Rida Boys High School

Inspection of Rida Boys High School Perseverence Inn, Forge Lane, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF12 9EJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Rida Boys High School opened at the start of this academic year. Already, pupils have a strong sense of belonging and loyalty to their school. They enjoy going to school and their attendance rates are high. Pupils are very polite and respectful. All staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils take pride in rising to these expectations. They are considerate towards others’ feelings. They are clear that bullying does not happen at their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have meaningful opportunities to contribute positively to their local community. These have left pupils motivated to make a difference to society. For example, pupils recently organised a community event promoting physical and mental health. This involved gaining sponsorship from local businesses and speaking to a large audience. Pupils express a real sense of achievement from such experiences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are passionate about pupils becoming confident, responsible and aspirational. They have started to construct a curriculum that fulfils this vision. Leaders have achieved a great deal in a short space of time. However, there remains work to do to ensure that the curriculum is planned as coherently as it needs to be. This would enable pupils to reach their full potential. Teachers are committed and enthusiastic and have some good subject knowledge. However, at times, teachers’ explanations and questioning need to be stronger. This would ensure that pupils’ learning is deeper.

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better?

Leaders, including proprietors and governors, are highly committed to establishing their new school. They are driven by the prospect of making a positive difference, not only to pupils, but to the wider community. Pupils enjoy the responsibility that comes with being the first boys in the school. They are motivated to learn and concentrate well in lessons.

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better?

Pupils follow a broad curriculum. Leaders have made sure that pupils experience an appropriate range of subjects. These include English, mathematics, science, computing and humanities. Pupils particularly enjoy lessons in art and physical education (PE). Leaders have carefully chosen the content for pupils to learn. They have made sure that this is ambitious. As a result, pupils have the opportunity to learn and achieve well.

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better?

Leaders have drawn up appropriate plans for the subjects that pupils study. It is clear which topics pupils will learn in each subject throughout their time at the school. For the topics currently being taught, teachers deliver carefully planned lessons. However, there remains work to do to develop the coherence of whole- school plans. Topics are not consistently mapped out in a logical order within and across subjects. This makes it more difficult than it should be for pupils to build their knowledge. 10–12 March 2020

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When the school opened, all teachers were new to the profession. They are enthusiastic and are developing their skills. Leaders are supporting them with their teaching and subject leadership responsibilities. Teachers appreciate the links they have with subject specialists in other schools. This is helping them to design and deliver the curriculum.

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Teachers have a growing knowledge and understanding of their subjects. They manage class time appropriately. They make sure that pupils learn new knowledge across each subject. However, there is more to do to ensure that pupils achieve as highly as they can. Teachers’ delivery of the most ambitious and demanding aspects of the curriculum is not always sharp enough. This means that pupils’ understanding of the most complex and subtle ideas sometimes lacks depth.

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The support for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is strong. Pupils benefit from life skills and character development lessons. Leaders make sure that pertinent issues such as stereotyping are covered in the curriculum. Pupils are taught about the protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010. Pupils understand the importance of British values and how these link to Islamic values.

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Pupils know that reading is important. They speak positively about the well-stocked school library. They have been inspired by a visiting author. As in all other subjects, pupils complete assessments in reading. However, teachers are not using assessments to spot and support those pupils who are struggling with reading.

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The school is well led. Governors and proprietors know the school very well. They are aware of their responsibilities and are diligent in fulfilling them. They are thorough in assuring themselves that the independent school standards are met. They hold leaders to account effectively for the school’s performance. They rightly appreciate the strong leadership provided by the executive headteacher.

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Leaders have empowered pupils by listening to their opinions about the school. Pupils show high levels of maturity and responsibility. They thrive in their leadership roles, including those of librarian, playground buddy and sports leader. The school council has made a significant difference to pupils’ experiences. For example, its efforts led to the redecoration of the school, the purchase of a minibus and a residential trip. Pupils told me of the awe and peace of nature they felt during the trip to rural Wales.

