Rawdhatul Uloom

Rawdhatul Uloom Jamia Masjid-E-Farooq-Azam, North Street, Burnley, Lancashire BB10 1LU

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Adequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietor has made sure that all the independent school standards are met.  The headteacher and his team have improved the quality of education at the school since the last inspection because they have taken effective action.  The school’s curriculum meets the needs of pupils well and contributes effectively to their all-round development.  Teaching and learning are now good. Teachers use effective strategies to secure good progress for the majority of pupils.  Pupils’ personal development and welfare are outstanding. Leaders ensure that pupils are respectful and have a secure understanding of the importance of equality.  Pupils are self-disciplined and show excellent conduct around school.  Parents and carers are very supportive of and positive about the work of the school. They feel their children are safe and happy there.  Children in the early years make good progress and a large proportion are ready for Year 1 by

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the time the leave the Reception Year.  Sometimes, the most able pupils do not complete challenging enough work, particularly in geography.  Subject leaders of physical education and art do not yet have a clear overview of standards in their subject.  Teachers do not consistently follow the school’s marking and feedback policy.  Progress in the early years, though good, is not as strong as it could be.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teachers more consistently provide work that challenges the most able, particularly in geography.  Embed the planned new leadership structure so that subject leaders, particularly in art and physical education, have a clear understanding of standards in their subject to enable them to devise actions to secure stronger progress for pupils.  Make sure that teachers consistently follow the school’s marking and feedback policy.  Enhance progress for children in the early years by ensuring that more children exceed the expected standards at the end of the Reception Year.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher and his team have taken effective action to bring about improvement in the quality of education they provide for their pupils since the last inspection. They have a good understanding of the school’s current strengths and areas for development, although they were a little overgenerous in a few aspects of their self-evaluation of the school. They show clear passion and ambition to provide the best possible education for their pupils. As a result, most pupils now make good progress across a range of subjects.  The headteacher, who is also the proprietor, and his deputy have ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  There is an appropriately broad and balanced curriculum in place that meets the needs of the pupils well. It contributes positively to the good progress that pupils make in most subjects. Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

effectively, providing a range of activities to support this development. These include baking clubs and sports competitions, as well as educational visits to places like a farm and a science museum.  Leaders prepare pupils well for life in British society and protect them effectively from radicalisation. Programmes of lessons in both Islamic studies and personal, social, health and economic education effectively encourage respect for others, including people who have protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Pupils gain a secure understanding of other fundamental British values, such as democracy, through elections to the school council, for example.  Leaders have improved pupils’ social and cultural development well since the last inspection. Pupils develop a strong sense of responsibility by serving as school councillors and by raising money for local charities. Staff effectively develop pupils’ understanding of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

other faiths by, for instance, organising visits to various places of worship, such as a Christian church or a Hindu temple. Leaders have also created links with other schools in different locations and with different contexts, which contribute well to pupils’ development.  School leaders, including those with responsibility for mathematics and English, are reflective about their work in the school. They have improved the quality of teaching since the previous inspection. There are now more effective systems for checking on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress across most subjects. Leaders carry out activities, including lesson observations, and provide staff with feedback to enable them to strengthen their performance. They accurately select areas for development and put suitable actions in place to address them. For example, leaders have recently focused on improving pupils’ handwriting and enhancing their mathematical reasoning skills. Their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

actions have ensured that the quality of teaching is now good.  Staff who responded to the staff survey were very positive about their role in school and the work of leaders. They receive effective professional development that enhances their skills. Leaders provide an annual training week for staff before the new school year begins. This includes valuable safeguarding updates and support for staff to strengthen their practice for the coming year.  Parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, or spoke to the inspection team were highly positive about the school. All parents agreed in their responses to the survey that their children are safe and happy at Rawdhatul Uloom.  School leaders have a good overview of standards across a range of subjects. However, in physical education and art, leaders’ grasp of the quality of education is less strong because their systems for checking standards in each subject are less well developed.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

This limits their ability to identify areas for improvement to enable pupils to maximise their progress in these subjects. The proprietor is aware of these matters and has plans to address them. He has established a new structure for senior and middle leadership, although this is yet to be implemented.

