Avecinna Academy

Avecinna Academy The Garrison Centre, 106 Garrison Lane, Bordesley, Birmingham B9 4BS

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(1)(b), 2(1)(b)(i), 2(1)(b)(ii), 2(2), 2(2)(a), 2(2)(b), 2(2)(c), 2(2)(d), 2(2)(d)(i), 2(2)(d)(ii), 2(2)(e), 2(2)(e)(i), 2(2)(e)(ii), 2(2)(e)(iii), 2(2)(f), 2(2)(g), 2(2)(h), 2(2)(i), 3, 3(a), 3(b), 3(c), 3(d), 3(e), 3(f), 3(g), 3(h), 3(i), 3(j) and 4  The DfE commissioned this inspection because of concerns raised about the quality of education provided by the school.  The school has a clear curriculum policy in place. The policy reflects the importance of developing pupils’ speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy skills. There is also a clear focus on supporting pupils who speak English as an additional language. This is important as a high proportion of pupils enter the school who are new to the country and new to speaking English.  The curriculum policy is supported by comprehensive schemes of work and plans. The schemes detail pupils’ learning in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological,

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Main inspection findings

human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education. Schemes and plans are appropriately matched to pupils’ ages and abilities.  Support for pupils who have little or no understanding of English is particularly effective. Teachers place a strong focus on developing pupils’ listening, speaking, reading and writing in English as soon as they start school. This helps pupils to become proficient in English quickly, which then enables them to access all areas of the curriculum successfully.  Work in pupils’ books currently shows that they make good progress across the majority of subjects taught, including English and mathematics. For example, work in art books shows pupils developing their artistic skills of shading, tone and colour over a series of lessons. This enables pupils to produce drawings of a high quality at the end of the unit of work.  Leaders have planned the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education

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Main inspection findings

schemes of work particularly well. The teaching of PSHE education is also effective. Topics cover subjects such as the rights of citizens, healthy lifestyles, drugs, peer pressure, self-esteem and recycling. Through these topics, pupils also learn about fundamental British values. Pupils receive a well-rounded education that prepares them well for life in modern Britain.  Pupils receive impartial careers information, advice and guidance. Staff have high aspirations for all pupils and provide a range of opportunities for pupils to consider their next steps in education and training carefully. For example, pupils have successfully moved on to sixth-form colleges and apprenticeships after leaving the school at the end of Year 11.  Leaders and teachers regularly assess pupils’ attainment in line with the school’s policy. They use this information to check how well pupils are progressing in all subjects. Their careful analysis of the small steps of progress pupils make ensures

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Main inspection findings

that they quickly identify pupils who need additional support to help them achieve their targets.  Teachers generally manage behaviour well. There are positive relationships between staff and pupils and pupils have enthusiastic attitudes to learning in the majority of lessons. Pupils show respect to one another, staff and visitors to the school.  All of the standards in this part are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 32(1) and 32(1)(c) [Part 6. Provision of information], 9, 9(a), 9(b), 9(c), 10, 11, 12, 14, 15  The DfE commissioned this inspection because of concerns raised about the welfare, health and safety of pupils.  The school’s safeguarding policy reflects current government guidelines and is published on the school’s website. Staff receive regular safeguarding training and leaders check that they understand the training received. Staff report all concerns they may have about pupils, and leaders follow these up quickly. Leaders work well with external agencies, such as social services, when needed.  Leaders go to great lengths to promote the safeguarding of all pupils. They have a detailed understanding of the local issues and dangers within the community, such as radicalisation and extremism, knife crime and gang violence. Leaders strive to help

