Andalusia Academy Bristol

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Old School Building, St Matthias Park, St Philips, Bristol, Avon BS2 0BA

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 2(1)(a), 2(2), 2(2)(a), 2(2)(b), 2(2)(e)(i)–(iii), 2(2)(h), 3(a)–(c), 3(e)–(h)  At the time of the previous standard inspection in February 2020, the school’s curriculum was weak. The curriculum policy was poorly implemented and there was no shared understanding among leaders and staff of the aims of the school’s curriculum. Careers education was weak.  Since the arrival of the new headteacher in September 2020, the proprietor and leaders have undertaken a root-and-branch review of the curriculum and it has largely been rewritten, in some places from scratch. This means that the school now has a much more coherently planned curriculum. Leaders have thought about what knowledge pupils need to learn and when. This means that the curriculum is sequenced better, both within subjects and across them.  Leaders have introduced a common approach to planning the curriculum, which has

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Main inspection findings

helped them to develop appropriate long-term plans and schemes of work.  Teachers use suitable approaches to teach pupils and they demonstrate sufficient subject knowledge. Leaders have ensured that classrooms are suitably resourced.  The proprietor and the headteacher have ensured that secondary-age pupils have access to accurate, up-to-date careers guidance that is impartial and enables pupils to make informed choices and encourages them to fulfil their potential.  These paragraphs of the standards are now met. Paragraph 2(1), 2(1)(b), 2(1)(b)(i), 3, 3(d)  At the previous standard inspection, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were not well served by the school. There are signs of some very recent improvements in the provision for pupils with SEND, but the curriculum plans and schemes of work still do not pay enough attention to the needs of these pupils. This means that teachers cannot base their teaching on a good understanding of how to

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Main inspection findings

support pupils with SEND.  The policy for pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL) is not fit for purpose. It contains little that will help teachers or parents and carers to understand how these pupils will be helped to learn. The needs of pupils who speak EAL are not well catered for in the curriculum plans and schemes of work.  These paragraphs of the standards remain unmet.  Overall, the standards in this part remain unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7–7(b)  At the inspection in February 2020, the arrangements for safeguarding children were not effective. Training for those staff involved in leading safeguarding had not taken place. There were weaknesses in recruitment checks. Leaders’ record-keeping in relation to concerns about pupils’ safety was poor.  Leaders’ records of concerns still do not provide sufficient detail to demonstrate that action is taken to keep pupils safe. Leaders’ investigations into concerns about pupils and allegations against staff are incomplete and any follow-up actions are often not recorded.  Some aspects of safeguarding have improved since the previous inspection. Leaders have provided ongoing training for staff, which staff value. Staff can explain what to do if they have a concern. Leaders have taken steps to strengthen checks on the suitability of staff and record these correctly.

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Main inspection findings

 The school’s safeguarding policy is published on its website and meets current requirements.  Overall, however, the standard in this paragraph remains unmet. Paragraph 9, 9(b)  In February 2020, inspectors noted that the behaviour policy was not applied consistently, which affected the way pupils behaved. This is no longer the case. Classrooms are orderly and pupils largely move around the school in a calm manner.  The standard in this paragraph is now met. Paragraph 11, 16–16(b)  At the previous inspection, leaders’ arrangements for promoting health and safety and carrying out risk assessments in relation to the school’s premises were found wanting. This led to pupils being exposed to unnecessary risk.  Leaders have now established a more secure system of monitoring whether the premises comply with health and safety requirements. A new full-time caretaker has been appointed. The premises are checked regularly, including the temperature of the hot

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Main inspection findings

water, which was one of the problems in 2020. Consequently, leaders are taking reasonable steps to ensure that the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection do not happen again.  The standards in these paragraphs are now met.  Overall, however, the standards in this part remain unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 20(6), 20(6)(a)(ii), 21(1), 21(6)  At the time of the inspection in February 2020, the proprietor had not ensured that section 128 checks had been done on new governors. The single central record, therefore, was incomplete.  The section 128 checks for all governors and those staff that require them have been completed. Some minor inconsistencies in the way these were recorded on the single central record were resolved during this visit.  The standards in this part are now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 25, 28(1), 28(1)(d)  At the time of the inspection in February 2020, inspectors noted that aspects of site maintenance, including exposed wiring and the temperature of hot water, which posed a scalding risk, did not promote health and safety.  The specific issues identified in 2020 have been satisfactorily resolved and the school has strengthened its monitoring procedures to prevent anything similar happening again.  The standards in this part are now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 6. Provision of information Paragraph 32(1), 32(1)(b), 32(3), 32(3)(b)  In February 2020, the school did not make available the particulars of education and welfare provision for pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans and pupils who speak EAL.  The school now publishes its arrangements for pupils with SEND on its website. It does not, however, publish its policy for pupils who speak EAL, and that policy is itself unfit for purpose.  The requirements of these paragraphs remain unmet. Paragraph 32(3)(f)  In February 2020, the complaints procedure was made available to parents via the school’s website. Leaders did not, however, make the number of complaints available to parents. This was in part due to being unsure themselves of how many complaints they had received.  The school now has an accurate record of the number of complaints received and publishes the number of complaints on its website.

