Al-Ihsaan Community College

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Draft and confidential - Not for disclosure or publication Al-Ihsaan Community College 1 Kamloops Crescent, Leicester LE1 2HX

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1), 2(2), 2(2)(a), 2(2)(e), 2(2)(e)(i), 2(2)(e)(ii), 2(2)(e)(iii)  The previous inspection found that pupils in Year 8 did not have access to impartial careers advice and guidance. Leaders have made some progress in improving this aspect of their work. For example, all pupils have visited a national employment information event.  However, leaders have not implemented all of the actions they had planned to improve careers education, advice and guidance. For example, the programme for personal, social, education health and economic education does not cover careers guidance. A planned programme of visits by people working in different professions has yet to take place.  The previous inspection found that the school’s curriculum enabled pupils to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding across a broad range of subjects. This is no longer the case. Changes to leadership and staffing have meant that the school is not

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Main inspection findings

able to deliver all elements of the curriculum. Currently, pupils do not study art and their learning in technical subjects is mostly limited to the theory aspects of these subjects. They told the inspector that their physical education (PE) lessons are often cancelled due to a lack of staff. Consequently the school no longer meets these standards. Paragraphs 3, 3(a), 3(c), 3(d), 3(g), 3(h)  The previous inspection found that the teaching at the school did not enable all pupils to make good progress, because teachers did not use information about pupils’ prior learning to plan appropriate lessons and did not have high enough expectations of all pupils. Teachers did not check that the books that pupils were reading were suitably challenging.  Following that inspection, leaders did not act urgently enough to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Plans for teachers to visit other schools to learn from

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Main inspection findings

best practice have not been implemented.  Leaders have carried out lesson observations and book scrutinies. They have identified some of the weaknesses in teaching, such as work that is not at the right level for pupils. They have devised a set of basic expectations that should be in place for every lesson.  A lack of capacity in the school means that leaders have not tackled these weaknesses. Leaders cannot check that that their expectations are met or take action when they are not. Pupils continue to make uneven progress across the curriculum. In some subjects, the work they do is below that expected for their age. In some cases, they repeat work done in their primary schools, or spend too long studying the same text.  Pupils of all abilities routinely complete the same work. This means, for example, that the most able pupils are not challenged by their work, while those who speak English as an additional language cannot always follow the teaching.

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Main inspection findings

 Following the previous inspection leaders created a checklist for teachers to use to assess pupils’ skills in reading. However, this checklist contains the same criteria for all age groups and levels of ability. For example, teachers check that pupils can ‘recall simple facts about the text’. This is not appropriate for the older pupils, or even for the younger ones who are already proficient in recalling text and inferring meaning from it.  Pupils told the inspectors that teachers ask them to read but do not always check what they are reading. Some said that they do not have enough access to the library.  Leaders have developed a system to track pupils’ achievement across different subjects. This system is designed to show where pupils are not making enough progress, so that teachers can provide additional help and support. However, leaders have not checked that teachers assess pupils’ work accurately. Therefore, they do not know if the

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Main inspection findings

information in the tracking system is correct.  The previous inspection found that pupils behaved well. Since that inspection, pupils’ behaviour has deteriorated. Not all teachers apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently or manage pupils’ behaviour well. Leaders have made clear that teachers should not engage in arguments with pupils and should respond calmly when pupils try to provoke them. However, leaders are not able to monitor how well teachers manage behaviour or to intervene when there are difficulties.  This has led to some very concerning incidents in the school. Recently, the school has had to exclude a number of pupils for serious breaches of the behaviour policy.  There is very little for pupils to do at break and lunchtimes. As a result, they often feel bored and frustrated. This sometimes leads to poor behaviour.  Consequently, the school no longer meets the standard related to this part of its work.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a) and 7(b), 9, 9(b), 14 and 15  The previous inspection found that the school met all the standards in this part. This inspection found a number of failings in the school’s arrangements to promote and safeguard pupils’ welfare.  New leaders and staff do not fully understand their duties in relation to safeguarding. They have not ensured that all of the relevant checks on staff have been carried out or that references have been checked before staff have taken up their posts. Leaders are not clear about which checks need to be completed. They do not ensure that the school site is always secure, or that visitors to the school always sign in.  The school continues to make progress in making pupils aware of issues such as female genital mutilation and forced marriage. Pupils know how to seek help from outside agencies should they need to. However, a few stated that they do not have full

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Main inspection findings

confidence in their teachers to provide the right support.  Staff do not see the potential links between pupils’ absence and their safety. They have not challenged parents when they have taken their children out of school for lengthy periods of time, including before a school holiday. Staff do not record pupils’ absence correctly. They have not informed the local authority about pupils who have been absent for lengthy periods of time.  Leaders have developed a new behaviour policy, but do not ensure that teachers apply it consistently.  The supervision of pupils is not always adequate. When teachers are absent, leaders are not always able to provide cover. This means that pupils are not always supervised in class. Leaders’ records show that staff do not always implement the lunchtime duty rota. Such practice places pupils unnecessarily at risk. Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

