Olive Tree Primary School

Olive Tree Primary School 116 Bury Park Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 1HE

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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 Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Safeguarding arrangements are ineffective.  Policies for assessing risks and for first aid are not in place. The accommodation for the care of pupils who are sick is not suitable.  There is no outdoor space for pupils to play or have physical education lessons outside.  Procedures for reporting when pupils leave the school have not been rigorously followed and the destinations of pupils are sometimes unknown.  Governors do not ensure that school policies actively promote tolerance for all people whose differences are protected by law.  Leaders do not check and use the assessment information they have about pupils rigorously.  The quality of teaching varies too much. In key stage 1, adults’ expectations are low. Pupils do not make as much progress as they should.  There is insufficient challenge for the most able

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils to reach the higher standards.  Pupils’ reading skills are not good enough. Adults are not trained sufficiently well to teach reading and phonics effectively.  Leaders’ improvement plans lack rigour. It is too soon to see the impact of leaders’ actions.  Reporting to parents is weak; they are not provided with sufficient information about their children’s achievements.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 In 2016, pupils’ results at the end of key stage 2 in reading, mathematics, and grammar, punctuation and spelling were at least in line with national averages.  Pupils are polite, courteous and well mannered. Pupils’ conduct is often exemplary. They have very positive attitudes towards their learning.  Teachers are positive about the school. They relate well to pupils, and have good relationships with them.  The newly appointed headteacher is dedicated to improving the quality of teaching so that pupils have opportunity to achieve well.

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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 safeguarding procedures, so that the school promotes pupils’ welfare by: – diligently keeping accurate records and policies, including those for first aid, risk assessments and school registers – ensuring that the school’s admission register details the destination of each pupil that leaves the school, and that procedures for reporting those removed from the register to the local authority are rigorously followed – ensuring that governors routinely check that all aspects of the school’s safeguarding arrangements comply in practice with statutory guidance, including all of the required employment checks for staff – ensuring that all staff are adequately trained in all aspects of child protection – providing suitable facilities for pupils who become ill or injured, and for toilets and handwashing.  Improve leadership and management by: – ensuring that governors routinely check and challenge school leaders about the

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

school’s compliance against the independent school standards so that all of these are met – checking on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to ensure that all pupils consistently receive a good education – providing parents with timely and accurate reports on the progress their children make in all subjects across the curriculum – ensuring that all policies and practices actively promote tolerance towards and equality of all people who have any of the characteristics protected by law – ensuring that leaders and governors address the areas of weakness urgently, and that they monitor and evaluate the impact of their work against the school’s improvement plans.  Improve pupils’ achievement by: – accelerating the progress pupils make in key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics so they are well prepared for key stage 2 – ensuring that the most able pupils are challenged in their learning so they can use

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

and apply their skills and understanding in a range of different ways – providing adults with suitable training in phonics so they can plan and deliver learning that enables pupils to reach the standards expected by the end of Year 1.

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure 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) are drawn up and implemented effectively, to provide: – personal, social, health and economic education that encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act – effective preparation of pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in British society (paragraph 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(2), 2(2)(d), 2(2)(d)(ii) and 2(2)(i)).  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 – shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

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 progress (paragraph 3, 3(a), 3(d) and 3(g)).  The proprietor must ensure that the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school: – actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different beliefs and faiths – ensures that principles are actively promoted which encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to all the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act (paragraph 5, 5(a), 5(b) and 5(b)(vi)).  The proprietor must ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school, and such arrangements have regard to any guidance

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

issued by the Secretary of State (paragraph 7, 7(a) and 7(b)).  The proprietor must ensure that first aid is administered in a timely and competent manner by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written first aid policy (paragraph 13).  The proprietor must ensure that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 (paragraph 15).  The proprietor must ensure that the welfare of the pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy, and appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified (paragraph 16, 16(a), 16(b)).

