Al Khair Primary School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Al Khair Primary School 61/63 Oak Way Green, Off Causeway Green Road, Oldbury, West Midlands B68 8LA

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b) and 32(1)(c)  The previous emergency inspection in October 2020 identified weaknesses in the school’s safeguarding arrangements. At that time, the school’s safeguarding policy did not reflect the most recent government guidelines.  Leaders have reviewed and updated the safeguarding policy. The policy now incorporates the most recent guidance issued by the Secretary of State. It is available as a paper copy to parents on request and on the school’s website.  Staff are vigilant and know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil. Staff undertake a range of safeguarding training to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. Leaders ensure that safeguarding is a key item on every staff meeting agenda.  Leaders are trained in safer recruitment procedures. They make sure that the required pre-employment checks are made on all new staff. This information is recorded

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Main inspection findings

appropriately in the school’s single central register.  These standards are now met. Paragraph 9, 9(a), 9(b) and 9(c)  At the time of the last inspection, it was noted that pupils behaved well. However, staff did not follow the guidance in the school’s behaviour policy. They were unaware of the rewards and sanctions outlined in the policy. As a result, staff adopted individual and varying approaches to managing pupils’ behaviour. Some staff did not record behaviour sanctions in the school’s behaviour log.  Since the previous inspection, leaders have worked with staff to review and revise the school’s behaviour policy. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the agreed guidelines in the policy. Staff implement the rewards and sanctions consistently in the classes they teach. Behaviour charts are evident in each classroom from Year 1 to Year 6. Pupils talk enthusiastically about ‘Golden Time’ rewards.

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Main inspection findings

 Staff use the agreed system to record behaviour concerns. This includes incidents of poor behaviour, as well as any change in the way pupils behave. Leaders ensure that behaviour is considered holistically and that pupils’ well-being, emotional and mental health is taken into account.  The new leader for behaviour checks and analyses the behaviour log. Leaders make sure that action is taken to address the concerns raised. They work with individual pupils where necessary and use whole school assemblies to promote positive behaviour. Strong relationships between staff and pupils are evident. The school is calm, and pupils are respectful.  These standards are now met. Paragraphs 11, 16, 16(a) and 16(b)  At the time of the previous inspection, health and safety arrangements were not effective. Leaders did not assess risks suitably well. Leaders did not ensure risk assessments were completed for the premises or the full range of activities in which

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Main inspection findings

pupils were involved.  Since the last inspection, leaders have ensured a suitable health and safety policy is in place and effectively implemented. Regular audits and safety checks are carried out by professional specialist organisations. Checks include those on water safety, fire alarms, fire extinguishers and emergency lighting. Leaders have a timetable of annual checks to ensure compliance with health and safety standards.  The risk assessment policy has been revised. Leaders have carried out risk assessments for the premises and for the activities that pupils engage in. Some premises checks are carried out daily, such as those in the early years classrooms and outdoor area. Risk assessments highlight the action staff need to take in order to mitigate the identified risks. Leaders understand their responsibility to ensure risk assessments are completed for all activities, such as educational visits.

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Main inspection findings

 These standards are now met. Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 25  At the time of the last inspection, the proprietor and leaders had not ensured that the school premises were maintained to such a standard that ensured the health, safety and welfare of all pupils. This was particularly the case in the early years outdoor area. Dangers such as broken glass and overgrown bushes and brambles were noted. There were trip hazards in areas where children played. No risk assessments had been completed for this part of the school.  Leaders acted swiftly to address the issues identified at the last inspection. Trip hazards have been removed and all debris collected and disposed of. A new fence has been installed along the perimeter to prevent rubbish being thrown over into the places where pupils play. Leaders and staff are more vigilant and risk assessments are completed regularly.

