Zaytouna Primary School

Zaytouna Primary School 500 London Road, Derby, Derbyshire DE24 8WH

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school has continued to experience considerable changes to staffing. This is limiting the impact of leaders’ actions to improve teaching and outcomes for pupils.  Historical financial and recruitment difficulties have hampered the widening of leadership.  The school began a positive new partnership with Transform Trust in September 2018. However, restructured staffing and a well- designed plan for improvement are not yet fully implemented.  Pupils are not making consistently good progress across year groups or across a wide range of subjects.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is not consistently strong. The training and frameworks provided by leaders have not given them sufficient guidance to ensure that learning builds on and deepens pupils’ knowledge and skills.  Some teachers are not following the school’s policy to encourage pupils to check their own work or to effectively show them how to improve their

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

work. Consequently, pupils are not as confident learners as they could be.  Not all staff are confident in applying the school’s behaviour policy to swiftly stop disruptive behaviour.  Too many pupils are regularly absent or not in school on time.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The cooperation between the current headteacher, new leaders, the trust and local governors has secured a strong platform for improvement.  The trust, governors and senior leaders have an accurate understanding of the school. They work harmoniously, with a clear focus on best outcomes for pupils. This has sustained the confidence of the local community.  Provision in the early years is good. As a result of good teaching, children make good progress and are well prepared for Year 1.  Leaders have consistently ensured that most pupils secure effective early reading skills in key stage 1.  Leaders carefully relate the school’s strong Islamic ethos to pupils’ experience and understanding of the world around them, including British values. This is equipping pupils well for life in modern Britain  Pupils are proud of their school. They feel safe and trust adults to help them.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that: – leaders implement and embed the school improvement plan – middle leaders are equipped to fulfil their roles – senior and middle leaders improve the planning of the curriculum so that there is a clear framework for teachers to provide learning which systematically builds pupils’ knowledge and understanding across year groups and a range of subjects – leaders ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of the school’s behaviour policy and implement this consistently – leaders continue to ensure that parents and carers understand the importance of pupils being in school and arriving on time.  Improve teaching, and thereby pupils’ outcomes, by ensuring that teachers: – receive training to raise their subject knowledge so that they plan effective sequences of learning to systematically build and deepen pupils’ understanding – use assessment information more precisely to consistently support and challenge

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

pupils appropriately, so that they make the progress of which they are capable, particularly in mathematics and reading in key stage 2 – consistently follow the school’s agreed policy to show pupils how they can improve their work and to routinely encourage them to check their work.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Despite the determination of the headteacher and governors to bring about necessary improvements, the challenges of financial constraints and staffing difficulties have limited the impact of leaders’ actions since the last inspection.  The current headteacher identified that the school needed considerable external support to secure more rapid improvement. Careful consideration was given to identifying a suitable multi-academy trust to support the school.  Transform Trust has worked tirelessly with school leaders since September 2018. Their investment of time and support is to be commended. Following careful recruitment and intelligent prioritisation, the trust has appointed a new headteacher and senior leadership team, who now have in place a carefully mapped-out school improvement plan to guide the new staff team in September.  The context of the school has meant that too many responsibilities have historically

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

fallen upon the headteacher’s shoulders. Ongoing staffing changes particularly impeded the development of middle leadership roles. This diminished capacity has meant that despite best intentions, the focus, regularity and impact of monitoring have been insufficient to secure consistently good teaching and outcomes for pupils.  Leaders have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and learning across the school. The trust has been proactive in providing access to a range of effective training and support since September.  The trust and incoming headteacher have supported governors to successfully recruit a range of skilled staff and provide effective support to new teachers. The trust has provided additional transition training to support new teachers who will start in September 2019.  Leaders have ensured that the additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is used well. This

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

funding provides specific support for the pastoral and academic needs of these pupils. Leaders secure a range of additional support from external agencies when required. Consequently, these groups of pupils are often making progress at least in line with that of their peers.  Leaders use the additional funds provided through the physical education (PE) and sports premium particularly well to ensure that all pupils take part in a range of sports and make healthy choices. Work with a city sports partnership has particularly widened the range of pupils’ experiences, such as ‘Princesses wear running shoes’, fencing and table tennis. Leaders are reassessing swimming provision for the coming year so that pupils have the opportunity to swim 25m earlier in their school life .  Pupils have enjoyed increased access to visits and learning experiences this year, to bring their learning alive. These have included a residential trip, visits from authors,

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

visiting the ‘Big Bang’ science roadshow and having a dog in school to help pupils know how to care for pets. Leaders have introduced interesting topics for pupils to study. However, pupils have not been given sufficient time to pursue these, nor have they been well taught across classes and year groups.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted across the curriculum. Leaders encourage pupils to think about their actions as responsible citizens and through their Islamic ethos.  The school’s values of ‘peace, unity and equality’ are reinforced by staff through a focus on positive relationships and mutual respect and tolerance, as well as through assemblies. During the inspection, an assembly challenged pupils to think about ‘the hand that gives is greater than the hand that takes’. Pupils were encouraged to consider their responsibility and duty to ‘give back’ to the community for the benefits of