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Pupils have a secure understanding of healthy relationships. They know what makes a good friend. They have respectful relationships with their teachers. They are motivated to learn and want to be positive role models to others. Pupils respond with eagerness when asked about their learning. They show genuine interest in reflecting on their topics. They particularly enjoy debating issues. During the inspection, they were enthused by discussions about the fine line between bullying and banter.

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Leaders are keen to raise pupils’ aspirations. Each pupil has a mentor with whom he discusses his plans for the future. Leaders tailor pupils’ experiences to match their 10–12 March 2020

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interests. For example, pupils were enthused by learning about an artist and architect. To build on this, leaders invited a professional architect as a guest speaker. Pupils are inspired by such events.

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Leaders work closely with parents and carers. All parents who shared their views were full of praise for the school. One parent stated, ‘I am pleased to say my child comes back from school every day fulfilled and happy. His academic, spiritual and extra-curricular needs are met very well.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a secure understanding of safeguarding risks. Leaders are thorough in training staff and then checking their understanding. Pupils appreciate having a mentor whom they can talk to. They also say that they could talk to the safeguarding leaders or post any worries in the classroom box.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work with external agencies, including the police and the local authority. This strengthens the school’s safeguarding work considerably. For example, pupils have benefited from workshops delivered by these agencies on the subjects of drug misuse and county lines.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have systems in place to assure themselves that all safer recruitment and health and safety requirements are met.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Leaders have started work on designing the school’s curriculum. They have mapped out pupils’ learning logically within each unit or topic. However, they have not sequenced pupils’ learning systematically within entire subjects and across different subjects. Consequently, pupils do not acquire knowledge as well as they could. Leaders should make sure that all subjects are coherently planned. They should check that the curriculum is sequenced so that pupils build knowledge and skills cumulatively towards identified end points.  Teaching staff are developing their subject knowledge. They do not consistently have the depth of knowledge they need. This means that their explanations, demonstrations and questioning are sometimes not as effective as they should be. Pupils’ knowledge is then not as deep as it could be. Leaders must make sure that they support teachers to become experts in teaching their subjects. Leaders

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

should then check that teachers are implementing the ambitious curriculum well.  Reading is seen as a priority in the school. However, the assessments that teachers use in reading do not allow them to identify pupils who are struggling with reading fluency. Systems are currently not in place to support pupils who cannot read at an age-appropriate level. Leaders should make sure that 10–12 March 2020

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assessments are used to identify any weaknesses in pupils’ reading skills. They should also put in place additional support for lower-attaining readers that is effective in helping them to catch up.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 10–12 March 2020

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School details

Unique reference number 147171 DfE registration number 382/6014

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School details

Inspection number 10126482 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Proprietor Zakaria Education Dewsbury Ltd

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School details

Headteacher Hafsa Patel (executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is the first standard inspection since the school was registered on 7 August 2019.  The school has an Islamic ethos.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The executive headteacher also leads Rida Girls High School and Paradise Primary School.  The school currently has no pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). 10–12 March 2020

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection 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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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Ofsted is aware of the challenges that Covid-19 is currently posing to those we inspect. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of Coronavirus by the school. This has included the effect these measures have had on the current attendance of pupils and staffing arrangements.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, headteacher and teachers, who are also subject leaders. As lead inspector, I met with members of the governing body and the board of proprietors, including the chair of both. I also met the special educational needs coordinator.  We scrutinised a wide range of documentation relating to the school’s work to safeguard pupils. This included behaviour and attendance records. We spoke to staff about the training they receive to keep pupils safe. I checked the school’s central record, which includes the checks made on staff to ensure that they are

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Information about this inspection

suitable to work with children.  I toured the school premises to check compliance with the independent school standards for premises.  We took into account the views of parents and pupils who responded to Ofsted’s surveys. We spoke to pupils both formally and informally to gather their views about the school.  We did deep dives in English, mathematics, history and personal, social, health, citizenship and economic (PSHCE) education. In doing so, we visited lessons, met with teachers and pupils, and reviewed pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Karine Hendley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Shaw Her Majesty’s Inspector 10–12 March 2020

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to 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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