unit in Maryland Road. The other site, in Maryland Square, is a short walk from the Maryland Road premises.  All pupils attend full time. The school is registered to offer places to 240 pupils, though currently there are 163 pupils on roll. None of the pupils has an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs. Most are of Bangladeshi heritage.  In June 2015, an inspection by Ofsted recommended that provision was not extended to include pupils up to the age of 16. The material change inspection identified the school’s

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Information about this school

failures to meet Parts 1, 3, 5 and 8 of the independent school standards.  In July 2015, the registration authority for independent schools (the Department for Education) issued a notice served by the Secretary of State for Education under section 114(5) of the 2008 Act requiring an action plan to detail how the school intended to meet all of the standards.  In April 2016, a progress monitoring inspection identified failures in meeting Parts 1 and 8 of the independent school standards. The school’s proposed action plan was evaluated to require improvement.  The school website does not contain the required information for parents to include safeguarding, child protection policies or contact information for the chair of the governing body.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was commissioned by the Department for Education. It was carried out with one day’s notice.  Inspectors toured both sites with school leaders and checked compliance with independent school standards.  Inspectors visited a range of lessons or parts of lessons in all year groups on both sites. They were accompanied by leaders on some of these visits. Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in a range of subjects and they heard pupils read.  Meetings were held with a representative of the trustees, leaders and staff. Inspectors met with two groups of pupils and spoke to them informally throughout the inspection.  The inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including: policies; behaviour records; the single central record; staff files; schemes of work; the strategic plan; a sample of school risk assessments; health and safety information; and pupils’ annual reports to parents.

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Information about this inspection

 The school website was assessed prior to and during the inspection to evaluate its compliance with the provision of the required information for parents, including the school’s safeguarding policy.  Inspectors spoke to parents informally at the start of the day and took account of the 18 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Ann Debono, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Vanessa Love 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

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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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