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

living in a country with healthcare, clean water and equality of opportunity.  Pupils enjoy taking on a range of leadership roles. For example, enthusiastic school council representatives were particularly proud of the herb garden initiative. Library monitors were also keen to explain their role to inspectors. They explained how monitors are replaced termly and new ones are trained by the existing post holders.

p.4

Governance of the school

 Governance has strengthened considerably since the last inspection. Governors bring a range of skills and experience to the school, which adds to leadership capacity. These have been carefully considered by the trust. They have established a local governing body which harnesses the particular expertise and links of local governors to effective wider trust procedures.  Governors are frequent visitors to the school, available to parents and show a high level of commitment to get the best for the pupils and the community.  Governors know their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and the use of the pupil premium and PE and sports premium. They assure themselves that effective actions are taken and additional funding is well spent.  Governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. The trust provides effective training to ensure that monitoring activities

p.4

Governance of the school

have a focus on improving teaching and pupils’ outcomes, so they raise appropriate questions to challenge leaders. This effectively supports the trust’s drive for more rapid improvement.

p.4

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have ensured that staff have received training in spotting the signs of abuse and how to pass on concerns. The school’s online system for reporting concerns is used consistently by staff. There is evidence that staff in many different roles across the school, including teaching assistants and lunchtime staff, pass on concerns.  Leaders provide additional training for the specific safeguarding risks which pupils may face. These include forced marriage, physical chastisement and female genital mutilation (FGM).  Leaders pass on concerns to the local authority swiftly, when appropriate. They are tenacious in following up incidents to ensure that families receive the support they need. When cases do not reach the local authority thresholds for involvement, leaders ensure that support is put in place, for example by providing support for parenting.

p.4

Safeguarding

Leaders have developed strong relationships with families to help them spot risks before they become a concern.  The trust has appropriate procedures in place for safer recruitment and the school’s single central record.

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Not all teachers have a clear understanding of how to build systematically on pupils’ knowledge across year groups and subjects. Some teachers do not have sufficiently good subject knowledge to adapt their planning skilfully to plan learning to meet the needs of all pupils. This results in some pupils struggling with work, while others find it too easy.  Teachers do not consistently set work which deepens pupils’ understanding or requires them to work things out for themselves. Although teachers are diligent in following most of the school’s feedback policy, they are not consistently requiring pupils to learn from mistakes and showing them how to improve their work in all subjects.  Teachers’ assessments of what pupils can do are now accurate. This is because leaders have provided effective training in this aspect of their work, and they have ensured that these assessments are checked using both internal and external moderation. More

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

recently, leaders have ensured that this is used more effectively to identify gaps in pupils’ learning.  The good teaching of phonics and reading, especially in key stage 1, is securing pupils’ ability to read accurately. Effective strategies are in place to encourage pupils to read widely. Leaders have recently introduced an approach to secure improvement in pupils’ comprehension skills, for example to ensure that pupils can better infer meaning and nuance from what they read.  Teachers regularly require pupils to apply their knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling in their writing. Similarly, they consistently develop pupils’ calculation skills in mathematics.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  The vast majority of pupils are respectful, reflective and work well together. They are keen to learn and seek challenge in their learning. However, teachers are not consistently helping them to be confident and independent learners.  Teachers of Islamic studies routinely link learning with global issues, which is helping pupils to be reflective and understand a wide range of current world issues. This is equipping them well as citizens in whatever community they may choose to live.  Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and feel very safe in school. Pupils are taught specifically about keeping safe, including gang and knife crime. They know whom to speak to in school if they have any worries. They have a clear understanding of bullying and of different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. Pupils said that

p.5

Personal development and welfare

bullying is rare. They are clear on what to do if it does occur.  The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View and the school’s own questionnaire were very positive about the support their children receive. They are confident that their children are happy and safe.

p.6

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  On occasion, the behaviour of some pupils distracts learning, especially when teaching is not planned to meet pupils’ learning needs.  Pupils spoken with said that they enjoy coming to school and are proud of their friendly and welcoming school. Pupils said that they enjoy their playtimes. However, there is limited equipment available to support their play. Consequently, play can occasionally become silly. Staff are not consistently clear on following the school’s behaviour policy to quickly address this behaviour.  The school’s provision for before-school childcare provides a safe, friendly environment which pupils enjoy together.  Pupils move sensibly around school and are courteous to each other, adults and visitors.  Leaders consistently promote regular attendance and have rigorous procedures in place. This has ensured that overall attendance has improved considerably and for the

p.6

Behaviour

past two years has been average. However, there is still an above-average proportion of pupils who are frequently absent and too many who arrive late to school.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Over time, by the end of key stage 2, the attainment of pupils has remained below the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.  Progress for pupils, particularly in writing and mathematics, improved considerably in 2018, from very low starting points.  For current Year 6 pupils, leaders have continued to invest in additional staffing, so pupils are taught in smaller groups to address the gaps in learning from historical weak teaching. This has ensured that currently a proportion of pupils similar to the national averages are ready to move confidently on to secondary school. However, due to staffing instability, pupils in some year groups are not building on what they have previously learned to make the progress of which they are capable.  Progress for current pupils across key stage 2 has started to further improve. This year, leaders have ensured that teachers use information more rigorously to identify and