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that no person carries out work, or intends to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act, or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction (paragraph 18(2) and 18(2)(b)).  The proprietor must ensure that in relation to an individual, not being the Chair of the school, who is a member of a body of persons corporate or unincorporated named as the proprietor of the school in the register or in an application to enter the school in the register: – does not carry out work, or intend to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act, or any disqualification, prohibition or

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction (paragraph 20(6), 20(6)(a) and 20(6)(a)(ii)).  The proprietor must keep a register which shows such of the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (3) to (7) as is applicable to the school in question: – in relation to each member of staff appointed on or after 1st May 2007, a check was made to establish whether any member of staff is subject to any direction under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in such a direction (paragraph 21(1), 21(3), 21(3)(a), 21(3)(a)(iii) and 21(3)(b)).  The proprietor must ensure that suitable accommodation is provided in order to cater for the medical and therapy needs of pupils, including accommodation for the short term care of sick and injured persons, which includes a washing facility and is near to a toilet facility

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

(paragraph 24(1) and 24(1)(b)).  The proprietor must ensure that: – toilets and urinals have an adequate supply of cold water and washing facilities have an adequate supply of hot and cold water – cold water supplies are suitable for drinking and are clearly marked as such (paragraph 28(1), 28(1)(b) and 28(1)(c)).  The proprietor must ensure that suitable outdoor space is provided in order to enable physical education to be provided to pupils in accordance with the school curriculum and pupils to play outside (paragraph 29(1), 29(1)(a) and 29(1)(b)).  The proprietor must ensure 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) and 32(1)(f)).  The proprietor must ensure that persons with leadership and management responsibilities

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

at the school demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to the role so that the independent school standards are met consistently and fulfil their responsibilities effectively to actively promote the well-being of pupils (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b) and 34(1)(c)).

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders, governors and the proprietorial body have failed to ensure that the school meets all of the independent school standards. A number of standards remain unmet, relating to leaders’ failure to ensure the welfare, health and safety of pupils.  Since taking up his permanent post in December 2016, the headteacher has accurately identified some of the strengths and weaknesses in the quality of teaching and the progress pupils make. However, improvement plans lack sufficient rigour and the impact of planned actions is not assessed well enough for leaders to be able to plan the next steps.  Leaders have not ensured that the correct procedures for notifying the local authority when pupils are removed from the register are consistently and routinely followed. As a result, they do not fulfil their duties to safeguard pupils who are potentially missing from education.  The new headteacher has introduced appraisals for teachers. He recognises that the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

impact of this new system is too early to assess.  Subject leaders for English and mathematics do not have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the quality of teaching in their subject areas within the school.  The school’s curriculum policy was updated during the inspection. However, leaders do not have a clear rationale for the subjects that pupils experience or how these are taught, so that pupils make the best progress they can. Pupils do not experience all the subjects outlined in the policy, such as geography.  Leaders do not ensure that reports to parents cover all the curriculum subjects taught.  Leaders have a clear system for collecting information on how well pupils are attaining in English and mathematics. However, they do not use this information to ensure that each pupil’s needs are met and that pupils do not fall behind. As a result, it is difficult for leaders to know how much progress pupils make from their starting points. Although

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

pupils leave the school with skills and abilities that often match those of others of their age, this does not represent good progress for some pupils, particularly for the most able.  Leaders provide for pupils’ spiritual and moral education systematically through the established values and ethos of their school. Pupils follow the school’s routines well and respond to expectations respectfully. They demonstrate an understanding that people have different beliefs and religions.  Overall, pupils communicate an understanding and tolerance of some of the protected characteristics such as belief and religion. They can speak about fundamental British values. However, there is less evidence to suggest that leaders actively promote British values or provide pupils with enough opportunities to learn about and meet with people who have views and cultures different from their own.  Staff are proud to work at the school. All adults who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

consider that pupils are safe and cared for well. Many commented on the improvements at the school, especially in taking pupils on school trips to places such as the House of Commons.  Parents spoken with during the inspection were positive about their children’s experiences at school. One parent commented, ‘I think the staff work very hard to keep the children on track.’ While inspectors agree that pupils are happy at school, the inspection found that some pupils do not make as much progress as they could.

