Al-Madani Independent Grammar School

Madni Boys 1 Whittle Parkway, Slough SL1 6DQ

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Inspection dates 6–7 and 12 November 2018

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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 Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 School leaders, governors and the proprietor have an uncompromising vision for the school that promotes academic excellence in a nurturing and safe environment benefiting from an Islamic ethos.  The headteacher and his senior staff have been successful in quickly establishing a highly aspirational culture which develops the potential of everyone in the school. Staff are fully engaged and supportive of his vision.  School leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. However, the written self-evaluation and development planning are not sufficiently precise about what the school needs to do to improve.  Teachers demonstrate very good subject knowledge and thoughtful planning. Teaching is of a high standard, and challenges pupils to think deeply. It does not always take sufficient account of pupils’ ages and abilities.  The curriculum is well structured, with a strong focus on literacy and numeracy as well as a

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

suitable programme of cross-curricular and enrichment activities. Homework is highly regarded and enthusiastically completed.  Safeguarding is very strong, and all staff have received training which allows them to identify any concerns which may arise. Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school. Attendance rates are very high.  Pupils throughout the school make rapid progress from their different starting points. They flourish because they are very well looked after in an inclusive faith ethos, which values respect for all.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted through assemblies, tutorial times and lessons. Fundamental British values are embedded into the life of the school.  Pupils’ very good conduct and their thirst for knowledge contribute to their strong outcomes. Pupils are determined to achieve highly and they show determination and commitment. Pupils take great pride in their school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Governors bring a range of valuable and timely expertise and experience to the school. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and know exactly what is needed for further improvements. They are ambitious for the school and for the pupils.

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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?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better, by: – embedding the existing good practice and creating opportunities to share effective teaching – ensuring that all lessons take greater account of pupils’ different ages and abilities in the class.  Continue to develop leadership in the school, by: – ensuring that the written self-evaluation is more precise about what the school does well – using self-evaluation to collate, order and prioritise areas for improvement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leadership and management are good. The headteacher, supported by staff and governors, has worked fastidiously to ensure that the school now meets all of the independent school standards.  With support from his deputy and subject leaders, the headteacher has overseen the opening of the school and the embedding of policies, procedures and practices. Leaders have developed a culture of high expectations which has raised pupils’ aspirations.  Staff morale is very high and all staff are well motivated and highly regarded. All teachers who completed the inspection survey were highly complimentary about all aspects of the school.  Typical responses were, ‘the school has a supportive management team’, ‘the proprietor listens and is very responsive to concerns’, and ‘The headteacher has high aspirations and knows exactly what he wants for the school.’  The curriculum provides pupils with a broad and balanced programme of activities,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

including creative and artistic subjects. All pupils benefit from a tailored curriculum that caters for their specific interests and fires their imagination.  The strength of the curriculum is seen in its highly positive impact on pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school is not afraid to address moral dilemmas and issues.  School policies confirm that there is no place for extremist views of any kind. Pupils see the school as a safe place where they can explore controversial issues safely and where teachers encourage and facilitate this.  Fundamental British values are embedded into the life of the school. There is a good focus, for example, on understanding and being respectful of people from different faiths, those with different sexualities and those from different cultures. The boys spoke with knowledge about stereotypes of women and domestic violence.  On Remembrance Sunday, pupils wore their poppies with pride and spoke with passion

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

about how their discussion on the First World War linked in to their own research. They spoke with gratitude of the soldiers who had lost their lives, and shared stories about their own relatives who had been soldiers in the war.  The curriculum has a good focus on possible career options, and the advice which pupils receive is wide-ranging and impartial. Pupils spoke with confidence about their future career choices, ranging from being a doctor to working as an airline pilot, and from working abroad to caring for horses.  The school’s website was amended during the inspection and now meets statutory requirements for the publication of information. The website contains a comprehensive, up-to-date safeguarding policy as well as policies covering behaviour, bullying, the curriculum and first aid.  School leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. However, the written self-evaluation is not precise about what the school needs to do to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

improve further.  The school development plan is an extensive list of actions with no sense of ordering or prioritising. Records of teaching were not seen, although senior staff were accurate in their judgements on learning and progress in lessons and how these might be even better.