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

address gaps in pupils’ learning.  Actions to improve the teaching of mathematics across the school have had a positive impact on ensuring that pupils acquire age-appropriate mathematical understanding. However, pupils are not consistently well supported to prove and deepen this understanding.  By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in reading and writing has been consistently average, both at the expected standard and at greater depth of understanding.  Pupils’ knowledge and skills in phonics are good. The proportion of pupils in Year 1 who attain the expected standards in the national phonics screening check has been similar to or above average over time.  Pupils who are disadvantaged and those who have SEND are making progress at least in line with that of their peers. This is because skilled staff provide appropriate support that helps these pupils improve their learning.

p.6

Early years provision Good

 Children in the early years enter with skills and abilities broadly typical for their age. By the end of the early years, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development has been just above the national average.  Leaders in the early years use assessment information effectively to monitor the progress children make. Baseline assessment information is used to identify gaps in children’s knowledge and skills. This is then used to inform children’s next steps in learning.  Teachers have a secure understanding of what children can do and what they need to achieve next. Staff have consistently high expectations and set tasks well matched to what children need to learn. This enables children to make strong progress.  Early reading skills are developed systematically. Teachers develop children’s knowledge of different sounds well, so by the end of the early years most have enough phonic sounds to enable them to decode basic words and read simple books.

p.7

Early years provision Good

 Leaders quickly identify those children with SEND. Close liaison with the school’s coordinator of the provision for pupils with SEND, the SENCo, ensures that external support is accessed quickly to provide children with the support they need, for example seeking advice from the educational psychologist. Staff trained to provide specialist support for speech and language provide additional support to help develop this aspect of children’s learning.  Disadvantaged children are supported well in class. Teachers use assessment information to ensure that the next steps for these children are planned for, which enables them to make strong progress.  A range of tactile and enjoyable activities draw children in, so that they are engaged in a wide range of learning. For example, children were building on earlier mathematics learning to find and label three-dimensional shapes.  Adults ensure safe play and use of resources. Children are kept safe at all times and

p.7

Early years provision Good

are well looked after by caring staff. The school ethos ensures that children are polite and play happily together. They are supportive and help each other solve problems, for example children helped each other to open packets of raisins and tidied up together when some fell on the floor.  Staff have introduced a number of activities to help to involve parents in their children’s learning, including workshops, online learning journals and staff being available informally at drop-off and collection. Leaders are continuing to explore approaches which will help to increase parents’ participation in their children’s learning.

p.7

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.8

School details

Chair of local governing body Mr Arshed Ahmed

p.8

School details

Email address office@zaytounaprimary.co.uk

p.8

School details

Date of previous inspection 1–2 February 2017

p.8

Information about this school

 Zaytouna Primary School is an Islamic faith free school, that became part of the Transform Trust multi-academy trust from 1 September 2018. At the time of the previous inspection, the school was run by the Al-Madinah Education Trust.  The school has experienced significant staffing instability and change over time. The trust and governors have successfully recruited a new senior leadership team and a full complement of staff in preparation for September 2019.  The school is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  All pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A high proportion of them speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils leaving or joining the school throughout the year is much

p.8

Information about this school

higher than average.  The school provides before-school childcare.

p.9

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning across all year groups and phases and visited all classes at least once. In total, 23 lessons or parts of lessons were observed. A large proportion of these observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors listened to pupils read from Years 1 to 6. The inspectors talked with pupils about their school and looked at pupils’ books while visiting lessons. The team scrutinised a large sample of pupils’ work jointly with the headteacher and other leaders to gain a view of the impact of teaching over time.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders, including new senior leaders. Those spoken with included leaders responsible for the provision for pupils with SEND, inclusion, English, mathematics and the early years. A meeting was held with representatives of the local governing body, including the chair. A meeting was also held with the chief executive officer of Transform Trust.

p.10

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered the 21 responses to the free-text service and to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, alongside the school’s own survey of parents’ views. There were no responses to the staff or pupil surveys.  The inspectors observed pupils throughout the school day, including at breaktimes and lunchtimes.  The inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation, the school improvement plans, the school’s most recent information on pupils’ achievement, information related to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance, and the information published on the school’s website.

p.10

Inspection team

Mandy Wilding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.10

Inspection team

Helen Williams Her Majesty’s 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 .

p.10

Inspection team

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

p.11

Inspection team

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.

p.11

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 .

p.11

Inspection team

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.

p.11

Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspection team

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

p.11