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Governance

 Governance is ineffective.  Governors do not have a secure understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They have failed to hold school leaders well enough to account for the consistent meeting of the independent school standards. They were unaware of the current unmet standards.  The new chair of the governing body is committed to the success of the school. However, over time, governors have not checked on the quality of education and welfare of pupils well enough. It is too soon to assess the impact of leaders’ recent actions.  Governors do not actively challenge leaders to provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to develop their cultural and social understanding of people who are different from their own school community.  Since the previous full inspection, although the school has provided books about other major religions as well as Islam, some literature does not actively promote the values of

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Governance

tolerant living in British society, and pupils have unsupervised access to the books.  Some books in the library are not suitable for the ages of pupils and do not present a balanced view of life in Britain. An example of the literature includes a book that compares the roles of women in eastern and western societies, with text that is not representative of the roles of women in Britain.  Inspectors also found books by an author who is banned from entering, or has been expelled from, several countries including Britain. The author has, for example, extreme views about punishment by death for learning about or practising a range of activities such as magic.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. Leaders have ensured that the school’s child protection policy is in line with statutory requirements. However, they have failed to ensure that all safeguarding policies and procedures are carried out to promote pupils’ safety and welfare.

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Safeguarding

 Since Ofsted’s previous monitoring inspection in October 2016, leaders have ensured that most of the checks for the recruitment of staff are now in place. However, they do not routinely check that those who are in teaching positions at the school are suitable because they have not checked whether staff are prohibited from teaching. Leaders too readily accept information provided by the staff themselves as evidence of their suitability to work with children.  School policies for risk assessments and first-aid arrangements are not in place. Practice in school is not robust enough. Some trips were carried out without sufficient assessment of the risks involved to ensure pupils’ safety.  Leaders do not carry out risk assessments for the suitability of the talks that are regularly broadcast through to the school from visiting speakers at the mosque. They do not check whether the content is appropriate for the age of the pupils.

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Safeguarding

 New staff to the school have not all received sufficient suitable training in child protection. For example, some teachers have received training about the ‘Prevent’ duty, but others have not. The school does not have a risk assessment for this important aspect of safeguarding pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment varies too widely and is not of a consistently high standard for most pupils to make good progress.  Teachers’ expectations are not high enough in key stage 1 for pupils to make the progress of which they are capable, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.  Some teachers do not give enough attention to adapting their planning and teaching to accelerate the progress of the most able pupils. At times, expectations of what the pupils can achieve are too low.  The quality and use of assessment vary too much. Pupils are diligent and complete work well, but adults rarely intervene or provide pupils with additional activities that demand greater knowledge, skill and understanding. Where there is effective feedback and support, pupils respond well and make rapid progress, particularly in writing.  The teaching of phonics is not as effective as it should be. Adults are not sufficiently

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

trained to systematically plan and teach sounds to the required standard expected of pupils by the end of Year 1.  Teachers’ positive relationships with pupils ensure that little learning time is lost in lessons. Adults know pupils well and this means that teachers are well placed to meet pupils’ learning needs and develop pupils’ positive attitudes. This is particularly the case in key stage 2, where pupils respond exceptionally well to adults and are highly motivated to learn.  Pupils make good progress in science in key stage 2 and enjoy their learning in this subject. Pupils in key stage 2 explained their learning articulately to inspectors, proudly showing their work and recalling experiments and investigations. The work in pupils’ books show that they diligently complete their activities and present their work well.  Teaching assistants are used effectively to support pupils’ learning in class and in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

additional lessons on a one-to-one basis. Students from local colleges are used to successfully provide further support for pupils in lessons.  Pupils receive daily lessons in Arabic. They practise their reading and writing skills in Arabic carefully and well. Teaching is effective and pupils make good progress in this subject.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  From the time pupils enter the school in the morning until they leave in the afternoon, pupils have no opportunity to play or do physical education outside. There is no outdoor space. Pupils and staff recognise that this is a difficulty for day-to-day operations at the school.  Although pupils have separate toilets, boys do not have hot water or hand-drying facilities available to them.  Drinking water is not labelled as such.  The school does not provide suitable accommodation for the short-term care of sick and injured pupils because it does not include a washing facility and is not near to a toilet facility.  Pupils have a positive attitude to their work. Older pupils are confident and articulate, explaining their views and learning well to a range of audiences, such as parents, teachers and other pupils.  Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms of bullying and the distress it

