Islamic Preparatory School Wolverhampton

Islamic Preparatory School Wolverhampton 197 Waterloo Road, Dunstall Hill, Wolverhampton WV1 4RA

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher has not ensured that all of the independent school standards are met.  The headteacher’s knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures are weak. Health and safety hazards are not always identified. Consequently, safeguarding arrangements are ineffective.  The headteacher’s checks on the quality of teaching are not effective enough to sustain the previous positive rate of improvement.  Leadership capacity is limited and hindered by staffing arrangements. Leaders are not doing enough to drive improvement quickly enough and ensure consistently good outcomes.  Although improved since the last standard inspection, the quality of teaching across the school is not consistently good.  Some teachers do not make sure that pupils have developed the knowledge, skills and understanding they need before they are asked to complete more difficult work. This hampers pupils’ progress.  Some pupils achieve very well, others do not.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is directly related to the variation in the quality of teaching.  Too many of the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged in their learning, particularly in English and mathematics.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have ensured that the school provides pupils with an enriched, broad curriculum. This motivates pupils and reinforces positive attitudes towards learning.  The teaching of reading is effective. Pupils, including children in the early years, typically read with an appropriate level of fluency and understanding.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during free time is almost always good. They treat each other with respect and enjoy each other’s company.  The quality of teaching and learning in Years 5 and 6 is strong. As a result, pupils in these year groups achieve well across the curriculum.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 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?

 The headteacher should rectify, without delay, the weaknesses in safeguarding by ensuring that: – the designated safeguarding lead (currently the headteacher) and deputy are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to undertake their roles effectively – safeguarding leaders attend training, as required by statutory guidance, and then promote and maintain an attitude among staff of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned – systematic and thorough checking of the school site for any health and safety hazards is undertaken, and any issues found are addressed promptly – pupils understand the importance of always sharing any safeguarding concerns they have with a trusted adult – the designated safeguarding lead has clear oversight of the school’s online usage, for both staff and pupils, using reports from the filtering system to monitor and respond to any inappropriate usage.  Improve the quality and impact of leadership and management by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– ensuring that all of the independent school standards are met fully – building leadership capacity so that checks on the quality of teaching provide constructive feedback and address areas for improvement in teaching and learning more rapidly.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning by: – ensuring that work is carefully matched to pupils’ needs, taking account of assessment information and their prior learning – developing pupils’ mental calculation skills so that they can solve mathematical problems with greater fluency and efficiency – ensuring that teachers pay more attention to pupils’ responses and offer timely support to help pupils’ progress – setting tasks that provide an appropriate level of challenge for the most able pupils, especially in English and mathematics.  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 ensured that the independent school standards are met or that safeguarding arrangements are effective. While there are positive aspects of leadership and management, the failure to ensure that safeguarding is effective means that pupils are potentially left at risk. As a result, leadership and management are judged to be inadequate.  Following the last full standard inspection, leaders put in place measures to improve the quality of education. Leaders’ plans to improve teaching and learning, establish arrangements for assessment, and develop ways to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have been implemented with some success. While these actions have brought about improvements, there is still further work to do before teaching and learning are consistently good throughout the school.  A reorganisation of staffing at the start of this academic year, has led to a significantly

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

increased workload for the headteacher, including taking on a full-time teaching commitment. This has contributed to the rate of the school’s improvement slowing down. The headteacher’s checks on the quality of teaching have been sporadic and this has meant that weaknesses have not been identified and addressed quickly enough. At present, leadership capacity is limited and there are no current plans in place to resolve this situation.  Leaders have implemented a suitable system for assessing pupils’ work in reading, mathematics and aspects of writing. Teachers assess pupils’ attainment by testing and use this information to make informed judgements about pupils’ progress. However, teachers’ use of this information to address gaps in pupils’ learning is not consistently successful.  The headteacher’s work with an external consultant and teachers from other schools has helped, to some extent, to improve the quality of teaching, for example in the case of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

