Dar Ul Madinah

Dar-Ul-Madinah Granville Street, Blackburn, Lancashire BB2 6HD

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met. Systems to check teaching and track pupils’ progress are not effective. Leaders have not ensured that teaching supports pupils to make the progress they should.  Leaders have not supported teaching staff to develop their skills and improve teaching.  Teaching does not take sufficient account of pupils’ prior learning when lessons are planned. Assessment is not used effectively to make sure teaching builds on pupils’ prior learning systematically.  Weaknesses in the effectiveness of teaching have a negative impact on pupils’ outcomes.  Pupils make slow progress. They do not make enough progress to enable them to work at standards expected for their age in phonics and mathematics.  Teaching does not provide the most able pupils with work that is sufficiently challenging to deepen their learning. Pupils who need more support are not enabled to fill gaps in their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

learning.  Pupils’ personal development and behaviour require improvement. Teaching does not foster self-motivation, effort, concentration and pupils’ ability to think for themselves in an age- appropriate way.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Trustees and managers have established a stimulating, good-quality building with facilities that are fit for purpose.  Trustees have established detailed curriculum plans and schemes of work that, if implemented effectively, provide pupils with a broad range of experiences.  Safeguarding meets requirements and pupils’ welfare is promoted effectively. Pupils feel safe.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills are developed well. British values are endorsed in the school’s values and respected by pupils.  There is a happy atmosphere in school. Staff are encouraging and kind. Pupils are polite and cooperative.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Compliance with regulatory requirements  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 teaching and learning, so pupils make at least good progress from their starting points, by: – making sure that the school’s assessment system is used effectively to plan teaching that builds on pupils’ knowledge and skills systematically in all subjects – making sure that teaching provides experiences that motivate pupils, require concentration and develop pupils’ ability to think for themselves – making sure that the most able pupils are provided with sufficiently challenging work to deepen their learning and reach higher standards of attainment – making sure that pupils who need to catch up are provided with teaching that helps them to fill gaps in their learning – ensuring that phonics and mathematics teaching enables pupils to achieve at standards expected for their age.  Improve leadership by: – establishing effective procedures to check on the effectiveness of teaching and support teachers to improve

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– developing a system to monitor and track pupils’ progress effectively against standards expected for their age – ensuring that the school’s assessment policy is implemented effectively.  The school must meet the independent school standards, as set out in the annex of this report.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders have not evaluated the school’s current provision against the independent school standards. Their self-evaluation focuses on the early years provision that is established in the same building, led and managed by the same leadership team, but is registered and inspected separately. There is an action plan to improve the early years provision but this does not extend to this school, which opened in September 2017.  This lack of evaluation means that leaders do not have a clear understanding of how they are meeting the independent school standards. They have not identified that the school is not meeting standards relating to teaching and learning, or evaluated the impact of weaknesses on pupils’ progress.  The systems to track pupils’ progress are not effective. They do not identify whether pupils are making the progress they should, given their starting points. Consequently, leaders are not aware that pupils are making insufficient progress and working below

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

standards expected for their age in phonics and mathematics.  Systems to check on the quality of teaching and learning are not established. There are no records of checks on teaching or the quality of pupils’ work having been undertaken by school leaders over time. Consequently, managers are not aware of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and so have not supported teaching to improve.  Professional development and training has focused on ensuring that all staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and on behaviour management. The school is orderly and pupils are managed well in class. However, leaders have not supported teaching staff to improve their knowledge of the curriculum or their teaching skills. Leaders have recently sought external expertise to support this, but it is too soon to see an impact.  Trustees and managers have devised comprehensive curriculum plans and schemes of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

work, which are suitably broad and give pupils a range of experiences. Pupils particularly enjoy science, art and physical education (PE) where they develop their skills well. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are promoted effectively, and pupils are confident to ask questions and participate in discussion.  Pupils’ experiences are enriched by trips out. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed a trip to a farm, and singing at a local residential home for the elderly, for example.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills are developed well in lessons and in the daily life of the school. Spiritual development, within the Islamic faith, is at the heart of the school’s work and parents and carers value this greatly. Pupils are kind and considerate towards each other and show wonder in the world around them.  British values are promoted in an age-appropriate way and are endorsed in the school’s values. Pupils learn about other faiths and cultural traditions and appreciate that it is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