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Main inspection findings

Paragraphs 18(2), 18(2)(b)  Leader have not ensured that they have carried out all the necessary checks on staff appointed since the previous inspection. They do not fully understand the nature of these checks, or how to carry them out. Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraphs 23(1) and 23(1)(a), 25, 29(1), 29(1)(a) and 29(1)(b)  The school’s toilets are currently not fit for use. One of the toilets has a leak that has not been fixed. A large amount of water has gathered in the toilet area, which pupils must step over in order to use the other toilets. This is unpleasant and unhygienic. Because of this, pupils choose to use the staff toilet instead.  The school premises and facilities are not maintained in such a way that the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured. During the inspection, a bottle of bleach was left in the pupils’ rest area and an unlocked cupboard was found to contain industrial-

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Main inspection findings

strength glue. Some areas of the school have been spoiled with graffiti and litter, while some parts are untidy and disorganised.  Pupils told the inspector that they rarely go to the play area that is intended for their use at break and lunchtime, or to the leisure centre for their PE lessons. Part 6. Provision of information Paragraphs 32(1), 32(1)(a), 32(1)(b), 32(1)(d), 32(2), 32(2)(a), 32(3), 32(3)(e)  Since the previous inspection, the headteacher has left the school. The school’s proprietor is currently the school’s acting headteacher. This information is not on the school’s website or in the information booklet given to prospective parents.  The school’s most recent inspection report is not on the school’s website. Information about the school’s academic performance is out of date. Moreover, the website states that the school meets the independent school standards. This has not been the case for

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Main inspection findings

some time and is misleading for parents. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b) and 34(1)(c)  Leaders have not made enough progress in meeting the standards that were found to be unmet at the previous inspection. These standards remain unmet. The lack of a permanent headteacher has led to a situation of instability and damaged pupils’ trust and pride in the school. Pupils who spoke with the inspector expressed their frustration that they did not have a headteacher. One pupil spoke for others when she said that, ‘Promises are never kept.’  Moreover, some aspects of the school’s performance have declined. The inspection found unmet standards relating to safeguarding and to health and safety that were deemed to be met at the last inspection. Leaders are not doing enough to promote and safeguard pupils’ welfare.

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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, as set out in the annex of this report. 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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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 in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 3–5 October 2017

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Information about this school

 Al-Ihsaan Community College is an independent Muslim day school for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. To date it has not had any boys on roll.  There are no pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average.  The school has high levels of pupil mobility. Many pupils join the school having received some of their secondary education elsewhere and some do not remain at the school for very long or complete their education at the school.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The headteacher left the school shortly after the most recent inspection. The school’s proprietor is currently the school’s acting headteacher.  The school was last inspected on 3–5 October 2017. This inspection found that the school did not meet all of the independent school standards.

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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.  The inspector observed learning across a range of classes and subjects and scrutinised the work in pupils’ books.  Meetings were held with the proprietor, who is also the acting headteacher, the chair of the governing body and the deputy headteacher.  The inspector spoke with pupils from all year groups.  A range of documentation was considered, including examples of the monitoring of teaching, minutes of the acting headteachers’ meetings with the school council and minutes of a staff meeting. The inspector examined attendance records and the school’s single central register of the checks on staff.

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Inspection team

Deirdre Duignan, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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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

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if—  2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are— – 2(2)(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education; – 2(2)(e) for pupils receiving secondary education, access to accurate, up-to-date careers guidance that— – 2(2)(e)(i) is presented in an impartial manner and – 2(2)(e)(ii) enables them to make informed choices about a broad range of career options; and – 2(2)(e)(iii) helps to encourage them to fulfil their potential.  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school— – 3(a) 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

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

subjects taught; – 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 3(d) 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; – 3(g) 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; – 3(h) utilises effective strategies for managing behaviour and encouraging pupils to act responsibly.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that— – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that— – 9(b) the behaviour policy is implemented effectively.  14 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that pupils are properly supervised through the appropriate deployment of school staff.  15 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006.

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 18(2) The standard in this paragraph is met if— – 18(2)(b) no such 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 made 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.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 23(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), the standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that— – 23(1)(a) suitable toilet and washing facilities are provided for the sole use of pupils.  25 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school premises and the 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.  29(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable outdoor space is provided in order to enable— – 29(1)(a) physical education to be provided to pupils in accordance with the school curriculum; and – 29(1)(b) pupils to play outside.

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Part 6. Provision of information

 32(1) The standard about the provision of information by the school is met if the proprietor ensures that— – 32(1)(a) the information specified in sub-paragraph (2) 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; – 32(1)(b) the information specified in sub-paragraph (3) is made available to parents of pupils and parents of prospective pupils and, on request, to the Chief Inspector, the Secretary of State or an independent inspectorate; – 32(1)(d) following an inspection under section 108 or 109 of the 2008 Act, a copy of the report of the inspection (if it has been sent to the proprietor) is published and maintained on the school’s internet website, and provided to the parents of each registered pupil, by any date specified by the body who conducted the inspection.  32(2) The information specified in this sub-paragraph is—

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Part 6. Provision of information

– 32(2)(a) the school’s address and telephone number and the name of the head teacher;  32(3) The information specified in this sub-paragraph is— – 32(3)(e) particulars of the school’s academic performance during the preceding school year, including the results of any public examinations.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school— – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils. 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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