reading. He has provided appropriate training and support for staff when areas for development have been identified.  Currently, staff say that there are no pupils with SEND. While the headteacher has a good knowledge of pupils who struggle with aspects of their learning, other teachers’ knowledge of SEND, although improved, is not yet secure. Provision to meet the needs of pupils with SEND is not fully developed.  The curriculum is a strength of the school. Pupils experience a broad range of subjects including history, geography, art, science, physical education, design technology, nasheed (Islamic singing), as well as Islamic studies. The curriculum supports pupils’ wider development of knowledge, skills and understanding effectively. Pupils’ learning is enhanced by visits to places of interest such as Birmingham Sea Life Centre and Warwick Castle. Pupils enjoy these trips and gain a deeper understanding of their learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is promoted well throughout the school and across the curriculum. For example, pupils are part of the ‘Three Faiths Forum’, where schools come together to develop a better understanding between people of different faiths and beliefs. Pupils show an awareness of the importance of equality and are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Teachers have benefited from various training and development opportunities to extend their range of teaching skills. This has included visits to other schools to see effective practice, for example related to developing pupils’ writing skills. Teachers value these opportunities and say that this has helped them to improve their practice.  The school takes pupils aged four to 11 years old. It has not taken any key stage 3 pupils for some years. Leaders have not yet requested a material change to lower the school’s

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

age range. The school does not have a curriculum appropriate to meet the needs of key stage 3 pupils.  On the second full day of the inspection, the headteacher refused to allow the lead inspector onto the school premises. This is in contravention of Section 110 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, which provides inspectors with the right of entry to any school to carry out a lawful inspection as well as a right to inspect and copy documents (including electronic communications). This is unacceptable. Ofsted has reported this to the Department for Education (DfE).

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Governance

 The school decided to disband its governing body at the end of last academic year. Since this time an advisory body has been formed. This body does not have any formal accountability for the school or its outcomes. However, it does include three people, some of whom have educational expertise. The school did not provide any documentary evidence to exemplify the work of the advisory body or its impact on school improvement.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. The headteacher, who is the school’s designated safeguarding lead, does not do enough to ensure a safe environment and create a culture of vigilance among staff. The headteacher does not pay full regard to the DfE’s latest statutory guidance.  The school does not have a website. A copy of the school’s safeguarding policy is made available to parents and carers on request. The policy is appropriate and takes into account the government’s latest guidance.  The designated safeguarding lead and deputy safeguarding lead do not have the essential knowledge and understanding to ensure that leadership of safeguarding is strong. As a consequence, inadequacies in the school’s safeguarding arrangements exist. This is because leaders have not had adequate training to prepare them for this important role. For instance, the designated safeguarding lead did not know the correct procedures for

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Safeguarding

dealing with an allegation made against a member of staff, if that was to happen.  Leaders do not carry out routine checks on the safety of the school site to ensure that pupils are kept safe. As a result, the inspector found several hazards which had to be pointed out to leaders. For example, an unlocked cupboard in the girls’ toilets revealed flammable and hazardous materials accessible to young children. In another instance, a fire door opened out onto a small enclosed area.  The designated safeguarding lead does not have good oversight of the school’s system for monitoring computer usage and pupils’ and/or staff access to the internet. He was unable to explain satisfactorily the number of attempted log-ins by pupils and/or staff to inappropriate website content.  As part of the planned curriculum, teachers provide pupils with a range of opportunities to learn about ways to stay safe. However, despite this, pupils are not fully aware of the