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Main inspection findings

pupils understand how to resist and protect themselves from becoming involved with these issues. They work alongside the local police force and the community to educate pupils about these dangers. Leaders’ work in this area is helping to keep pupils as safe as possible, both in and outside school.  The school has detailed behaviour and anti-bullying policies in place. All behaviour incidents are logged, and sanctions are applied where necessary in line with the school’s policy. Records show that leaders communicate regularly with parents and carers to inform them of any behavioural incidents and resulting sanctions. Pupils are supervised appropriately throughout the day.  Admissions and attendance registers are maintained in line with regulatory requirements. The health and safety policy is fit for purpose and fire safety adheres to government guidelines.  All of the standards in this part are met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraphs 13, 16, 16(a) and 16(b)  The school’s first aid policy is comprehensive and covers all the procedures to deal with accidents, emergencies and the administration of first aid and medication. Records show that accidents are logged, along with the first aid administered where needed. However, leaders have not ensured that records of the administration of medication are made in sufficient detail. Logs do not show whether previous doses of medicines have been administered earlier in the day or whether parents have been informed of any doses administered during the school day. This raises safety concerns about potential over-administration of medicines.  The school has a risk assessment policy in place, along with generic risk assessments. However, leaders have not updated some of the risk assessments regularly. In addition to this, leaders do not ensure that detailed risk assessments are undertaken

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Main inspection findings

for all educational visits as required by the policy. As a result, leaders do not identify any potential dangers that may arise during a trip. This means that measures to mitigate possible dangers are not put in place. This compromises pupils’ safety.  All of the standards in this part are not met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled Paragraphs 33, 33(a), 33(b), 33(c), 33(d), 33(e), 33(f), 33(g), 33(h), 33(i), 33(i)(i), 33(i)(ii), 33(j), 33(j)(i), 33(j)(ii), 33(k)  The DfE commissioned this inspection because of concerns raised about the manner in which the school deals with complaints.  The school’s complaints policy clearly explains the steps that the school and parents should follow if there is a complaint. The policy includes arrangements for dealing with informal complaints through to formal proceedings and appeals. Timescales are outlined in the policy.  Leaders record the complaints received and follow the complaints procedures as outlined within the policy. They also record communications with parents in detail. Leaders’ responses to parents are made within the relevant time frames. Leaders also work with external agencies where necessary, such as the local authority designated

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Main inspection findings

officer for safeguarding, to resolve complaints and concerns raised.  All of the standards in this part are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b) and 34(1)(c)  Leaders have a clear understanding of the independent school standards. However, they have not ensured that they are all consistently met. Leaders have taken steps to update all school policies in line with government’s statutory guidelines. However, they have not ensured that their risk assessment and first aid policies are adhered to in full. This leads to some concerns about the welfare, health and safety of pupils.  All of the standards in this part are not met.

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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

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 0

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £2,400 per annum

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School details

Email address enquiries@avecinnaacademy.com

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 30 January–1 February 2018

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Information about this school

 Avecinna Academy is an independent day school offering full-time education for up to 100 boys aged 11 to 17. The school has a Muslim religious ethos.  The school was first registered as an independent girls’ Islamic school in November 2013.  Boys were admitted in September 2014 following an application for a material change. In February 2019, the school changed the gender of entry information on the government’s ‘get information about schools’ website to boys. The school now educates boys only.  In September 2015, the school moved to its current premises in the Garrison Centre in the Bordesley Green area of Birmingham.  The proprietor was the headteacher at the time of the previous inspection. The school has recently appointed a new headteacher and the proprietor no longer holds this position.  None of the pupils has an education, health and care plan.  Pupils are from a variety of minority ethnic groups.

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative educational provision.  The majority of pupils enter the school at times other than at the start of Year 7.  At the last full inspection in 2018, the school was judged good and met all the independent school standards.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was commissioned by the DfE because of complaints and concerns raised relating to the quality of education, pupils’ welfare, health and safety, the manner in which the school handles complaints, and the leadership and management. The inspection was conducted without notice.  The inspector was commissioned to review: the quality of education; the extent to which leaders promote the welfare, health and safety of pupils; how leaders handle complaints; and to evaluate the quality of leadership and management within the school. The inspector checked if the independent school standards were met in all these aspects of the school’s work.  The inspector met with the proprietor, the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. The inspector spoke informally to pupils. The inspector conducted lesson observations and reviewed pupils’ work in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including: safeguarding policies and related information; the school’s single central record; the complaints policy; logs of, and responses to, complaints; behaviour records; documents relating to first aid and fire safety; and further policies relating to health and safety.  There were insufficient responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, to conduct an analysis. The inspector did not speak with parents or carers.

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Inspection team

Ann Pritchard, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 13 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that first aid is administered in a timely and competent manner by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written first aid policy.  16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that: – 16(a) the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy; and – 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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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; – 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 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 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.ofsted.gov.uk

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