important to respect differences. Pupils understand why rules are important and do their best to uphold the school’s values.  Pupils are taught about protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Equalities Act in a way that is appropriate to their age and understanding. They show great respect for their elders and people from different ethnicities. Boys and girls play together happily.  Leaders communicate with parents effectively. Monthly newsletters ensure that parents are kept well informed about events. Parents are welcomed to talk to teachers when they wish and pupils are provided with regular homework.  Parents who spoke with the inspector and responded to the online Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, are positive about the school. For example, they refer to the ‘very kind, helpful staff’ and ‘beautiful stimulating environment’. They comment positively on the ‘very good parent-teacher relationship’ and the help they receive ‘to resolve any

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

concerns’. Parents say that ‘children are more than happy’ and ‘the school is a very important asset for the community’.  Inspection evidence endorses parents’ positive views of the effectiveness of communication and the provision of a welcoming school environment.

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Governance

 Governance is provided by a board of three trustees, including the proprietor, and supported by a management team of volunteers.  Governance is inadequate because the proprietor and trustees have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met. Trustees do not have oversight of the quality of teaching and learning or the effectiveness of leadership. They have not held leaders and teachers to account effectively.  Trustees and managers are dedicated to ensuring the well-being of pupils. They have created a safe and happy environment that is fit for purpose. They are keen to develop the school and committed to ensuring that provision improves. They are taking steps to increase the skills of their staff and employ others to strengthen the expertise in school.  Trustees work constructively with other agencies. For example, leaders have worked with the local authority, police and fire services to ensure that policies are fit for purpose and

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Governance

the school is safe. They are seeking out further external expertise to support school improvement.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The safeguarding and supporting policies are detailed and of good quality. They take account of the most recent government guidelines and are available on the school’s website.  The procedures to ensure the safe recruitment of staff and suitability of proprietors and managers meet requirements. Some omissions on the school’s single central register were rectified during the inspection.  Staff are aware of their responsibilities in terms of safeguarding and reporting concerns. They have completed statutory training and are kept up to date with latest guidance. Staff are vigilant in ensuring that pupils are safe in school. They conduct daily checks and risk assessments to make sure the premises are safe and secure. Pupils are well cared for, and confirm they feel safe and well looked after.  Leaders communicate effectively with parents to make sure that pupils are safe.

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Safeguarding

Attendance is tracked carefully and followed up with home visits if necessary.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teaching is not set at the right level to accurately meet all pupils’ learning needs. It does not take sufficient account of pupils’ ability or prior learning. Assessment has not been used effectively to plan teaching that builds on each pupils’ knowledge and skills systematically. As a result, pupils’ progress in mathematics and writing is weak.  Some of the work in pupils’ books is repetitive or is not age appropriate, so it does not take pupils’ learning forward. In phonics for example, all pupils work within the same phase, which is usually completed in the Reception Year. The majority of pupils are capable of more.  In mathematics, pupils have repeated a lot of work on number bonds to 10 and have only just started to add and subtract with numbers up to 20. They have had limited opportunities to apply reasoning skills and carry out mathematical investigations suited to their age.  The work that is provided often lacks enough content or challenge to further the learning