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Personal development and welfare

causes. During the inspection, pupils took part in a play demonstrating the negative effects of bullying. Pupils easily identified cyber-, physical and verbal bullying from the play. They were provided with clear guidance on whom to tell if they were concerned.  Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe when using the internet. There are many posters and reminders around the school, so that pupils know whom to inform if they are worried.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are very polite and well mannered. They are friendly with each other and have good relationships with adults around the school.  Pupils conduct themselves exceptionally well, moving around the school site sensibly. Pupils listen to and follow instructions promptly. The school’s behaviour records demonstrate that this is the norm.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average. Pupils arrive on time for school and are ready to learn. Pupils told inspectors that they like coming to school. No time is wasted during the school day; pupils settle to their learning quickly, work diligently and present their work well.  Low-level disruption is evident when the activities are too easy for the most able pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress varies too much. In key stage 1, pupils are not making as much progress as they could. This is because expectations of what they can achieve are too low.  In 2016, pupils’ attainment was broadly in line with the national average at the end of key stage 2. Work in pupils’ books demonstrates that pupils in Year 6 are making good progress over the year, with a significant proportion reaching the standard expected by the end of their primary education in writing and mathematics.  Leaders state that pupils start their education at the school with skills and abilities that are broadly typical for their age, but baseline assessments are not rigorous enough to assess whether the strong results at the end of Year 6 represent good progress from individual starting points.  The most able pupils do not make as much progress as they could across both key stages. Their books demonstrate that they work diligently. However, in mathematics,

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

many pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to use and apply their knowledge and skills so they make accelerated progress and reach the higher standard by the end of Year 6.  Pupils read regularly and enjoy doing so. They can easily explain how and when they change their reading books and choose library books. However, the standard of reading books does not present enough of a challenge for some pupils, particularly the boys.  Younger pupils’ progress in reading, especially in phonics, is slow. This is because adults are not trained well enough in delivering a systematic and rigorous provision so that pupils can acquire their knowledge and skills rapidly.  Pupils make good progress in their writing in key stage 2. Inspectors found that pupils write in a variety of genres across different curriculum subject areas. They have opportunity to practise and develop their writing style. However, in key stage 1, pupils do

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

not have enough opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills through writing increasingly complex tasks. Consequently, they often produce writing that is below age- related expectations and does not demonstrate their full capabilities.

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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 Olive Tree Primary School Trust

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School details

Email address admin@olivetreeprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13–15 May 2014

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Information about this school

 Olive Tree Primary School is a small Islamic day school for a maximum of 80 boys and girls aged five to 11 years.  The school serves a community near the centre of Luton and shares its premises with a mosque.  There are no pupils currently at the school who have special educational needs and/or disabilities or who have an education, health and care plan.  There has been a change in headteacher and chair of the governing body since the previous standard inspection. The current headteacher started his permanent position in December 2016.  Since the 2014 standard inspection, Ofsted has conducted three inspections and an evaluation of an action plan: – 1 October 2014: progress monitoring inspection when independent school standards were not met – 11 June 2015: progress monitoring inspection when independent school standards were met – 11 October 2016: an unannounced emergency inspection was carried out and

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Information about this school

independent school standards that were considered at that time were not met – December 2016: an evaluation of the school’s action plan for the unmet standards was deemed not acceptable.

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Information about this inspection

 This standard inspection was conducted at the request of the Department for Education.  This inspection incorporated information about the school’s progress in meeting the independent school standards that were not met at the previous standard inspection and the subsequent series of progress monitoring inspections.  The previous standard inspection was carried out in May 2014, when the school’s effectiveness was judged to be inadequate.  This inspection included a tour of the school, led by the headteacher, visiting each class.  Inspectors observed pupils’ learning across the school and in a range of subjects. They observed pupils presenting their work to parents.  Inspectors examined a large proportion of pupils’ books. They considered pupils’ work during lessons and in a scrutiny of samples of written work in a wide range of subjects to gauge their progress over time.  Over the course of the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher,

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Information about this inspection

governors, pupils and staff.  Pupils were spoken with informally at other times of the school day.  Documents reviewed included school policies, child protection and safeguarding information, the school’s improvement plans, minutes of meetings, and the attendance and admissions registers.  Too few responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were received for these to be considered. However, written comments provided through Parent View were considered. Inspectors spoke with parents informally during the inspection to take account of their views.  Inspectors examined seven responses from members of staff to a questionnaire provided by Ofsted.

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Inspection team

Kim Hall, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Geraint Evans 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 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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