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Main inspection findings

 The rest of the school building and premises are maintained to a suitable standard. The building is clean, and the headteacher works to ensure that maintenance tasks are completed within a reasonable timeframe.  This standard is now met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c) and 34(2)  At the previous inspection, the proprietor had not ensured that all of the independent school standards were met. This resulted in the safety, welfare and well-being of pupils being compromised.  The headteacher, who was recently new into post at the time of the last inspection, is working with staff to raise expectations across the school. Staff are well trained and vigilant. They understand their responsibility for keeping pupils safe and ensuring their safety while at school. The headteacher has ensured that the action plan, drawn up after the last inspection, has been implemented. Actions are monitored and evaluated, and

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Main inspection findings

this information is shared with the proprietor. The headteacher shows determination to develop further the quality of education while ensuring that the independent school standards are consistently met.  Leaders have taken positive steps to secure the health, safety and well-being of pupils in areas where they had previously failed. Issues with safeguarding and behaviour management, as well as assessing risk, have been resolved. Appropriate procedures and checks have been established to maintain the school premises to an acceptable standard.  The proprietor knows the school well and ensures that he is informed about its progress. Executive headteachers from other schools, linked to the Al Khair Foundation, visit the school. They provide support and challenge to the leaders. The proprietor is in the process of establishing a board of governors to add additional leadership capacity and oversight. Members of the board have been sought and include parents and community

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Main inspection findings

representatives. Training is being provided so that newly appointed governors understand their role and know how to hold leaders to account.  These standards are now met. Statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage  At the time of the last inspection, the proprietor and leaders had not taken the necessary steps to keep children safe in the early years. Staff had not carefully assessed risks in the outdoor area and for some of the children’s activities. Action was not taken to make sure that the places where children played were safe.  Leaders have eliminated trip hazards and fenced off a raised manhole cover. Large thistle and thorn bushes have been removed and plans are in place to fence off this area. They have put in place a daily checking system in order to identify hazards and risks. Staff check the classrooms, toilet areas and the outdoor space before children arrive. They address issues as they arise and work together to keep children safe.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets 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. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if –

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(b) such arrangement have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that-

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 9(a) a written behaviour policy is drawn up that, amongst other matters, sets out sanctions to be adopted in the event of pupil misbehaviour;

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 9(b) the policy is implemented effectively; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 9(c) a record is kept of the sanctions imposed upon pupils for serious misbehaviour.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 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 implementation of a written health and safety policy.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that-

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 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

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce the risks that are identified.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at the school

 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-

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

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Statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage

 Safeguarding and welfare requirements.

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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

Email address admin.oldbury@alkhairschool.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 7–9 November 2018

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Information about this school

 Al Khair Primary School is an Islamic day school for boys and girls. It is registered for 70 pupils. At the time of the inspection, there were no two-year-olds on the school roll. The school is linked with the Al Khair Foundation schools based in Croydon.  A new headteacher took up post in August 2020.  The school’s last standard inspection took place on 7 to 9 November 2018. A progress monitoring inspection took place on 26 June 2019. The school was judged to meet all of the independent school standards that were checked during that inspection.  An emergency inspection took place on 13 October 2020. This was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) because of a complaint relating to pupils’ welfare, health and safety and the early years. Not all of the independent school standards checked at this inspection were met.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  The progress monitoring inspection took place with 30 minutes’ notice. This was to enable appropriate safety measures to be discussed due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.  This was the first progress monitoring inspection since the emergency inspection carried out in October 2020.  Following the emergency inspection, the DfE required the school to prepare an action plan. Ofsted evaluated this plan as being acceptable on 16 December 2020. The DfE accepted the evaluation plan in February 2021.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the leader for behaviour and the nursery manager. The inspector had a telephone conversation with the proprietor. The inspector

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Information about this inspection

spoke to pupils informally in lessons and during snack time.  A range of documents were scrutinised by the inspector. These included the following policies: safeguarding, first aid, health and safety, risk assessment and behaviour. Other documents that were seen included the behaviour logs, the single central register and risk assessments for the premises and for a range of school activities.  The inspector discussed the progress against the unmet independent school standards with the headteacher and proprietor. They also inspected the premises.

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Inspection team

Nicola Harwood, lead inspector 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 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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