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

of the most able pupils. There are also occasions when pupils who need more support are unable to complete work that is set for them, because they lack the necessary prior knowledge. Pupils are provided with many opportunities to read for different purposes and write in different subjects, so they gain a good understanding of the features of different types of text. However, pupils’ spelling and decoding skills lag behind because phonics teaching is not age appropriate.  Teaching and learning is stronger in subjects other than mathematics and literacy. Pupils enjoy science, where they have opportunities to experiment and observe cause and effect, for example in planting seeds in different locations. They also enjoy PE and develop their physical skills well.  Classrooms and shared learning areas are stimulating and well maintained. They are spacious and well suited to their purpose. Displays support learning and celebrate pupils’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

achievements effectively. Resources are of good quality.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. It is not good because teaching does not foster self-motivation, effort and the ability for pupils to think for themselves, in a way that is appropriate to their age. This is because work is often too easy and does not require pupils to apply themselves and think hard about their learning.  Staff have an encouraging and affirming approach that helps pupils to develop increasingly positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are curious and confident to talk to adults.  Pupils are happy to come to school. They feel safe and secure and staff ensure that they are safe in school. Their well-being is a high priority, promoted by all staff. Daily risk assessments and checks on the school premises and resources ensure that the environment is safe.  Bullying is not a concern to pupils. They understand that bullying can take different forms

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Personal development and welfare

and say that it never happens in school. Pupils are confident that they can talk to staff about any concerns they may have.  Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe in the wider community. They know how to cross the road safely and how to eat well to look after their health, for example.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils are polite and cooperative; they listen and follow instructions in lessons. However, they find it difficult to sustain concentration on their work because the tasks they are given are inappropriate to their needs and abilities. Some work in pupils’ books is unfinished.  Pupils behave safely and in an orderly manner as they move around the school. They show consideration to each other and respect for adults.  Pupils’ rates of attendance are high. They rarely miss a day of school and are absent only when it is unavoidable, due to sickness for example. They are not as punctual as they could be, however, which makes for a slow start to the school day.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 As the school has been open for less than a year, pupils have not yet taken any formal, national assessments and there is no published data for the school. However, inspection evidence shows that outcomes for pupils are inadequate because too many pupils make weak progress from their starting points and fail to reach the standards of which they are capable.  Pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are weak, because teaching does not build on their skills systematically and is not sufficiently challenging to take their learning forward at an appropriate pace. Pupils’ learning in phonics lags behind the expected level for their age, and this leads to pupils making too many errors with simple spellings.  The most able pupils in the class do not learn in line with their capability because they repeat learning they have already mastered and have too little opportunity to deepen their understanding. For example, in mathematics, most-able pupils are given number

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

work that does not stretch them, and they are not given enough opportunities to apply their mathematical skills to solving suitably challenging problems.  Some pupils who need to catch up also make slow progress because work is not pitched accurately to help them fill gaps in their learning.

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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

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened in September 2017 and is run by a trust. It has not been inspected previously.  The school is registered for 30 pupils aged five to six years. There are currently 14 pupils on roll. The school does not currently charge fees.  The school shares premises with an early years provision that is registered and inspected separately. The headteacher, board of trustees and managers lead and manage both the early years provision and the school.

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Information about this inspection

 At the time of this inspection, the headteacher was absent and teaching was being covered by supply staff.  The inspector carried out a detailed scrutiny of pupils’ work and took account of school records of pupils’ progress. She observed teaching and learning in class.  The inspector checked the premises and met with the proprietor and school managers. She took account of documentary evidence, including the school’s policies, self- evaluation, safeguarding procedures, records relating to behaviour and safety, arrangements to report to parents and any other information provided by school managers.  The inspector met with all pupils in small groups, to discuss their work and gain their views on bullying, behaviour and learning.  The inspector took account of six responses to Parent view, the Ofsted online questionnaire, and of the views of parents given at the start of the school day.  As part of the standard inspection, the DfE commissioned Ofsted to consider a material

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Information about this inspection

change to the registration of the school, if all standards were met. The material change that was requested was to increase the age range to include pupils in Year 2. As there were unmet standards in the quality of education provided and leadership and management, the material change was not considered at this inspection.

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Inspection team

Jean Olsson-Law, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if: – 2(1)(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work: – 2(1)(b)(i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan.  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 subjects taught; – 3(b) fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves; – 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;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; – 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.  4 The standard in this paragraph is met where the proprietor ensures that a framework for pupil performance to be evaluated, by reference to the school’s own aims as provided to parents or national norms, or to both, is in place.

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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. 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

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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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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