Assunnah Primary School

Inspection of Assunnah Primary School 565 A, High Road, Tottenham N17 6SB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff want pupils to do well and are ambitious for their futures. Leaders have recently redesigned the curriculum. This means that staff and pupils have a clearer understanding than before of what is expected in each phase of their education. Curriculum planning is at an early stage. Leaders have recently introduced changes to what they want pupils to know and remember in different subjects. They have done this so that pupils have a better understanding of what they learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are typically sensible. There are times in lessons when pupils get distracted, which sometimes interrupts the teaching of the curriculum. Leaders have introduced a new system to help staff to manage classroom behaviour. Pupils respond well to this. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to take on responsibilities such as in the role of ‘Values Ambassador’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have been taught about different forms of bullying, including cyberbullying. Should they have any difficulties with other pupils, staff support them and deal with any issues quickly. Pupils enjoy coming to this school and they feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and governors ensure that pupils learn about other faiths and are respectful of people who have different beliefs. Every parent and carer who completed the Ofsted Parent View survey said that they would recommend the school to other parents.

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better?

Leaders have recently introduced changes to the curriculum. They have focused on English and mathematics first because they recognised the need to make improvements quickly. Curriculum plans for these subjects are ambitious and set out clearly what pupils are expected to know and be able to do at each phase of their learning. In other subjects, such as science and technology, plans do not identify as clearly what pupils must know to be successful when they move to the next stage of their education.

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better?

Due to the impact of COVID-19 and staff changes, leaders have altered the order and timing of some content within subjects. This means that these subjects are not as well sequenced as they should be.

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better?

Younger pupils are taught phonics using a well-sequenced programme. This starts in the early years where two-year-olds start off learning to listen to the sounds around them. In Nursery and Reception, children quickly learn to read. Staff make sure that pupils read books that closely match the sounds they have been taught. This means that pupils have confidence when reading unfamiliar words. There is some variation in the way that staff teach phonics because leaders have not ensured that all staff have completed all the required phonics training. Leaders successfully encourage a love of reading. Leaders have chosen quality texts to support pupils’ reading. Older pupils talked about books that they enjoy reading at home and school. 12 to 14 October 2021 Teachers use assessment to check pupils’ understanding. However, some assessments do not focus on the specific knowledge that staff want pupils to know

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better?

and remember, for example in science. Assessments are not as effective as they could be in identifying what teachers need to go over again and what pupils need to learn next. As a result, sometimes pupils repeat work that they already know and at other times they learn new content before their understanding of prior learning is secure.

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better?

Since September this year, leaders have made sure that fundamental British values are taught through the well-planned personal, social and health education programme. Pupils are now taught to understand and respect differences between faiths. Pupils are helped to understand different relationships and to treat each other with kindness, consideration and respect. As a result of recent improvements to the wider curriculum, staff provide a range of activities that extend beyond lessons. Pupils can choose to join clubs such as cookery classes, table tennis and debating. It is too soon to see the full impact of these improvements on the provision for pupils’ personal development.

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better?

Leaders and staff have carefully considered the outside space used by children in the early years. Children, including two-year olds, have access to a range of activities. However, opportunities for children to develop their gross motor skills through activities that allow for climbing, balancing and throwing are limited.

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better?

Pupils understand how they should behave in school. Leaders have set up clear expectations that staff follow to manage behaviour in their classes. However, not all staff use these systems consistently and pupils’ behaviour can disrupt their learning.

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better?

Leaders work closely with parents to help them support their children’s learning, in particular those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They follow this up and check that achievement improves when specialist help is provided. Leaders also routinely model and suggest ways in which teachers can adapt teaching to make sure pupils with SEND, including those in the early years, understand new content and keep up with their peers.

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better?

Leaders have sought expert support to provide staff with the guidance they need to develop their teaching beyond their areas of subject expertise. Some staff have not received all the subject training that they need.

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better?

Leaders are mindful of the workload of staff. The proprietor, governors and leaders have made sure that the school complies with the independent school standards and the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage. The school has a safeguarding policy published on its website. The school also complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12 to 14 October 2021 Leaders make sure that all staff receive safeguarding training and are up to date with the latest government guidelines. Staff also know who they should speak to should they have any concerns. They know how to recognise when pupils may be at risk from harm and report any concerns they may have about pupils’ welfare.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school and staff help pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. Staff worked with parents during the lockdown periods to support them to use technology safely.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The curriculum is not clearly planned and sequenced in all subjects. Leaders and teachers have not set out the knowledge that they want pupils to remember in all subject areas. This means that pupils may not learn the knowledge they need to successfully move onto the next stage of their education. Leaders must now decide what they want pupils to learn in each subject and plan to meet their agreed end points.  There is inconsistency in the way that staff are teaching and managing pupils’ behaviour. This means that lessons are not as well focused on pupils’ needs as they should be. Leaders must ensure that staff follow the school’s expectations consistently.  Leaders have begun to ensure that staff receive some external training, for example in teaching phonics. However, this is limited. Staff do not have the knowledge to teach their subjects to sufficient depth. Leaders should ensure that staff have opportunities to improve their knowledge of teaching subjects so that

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

they can deepen pupils’ learning.  Sometimes, assessment is not effective in identifying what pupils know securely and where there are specific gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This means that sometimes subject content is repeated unnecessarily or that pupils are introduced to new content too soon. Leaders should make sure that assessments are sharply matched to what pupils’ need to know and remember and used to inform further planning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 . 12 to 14 October 2021

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School details

Number of part-time pupils 8 (early years)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 to 13 December 2018 12 to 14 October 2021

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Information about this school

 Assunnah Primary School is an independent Muslim day school.  The school’s last standard inspection took place in December 2018. Ofsted subsequently carried out additional inspections in July 2019 and July 2020.  There are no pupils with an education, health and care plan.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The primary school shares its site with a mosque complex. The early years operates from a separate site across the road from the school at 596a High Road, Tottenham, N17 9TA.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.  Arabic and Islamic and Qur’anic studies are taught as part of the timetable.  Both the headteacher and chair of governors have joined the school since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors 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

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the proprietors, the headteacher, governors and other staff.  Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and personal, social and health education. Inspectors discussed these subjects with staff, looked at pupils’ work, visited lessons and spoke with pupils.  Inspectors checked the single central record of staff suitability. Inspectors held meetings with the designated safeguarding lead and the chair of governors. Inspectors spoke with staff about their safeguarding training.  Inspectors toured the premises and looked at a range of documentation to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.  Inspectors observed social times at breaktime and lunchtime and the use of a nearby public park for physical activity. 12 to 14 October 2021  Inspectors spoke with parents informally at the start of the school day. They also considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses, and

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Inspection team

Adam Vincent, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Wright Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 to 14 October 2021 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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