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Governance

 Governors are ambitious for the school, and their expectations of leaders, staff and pupils are extremely high. They have established a clear vision of how to enable all pupils to be well prepared for their futures in the community and to be good citizens of modern Britain.  They have an appropriate oversight of the independent school standards. They have ensured that the standards are all met, although their quality assurance is not tight enough. Minor issues regarding safety and security were dealt with immediately during the inspection.  Governors have a secure overview of pupils’ outcomes and the strengths and areas for improvement in the school. For example, they knew about some of the limitations caused by the size of the school and the limited finances. They are reflective and continually looking to improve.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Checks on the suitability of staff are made in accordance with the requirements of the independent school standards and suitably recorded on the single central record. Governors and leaders have established a safeguarding culture in which pupils feel safe and secure.  Risk assessments are well written. In particular, risk assessments have been provided for two staff who have not yet received their enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. These assessments confirm the governors’ commitment to safeguarding and to the welfare of pupils.  Leaders ensure that the safeguarding policy reflects current statutory guidance, and a copy of this is available on the school’s website for parents. Training is undertaken regularly to ensure that staff can recognise signs of abuse or risk, including those related to radicalisation or extremism.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching is effective in helping pupils achieve well.  Teachers demonstrate a good understanding of the needs, aptitudes and prior attainment of their pupils. These are considered in the planning of lessons, although not always followed through into the teaching. In a small number of lessons not enough account is taken of pupils’ different ages and abilities.  Relationships between teachers and pupils are very positive and support strong mutual respect. Teachers’ expectations are high. Teaching is brisk and purposeful, making effective use of the available time. Pupils are expected to work hard, and their good levels of productivity reflect their commitment and determination.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is confident and they are much admired by the pupils. Explanations are clear and pupils know exactly what they have to do to improve. Teachers’ questioning is effective. They use questions well to assess what pupils can or

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

cannot do or what they know or do not know. Pupils feel confident to ask if they are unsure.  Pupils’ attitudes to their work are positive. This is because most teaching motivates them and keeps them engaged in their learning, even at the end of the long school day. Pupils quickly engage with lessons and work cooperatively in their groups. As a result, all pupils make good progress.  In English, lessons are effective in developing pupils’ reading, writing and communication skills. Pupils read well and are offered frequent opportunities to read aloud in lessons. This helps them to build up their confidence and self-esteem.  Mathematics teaching is very good. Teachers are keen to develop pupils’ appreciation of the importance of good calculation skills in everyday life. Assessment procedures are personalised and detailed to focus on areas which need improving.  In their personal, social, health and citizenship education, pupils engage positively on the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

subject of female stereotyping and domestic violence. The teacher’s deep questioning elicits thoughtful responses to questions about what can be done.  Teaching in physical education is very good. Pupils enjoy their fitness lessons and engage with considerable determination, enthusiasm and concentration. In their archery lessons they have a heightened awareness of the importance of safety at all times.  Marking is undertaken in line with the school’s assessment policy although the quality of feedback varies across subjects. Teachers actively support pupils’ development of literacy skills across all subjects. Pupils’ books confirmed that they all take a pride in presenting their work.  Teachers use their resources effectively to promote pupils’ learning. Provision for practical experiments in science is limited but school leaders say that neighbouring schools have been approached to provide laboratory facilities for pupils in the future. To date, there is

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

no school library, although this is planned for the future.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning and try hard to do their best. They know the benefits of eating well and exercising regularly. They thoroughly enjoy their fitness sessions and value their importance in keeping themselves healthy.  Pupils feel safe at school. Pupils and parents say that the school is a safe place. Pupils say that bullying is very rare and they know that teachers would deal with any incidents swiftly and effectively. In computing lessons, pupils have learned about cyber bullying and fully appreciate how to keep themselves safe when using social media.  Spiritual and moral development are very well supported through assemblies and form- time where pupils are encouraged to reflect on their own attitudes and values. The ethos and practices of the school encourage pupils to distinguish between right and wrong.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school seeks to promote good relationships throughout the school community and genuine tolerance and understanding of all cultures. Pupils have extensive opportunities to take responsibility through activities such as voting for school prefects and supporting one another.  Pupils are tolerant and respectful of others. They enjoy learning about other religions and cultures. They speak with confidence about Judaism and said they were looking forward to covering Sikhism next term. Their views on homophobia and transphobia are mature and summed up by one pupil who, speaking on behalf of his peers, said ‘Leave them be.’