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Safeguarding

importance of reporting certain types of safeguarding concerns to a trusted adult.  The headteacher carries out all the necessary pre-employment checks on staff to ensure that they are suitable to work with children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment, although improved since the last inspection, is not yet consistently good. The quality of teaching in Years 5 and 6 is strong and pupils achieve well as a result. This is not the case in other year groups, where teaching skills are less secure.  Where teaching is less effective, teachers do not take enough account of pupils’ answers or their responses to tasks. This means that teachers do not spot when pupils, including the lowest attaining, make errors and need timely support. Consequently, teachers move onto the next step before pupils have a firm grasp of the original idea or concept. This slows pupils’ progress.  In Years 1 to 4, teachers provide pupils with work of differing levels of challenge in English and mathematics. However, teachers sometimes give the most able pupils work that is too easy. This prevents these pupils from achieving as well as they could.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 In some year groups, pupils are not taught effectively about how to solve mathematical calculations mentally. Their lack of knowledge means that they struggle to calculate efficiently when solving problems. In addition, where teaching is less effective and teachers do not insist on accurate recording, pupils do not line up digits carefully in their workbooks, which leads to unnecessary mistakes.  Where teaching is strongest, teachers intervene in pupils’ learning quickly and at regular intervals to correct errors or mistakes. This supports the pupils’ good progress.  The teaching of reading, including phonics, is effective. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to read in class throughout the week. Teachers listen to pupils read frequently and check their understanding. Pupils read age-appropriate books with good fluency and comprehension. Most pupils show positive attitudes to reading and talk

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

about their favourite books confidently.  Teachers help pupils to understand what they are expected to learn. Teachers’ explanations are usually clear, enabling pupils to understand what they have to do. For example, in Years 5 and 6, pupils considered different sources of historical evidence as part of their Anglo-Saxon history work. This allowed them to get a good understanding of the creation of The Danelaw.  Teachers place a strong emphasis on developing and extending pupils’ vocabulary. They take time to check pupils’ understanding of new words and provide clear definitions. This strategy is particularly effective in meeting the needs of the high proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  Pupils enjoy their learning because teachers work hard to devise engaging activities to promote learning. In science, for example, pupils undertook a fun, practical activity exploring pulse rates after exercise. Often, teachers use a range of good-quality, carefully

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

selected resources that help motivate pupils to learn.  Pupils benefit from regular, purposeful homework activities that help to consolidate and extend their learning. Teachers set interesting tasks across a range of subjects and pupils complete their homework with care.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. The main reason for this judgement is linked to ineffective safeguarding. Leaders do not consider the health, safety and welfare of pupils sufficiently well. Other aspects of personal development and welfare are good.  Teachers skilfully weave into lessons opportunities to promote pupils’ SMSC development. In an English lesson, the teacher used images of art to help pupils understand how colours are used to portray emotions in descriptive writing. They asked questions including, ‘What’s your favourite colour and how does it make you feel?’ This helped pupils to develop their self-awareness.  Teachers implement the school’s personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme effectively. It is supplemented by visitors to school such as the fire service, who help pupils learn about safety. Consequently, pupils are very aware of bicycle, road

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Personal development and welfare

and fire safety. They demonstrate a good understanding about how to keep safe when online and using social media.  Pupils have a good knowledge of democracy, the rule of law and other fundamental British values. Teachers prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain by helping them to recognise the importance of respecting individual differences. Pupils show respect for all people, irrespective of differences such as faith and beliefs.  During PSHE lessons, teachers support pupils well to make informed decisions about personal choices, and learn strategies to promote positive mental health. In one class, pupils practised mindfulness, closing their eyes and focusing on the ambient sounds. Pupils spoke about the calming effect this activity had and understood how the strategy could be applied to reduce stress.  Pupils have a good understanding about what constitutes bullying. They say that, occasionally, pupils fall out with each other, but that they do not experience bullying.

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Personal development and welfare

Teachers give clear messages to pupils about the harmful effects of bullying.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are courteous and show good manners to staff and visitors. They listen attentively in class and follow teachers’ instructions the first time they are given. Occasionally there is some calling-out and low-level off-task behaviour when teaching is not well matched to pupils’ needs.  Pupils are respectful to one another and play well together; they share and take turns in games. At breaktime, pupils enjoy playing with the football or skipping ropes – they show care for one another. Staff supervise pupils appropriately during unstructured times.  Leaders have implemented an effective approach to behaviour management that pupils understand. Pupils enjoy working towards rewards, but also understand that there are consequences for poor behaviour. Pupils demonstrate that they are very capable of working independently. They show positive attitudes to learning and remain focused on