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Governance

 Governors recently stepped down from their role, so there is currently no governing body. However, documents connected with the work of previous governors show they held leaders to account effectively, contributing well to the improved quality of education the school now provides. The proprietor plans to introduce a new board of trustees to carry out governance duties in the near future.  The proprietor, school leaders and staff maintain a regular dialogue with each other to make sure that they focus on constantly improving standards for their pupils. They have a clear view of their strengths and areas for development. The success of their work is evident in the improved quality of teaching and the good progress current pupils make across a range of subjects.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school has a suitable safeguarding policy, which the school provides to parents on request. The policy takes into account the government’s current requirements, including the most recently published guidance documents.  There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders ensure that there are suitable processes in place for reporting safeguarding concerns, although there have been no such concerns that have needed to be reported to the designated lead. Staff are trained thoroughly and have a clear understanding of safeguarding procedures, including issues around radicalisation. They also know their pupils well. Pupils trust adults to look after them. Staff give pupils the information they need to look after themselves and stay safe. Pupils know, for instance, that they should not reveal personal information when they are using the internet.

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Safeguarding

 The school’s single central record of checks on the suitability of staff is thorough and complies with the government’s requirements. Staff carry out appropriate checks on visitors to the school as they enter the building.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching and learning has improved since the last inspection. Teachers mostly question pupils effectively, encouraging them to think and probing their understanding and their ability to reason. In English in key stage 1, for example, teachers give pupils opportunities to show deeper understanding of a text by asking them to explain why characters act as they do. The effective questioning contributes well to the good progress pupils make.  Pupils show very positive attitudes to learning because teachers make their expectations clear. These attitudes contribute to pupils’ good progress across most subjects.  Teachers have warm and positive relationships with pupils. They use well-targeted praise, which encourages pupils to work hard and promotes their spiritual development by increasing their self-esteem. Pupils also get on well with their peers, collaborating and supporting each other willingly in their work.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers make effective use of teaching assistants to support the least able and help them make good progress. Teaching assistants make sure they encourage the pupils whom they help to try to complete their work for themselves.  Teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan lessons that mostly interest and engage pupils in their learning well. For example, in key stage 2, pupils use their mathematical reasoning skills effectively by estimating answers to additions before calculating exact answers. Teachers make good use of resources, such as interactive whiteboards, to support pupils’ learning. Occasionally, however, the work does not match some pupils’ needs as precisely as it could. In these circumstances, pupils become distracted or experience confusion about what they are expected to do.  Teachers mainly assess their pupils well and use the information they receive to plan subsequent work. Sometimes, however, staff do not follow the school’s feedback and

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. They benefit from a wide range of activities, such as taking part in youth theatre events with pupils from different schools. Pupils have developed a keen awareness of people with other beliefs. Activities such as visits to temples and churches are highly effective in developing pupils’ tolerance of other faiths and leaders have ensured that respect is at the heart of pupils’ education. Pupils have a highly developed sense of equality and know that they must treat all people fairly, regardless of their individual characteristics.  Pupils are extremely confident and have highly positive attitudes to their learning.  Pupils feel safe and have an excellent knowledge of how to stay safe, for example on the internet. They have a secure knowledge of how to stay healthy, understanding the

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Personal development and welfare

importance of, for instance, exercise and diet. Leaders also support pupils’ mental and emotional well-being effectively. The school’s pastoral manager is trained in mental health first aid and is available to support pupils if they have any worries.  The school supports pupils very effectively in their progress towards becoming responsible citizens. For example, they regularly give pupils opportunities to raise funds for local charities and good causes. Pupils are also proud to serve on the school council, even writing their own manifesto as part of the election process. In council meetings, they discuss ways to improve their experience of school, which they then present to school leaders. They have, for example, secured better equipment to use at breaktimes as a result of a discussion by school councillors.  Pupils know about bullying in its various forms. Leaders have created a secure and nurturing environment where pupils say that bullying does not happen. However, they

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Personal development and welfare

trust adults to manage any issues that may arise.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils conduct themselves impeccably in class and around school. Pupils’ learning is very rarely disrupted because of misbehaviour. Staff have very effective behaviour management strategies and pupils respond to instructions promptly. Pupils know classroom routines very well and follow them efficiently.  Pupils have a strong sense of self-discipline. They know what behaviour is expected in a range of situations and act appropriately. As a result, school is an orderly place.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with the most recent national average and there have been no exclusions from the school at any point.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Outcomes for pupils have improved since the last inspection and are now good. Most current pupils make good progress across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.  Leaders entered pupils in Year 6 for the national tests in 2018. The proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard or better in English and mathematics was in line with the most recent national average. The proportion of pupils reaching higher standards was below the national average for reading and writing, but above for mathematics. Overall, this represents good progress, based on pupils’ prior attainment.  Evidence from pupils’ work and the school’s own assessment information show that the majority of pupils across almost all year groups make good progress. Pupils acquire the relevant knowledge, understanding and skills well across most subjects. For example, in science, pupils in key stage 2 learn about the digestive system. In English in key stage 1,