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The school is a very harmonious environment where pupils work and play well together, both in the classroom and outside in the playground. Pupils behave well in lessons and are attentive and engaged.  Pupils are polite, friendly and articulate. They enjoy positive and supportive relationships in their mixed-age group. They recognise their rights to an education in an atmosphere conducive to learning and in a safe environment.  Attendance rates are very high because pupils enjoy being in school. This is because leaders and teachers are not only positive role models but also provide a supportive climate in which pupils can learn, develop and mature.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils achieve well across a broad range of academic and pastoral areas. They enter the school with average skills in literacy and numeracy overall. The focus given to developing these areas in English and mathematics lessons means that pupils make rapid progress from their various starting points.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are eager to develop their English vocabulary skills and take great delight in reading. Support for their literacy skills is evident across all subjects, and all teachers are vigilant in correcting errors in literacy when marking pupils’ work.  Homework is an essential element of pupils’ schooling, and pupils undertake homework with determination and enthusiasm. Homework seen was always completed to a very high standard. Parents are very positive about homework, as summed up by one parent who wrote, ‘Homework is excellent and encourages independence in my son.’

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils clearly enjoy reading and have thoroughly enjoyed their reading of ‘War horse’ across their English and history lessons. Pupils of different ages read with confidence and accuracy. The most able pupils read fluently and demonstrate good levels of comprehension, using the text effectively to find information or to support an argument.  In mathematics, pupils make very good progress. Their thinking is regularly challenged by the teacher, who has a very good knowledge of common errors and misconceptions. In the lesson visited, additional questions developed pupils’ work from triangles to compound shapes, which pupils undertook with commitment and relish.  In Arabic, most pupils make good progress from their different starting points. Enthusiastic teaching ensures that pupils are actively engaged and make good progress, especially in speaking and writing. Their understanding is additionally promoted in art

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Outcomes for pupils Good

lessons focused on the Islamic handwritten alphabet used to record the Koran.  Lessons in reciting the Koran additionally help pupils to appreciate their cultural heritage as well as understanding the meaning of the verses better, and supporting their understanding and development of Arabic. Links between Islamic studies, Arabic, theology and art are well supported.  Pupils develop very good learning habits and strategies. They are very well prepared to move on from this school and become successful learners. Parents comment positively on their children’s progress, and one parent responded that they were, ‘really happy he is learning about gender stereotypes and positive roles of females in society’.

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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

 At the time of the inspection, the Madni Boys’ School had changed its name to Al-Madani Independent Grammar School. The school is an independent Islamic faith school for boys aged 11 to 14 years old. The school is part of the Abu Haneefa Educational Trust which also manages a neighbouring independent Islamic faith school for girls called the Madni Institute.  The school opened in September 2018 and welcomes boys of all faiths and none. The school is smaller than average and presently has 10 pupils in Year 7 to Year 9 who are taught together as one class.  All pupils speak English as an additional language. There are no pupils with an education, health and care plan, and no pupils are supported by pupil premium funding. No pupils attend any alternative provision.  At the time of the inspection, the Al-Madani Independent Grammar School website was still under development. By the end of the inspection, it met all of the requirements for

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Information about this school

the publication of specified information on the website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector attended the school on Tuesday and Wednesday of the first week and the Monday of the second week. He visited seven lessons to observe pupils learning, six of which were visited jointly with senior members of staff. The inspector looked at pupils’ work in all subjects to check attainment, progress, feedback and presentation as well as cross-curricular themes covering literacy and numeracy.  The inspector checked compliance with the independent school regulations. Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders and middle leaders. The inspector spoke with the proprietor and two governors, including the chair of the governing body. He had a meeting with all pupils in the school and spoke informally to them inside and outside of lessons.  The inspector reviewed the school’s website and a range of documentation, including the self-evaluation form and the school development plan. He also looked at safeguarding

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Information about this inspection

records, the single central record and the school’s attendance, behaviour and first aid logs.  Responses to the inspection questionnaires for school staff completed by six members of staff were considered. There were too few responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, to be considered but the inspector did receive feedback from a small number of parents.

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Inspection team

Paul Metcalf, lead inspector 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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