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Behaviour

the task in hand.  Pupils’ workbooks are generally well presented and neat. Teachers create attractive classroom displays to celebrate pupils’ work. Pupils show pride in their work and are eager to please their teachers.  Pupils’ attendance is typically very good when compared with the national average. Teachers do not always use the correct DfE absence codes when completing the daily registers. A minority of pupils sometimes arrive late to school.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils in Years 5 and 6 make strong and sustained progress across a range of subjects because of effective teaching. However, these good outcomes are not consistent in other year groups. In key stage 1, pupils’ progress is more variable, particularly in relation to the most able pupils, where challenge is sometimes lacking. Work in pupils’ books in Years 3 and 4 is not consistently of a good standard and this reflects the quality of teaching.  Some teachers use information from the school’s new assessment system well to identify accurately where pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Consequently, pupils’ achievement in mathematics is strongest in Years 5 and 6, where tasks are well matched to pupils’ abilities. Elsewhere, pupils have gaps in their mathematical knowledge and do not achieve as well.  In 2018, Year 6 pupils did not take any external national tests. The headteacher reported that pupils took national tests in 2017, but did not share the results with the inspector.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

Pupils’ work in Years 5 and 6, across the wider curriculum, shows that they are being well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils achieve particularly well in science and history.  Pupils’ writing is improving because pupils are supported to write for a wide range of purposes across the curriculum. Pupils’ handwriting shows less of a consistent improvement because teaching is not systematic enough. The headteacher is addressing this with more regular handwriting practice, although it is too early to see the impact.  Pupils make good progress in reading because they are encouraged to read widely and often. Pupils are taught well to improve their reading comprehension skills. They have access to a good range of fiction books in the school library. Class texts are of high quality and inspire pupils to read.  An evaluation and judgement of outcomes for pupils in the early years has not been

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

reported because of the small number of pupils in this key stage, which means that individual pupils could be identified.

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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

Website The school does not have a website

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 December 2018

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Information about this school

 Islamic Preparatory School Wolverhampton is an Islamic day school for boys and girls. It is part of the Wolverhampton Mosque Trust. The school is situated in a converted Victorian residential building on the same site as Wolverhampton Central Mosque.  Pupils on roll are aged four to 11. However, the school is registered for pupils aged four to 13. The headteacher has been advised that he needs to contact the DfE and request a material change to lower the age range.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  Currently, there are no pupils with SEND or any who have an education, health and care plan.  There has been a reduction in staff since September 2018. The designated safeguarding lead and special educational needs coordinator did not return to school in the autumn term 2018. The headteacher has taken on both of these responsibilities, in addition to a full-time class teaching commitment.

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Information about this school

 Since the last standard inspection, the governing body has disbanded, and an advisory body has been formed. This small group of advisors do not have any formal accountability for the school’s performance.  The school’s last full standard inspection was in May 2017. The last school inspection was an unannounced progress monitoring inspection in December 2018.

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Information about this inspection

 On the second full day of the inspection, the headteacher refused to allow the lead inspector onto the school premises. This is in contravention of Section 110 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, which provides inspectors with the right of entry to any school to carry out a lawful inspection as well as a right to inspect and copy documents (including electronic communications). Ofsted has reported this to the DfE.  The lead inspector observed teaching in all classes. He reviewed an extensive range of pupils’ work from almost all subjects and talked to pupils informally during breaktime about their experiences of school. The lead inspector listened to several pupils read aloud to staff, and asked pupils about their reading interests. He met with a group of older pupils to talk about the curriculum, keeping safe and behaviour. The team inspector also listened to the views of pupils and met with the headteacher.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector talked to all teachers to find out about safeguarding arrangements, support from school leaders and the curriculum.  The lead inspector carried out a tour of the school site to look at the building and premises.  There were insufficient comments on Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, to make an evaluation of parents’ views. The lead inspector took into account one free-text comment from Parent View.  The lead inspector reviewed a wide range of school documentation provided by the headteacher including school policies, schemes of work, the school’s self-evaluation and pupils’ assessment information.

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Inspection team

Tim Hill, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James McNeillie Senior Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that 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(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 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.  11 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that relevant health and safety laws are complied with by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy.  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 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 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.

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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

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

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

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