Park Avenue Girls' High School

Park Avenue Girls’ High School 22 Avenue Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 2DT

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)  At the time of the last inspection, the school’s arrangements for safeguarding were judged to be ineffective. Arrangements are broadly the same now as they were at that time. Therefore, they remain unfit for purpose.  Leaders amended the school’s safeguarding policy following the inspection. However, it is still out of date. The content predates government guidance that was issued in September 2018. The headteacher has attended training on the new guidance. He has given staff a copy of the new guidance. However, its contents are not incorporated into the school’s practices.  The school does not meet these standards. Paragraph 15  Twenty-six pupils are on the school’s roll. The most recent admissions were of Year 7 pupils in September 2018. This date is before that of the restriction on admissions imposed by the Secretary of State. Therefore, it appears that the school is complying

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Main inspection findings

with this notice of ‘relevant restriction’.  Following the previous inspection, leaders established an admissions register in line with regulations. However, this register is not kept up to date. During this inspection, the headteacher updated the register in response to inspectors’ questions. The information was readily available but it had not been recorded in the register in a timely manner.  The Department for Education (DfE) asked inspectors to take copies of class lists. Staff do not keep separate lists for each class. They say this is because the number of pupils is so small. Instead, the attendance register is used as a list of pupils in each year group. The names on this list correlate to the admissions register. It confirms the number of pupils on roll is 26.  The attendance register is taken twice each day. All absences and late arrivals are noted. However, some absences are unexplained. Staff have not always entered a

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Main inspection findings

code to show why the pupil was absent. The codes used for some absences and for lateness are incorrect. They are not the ones required by the DfE.  The school does not meet this standard.

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Main inspection findings

Part 6. Provision of information Paragraph 32(1), 32(1) (c)  This paragraph requires the school to inform parents and carers how it will meet the requirement to safeguard pupils. The school does have a policy for this. The policy is published on the school’s website. However, the policy and procedures for safeguarding do not reflect current statutory guidance. Therefore, parents do not have the required information.  The school does not meet this standard.

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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. 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

Type of school Muslim independent school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Girls

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School details

Email address info@parkavenueschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 10–12 October 2017

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Information about this school

 Park Avenue Girls’ High School is an independent Muslim school for girls aged 11 to 16 years. The previous standard inspection was carried out in October 2017.  The school does not use any alternative educational providers.  Along with the headteacher, four trustees make up the governing body. One is the chair of this body. He is identified as the proprietor of the school. The school says it has notified the DfE of this. His name does not currently appear on the DfE’s database of school details, called Get Information About Schools (GIAS).  A new headteacher has been appointed to take up the post shortly. She is currently working in the school alongside the existing headteacher under a transitional arrangement.  The trustees have purchased a new building very close to the existing site. This building was, until recently, a school. The proprietors intend to move the school to this building when it is made suitable for pupils.

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Information about this school

 Following the previous inspection, the Secretary of State imposed a ‘relevant restriction’ on the proprietors. The restriction prohibits the school from admitting any new pupils after 13 October 2018.

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Information about this inspection

 The DfE commissioned the inspection to check whether the proprietors are complying with the notice of ‘relevant restriction’. In addition, the DfE wished to ascertain whether admissions and attendance registers are maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006.  The inspection was conducted without notice.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and the person who has been appointed as future headteacher. They toured the school and spoke with staff and pupils. Inspectors examined several documents, including the admissions register, timetables, information about class organisation and documents relating to safeguarding and pupils’ attendance.

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Inspection team

Sandy Hayes, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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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.  15 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admissions and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006[13].

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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)(c) particulars of the arrangements for meeting the standard contained in paragraph 7 are published on the school’s internet website or, where no such website exists, are provided to parents on request. 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 6. Provision of information

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 6. Provision of information

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visitwww.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 6. Provision of information

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Part 6. Provision of information

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Part 6. Provision of information

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Part 6. Provision of information

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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