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Outcomes for pupils Good

most pupils effectively develop reading skills, such as inference. As a result, the large majority of pupils are ready for the next stage of their education. However, the challenge that teachers provide for the most able pupils is sometimes limited, particularly in geography.  Most pupils read with fluency and comprehension that matches their age and ability. Pupils say that they enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction texts. Leaders insist that pupils take a book home regularly and read it with a parent or carer. Younger pupils typically use their knowledge of phonics effectively to read unfamiliar words, although occasionally the books they have contain words that are hard to read using phonics.  The pupils who receive support to catch up in their learning, which is organised by the school’s pastoral manager, make good progress from their starting points, particularly in English and mathematics. These pupils benefit from extra activities to support their

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders have ensured that the independent school standards that relate to the early years provision are met. There are no breaches of the welfare requirements.  Children enter the early years with knowledge and skills that are broadly typical for their age and stage of development. By the time they leave the Reception class, children have made good progress and most are ready for Year 1. Over three quarters of children achieved a good level of development in 2018, which is a higher proportion than the most recent national average. The proportion of children who exceeded the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in 2018 was in line with the most recent national average. Children’s overall progress, therefore, while good, is not as strong as it could be.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers plan interesting activities that sustain children’s interest. In the outdoor area, play is purposeful and teachers relate activities to learning

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Early years provision Good

focuses. For example, children learn about the phoneme ‘s’ by finding objects beginning with that sound in the sandpit. Staff mainly question children effectively to deepen learning and ensure that they understand. Sometimes, however, teachers’ questions to children are a little too difficult and do not enable children to respond in a way that supports progress in their learning.  The learning environment supports children’s learning effectively. There are plenty of opportunities for children to develop a wide range of skills, including writing and mathematics. Examples of writing, for instance, show that children make good progress in developing their letter formation, with many already writing recognisable words. Children also have resources, such as scooters and large tyres, to develop their physical skills well in the outdoor area.  The early years leader is effective and has a good overview of standards in the provision.

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Early years provision Good

She checks on the performance of staff regularly and provides them with suggestions for areas to develop, in collaboration with the deputy headteacher. She makes accurate assessments and uses them well to provide for children’s needs. She evaluates the quality of the provision and takes appropriate action to improve it. For example, she has recently devised a new system for recording children’s assessments to give staff a clearer view about how to address any gaps in the development of children’s skills.  Safeguarding in the early years is effective. Staff adhere to the same safeguarding policy as the rest of the school and are suitably trained. Children behave well and show they feel safe in the early years provision. Staff have taught them daily routines effectively and children show that they know them. Children demonstrate good development in their independence, with most able to wash their hands and put on their coat without support.

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders successfully involve parents in the education of their child. They organise a meeting every year during the summer term with parents of children who are about to start in September. Parents have the opportunity to meet staff and visit the classrooms at this point. Throughout the year, staff keep parents up to date with their child’s development through regular meetings. They also communicate with parents by means of an internet-based system.

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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 25–27 March 2014

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Information about this school

 Rawdhatul Uloom is an independent, Islamic day school, located in Burnley, Lancashire.  It caters for pupils aged between four and 11 years. All pupils are taught in mixed-gender classes.  There are no pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan.  A few pupils who need to catch up receive extra support that is organised by the school’s pastoral manager.  The school does not receive pupil premium funding.  There are 100 pupils on roll. All are of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage. None speaks English as an additional language.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out observations of learning in all year groups. Some of these were joint observations with a member of the senior leadership team. The headteacher and the deputy headteacher were present at inspection team meetings.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including: the school’s self-evaluation summary, action plans for school improvement, records of the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning, assessment information and records connected with the safeguarding of children.  Inspectors had discussions with the proprietor (who is also the headteacher), senior leaders, subject leaders, other members of staff, and parents and pupils.  Inspectors examined school policies to check that they are compliant with the independent school standards and to provide additional information for the inspection.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and analysed pupils’ work in a range of subjects. They

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Information about this inspection

also looked at the work of children in the early years.  The lead inspector evaluated 19 responses received through Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, during the inspection. He also analysed seven written responses to the staff survey. There were no other survey responses.

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Inspection team

Mark Quinn, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Griffiths 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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