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Main inspection findings

 The requirement of this paragraph is now met.  Overall, however, the standards in this part remain unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled Paragraph 33, 33(i), 33(i)(ii), 33(j)(i)–(ii), 33(k)  In February 2020, record-keeping about complaints was very poor. Leaders kept correspondence about complaints, but in a haphazard manner. Records of responses and any subsequent action were not kept and so were not made available as required.  Leaders’ record-keeping in relation to complaints from parents has improved. They have a much clearer grasp of the overall picture of the number of complaints and the details of each one. They have a tracker that allows them to monitor complaints more clearly.  The standard in this part is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1)–34(1)(c)  At the inspection in February 2020, the proprietor had not ensured that the leadership and management of the school had the capacity in terms of both knowledge and experience to ensure that the independent school standards were met securely and consistently. Leaders were not providing direction to staff, and initiatives to improve the school were unsustainable. The action plan submitted to the Department for Education (DfE) was judged to be unacceptable.  The proprietor appointed a new headteacher in September 2020. Leaders’ capacity to bring about improvements is now shown in the revised action plan, which is clearer, and has realistic timescales and suitable success criteria. This improved leadership capacity has led, for example, to a much more coherent approach to planning and implementing the curriculum. Nonetheless, the curriculum still has weaknesses, particularly in relation

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Main inspection findings

to the provision for pupils with SEND. Subject leadership also remains underdeveloped, although leaders have plans to address this.  Leaders have improved some aspects of safeguarding, but key elements of a robust safeguarding culture are not in place. This is most obvious with respect to leaders’ record-keeping. Consequently, safeguarding remains ineffective.  The standard in this part remains unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage  The school no longer has early years provision, and its registration has changed so that its minimum age is five years old.  Consequently, the unmet aspects of the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage from the inspection in February 2020 were not checked during this inspection.

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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. 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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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

Proprietor Bristol Islamic Schools Trust

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £3,500 to £4,000

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School details

Email address headteacher@andalusiaacademy.org

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 11 to 13 February 2020

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Information about this school

 The headteacher joined the school in September 2020.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place in February 2020, when its overall effectiveness was judged to be inadequate.  The school is an Islamic faith school.  The school no longer has provision for children in early years, and its age range was changed recently to five to 16.  The school does not use 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 standard inspection in February 2020.  This was the first progress monitoring inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  After the previous inspection, the DfE required the school to prepare an action plan. This action plan was judged to be not acceptable on 20 November 2020.  The inspection was conducted with no notice.  Inspectors spoke to the chair of the proprietor body, the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and other staff. They visited lessons, where they spoke to pupils and looked at

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Information about this inspection

their work. They reviewed documents provided by the school.

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Inspection team

Stephen Lee, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain unmet at this inspection

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if– – 2(1)(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work– – 2(1)(b)(i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan.  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school– – 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons;

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that– – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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Part 6. Provision of information

 32(1) The standard about the provision of information by the school is met if the proprietor ensures that–  32(1)(b) the information specified in sub-paragraph (3) is made available to parents of pupils and parents of prospective pupils and, on request, to the Chief Inspector, the Secretary of State or an independent inspectorate;  32(3) The information specified in this sub-paragraph is– – 32(3)(b) particulars of educational and welfare provision for pupils with EHC plans and pupils for whom English is an additional language;

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

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and  2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are– – 2(2)(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education; – 2(2)(b) that pupils acquire speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy skills; – 2(2)(e) for pupils receiving secondary education, access to accurate, up-to-date careers guidance that– – 2(2)(e)(i) is presented in an impartial manner; – 2(2)(e)(ii) enables them to make informed choices about a broad range of career options; and

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(e)(iii) helps to encourage them to fulfil their potential; – 2(2)(h) that all pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; – 3(b) fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves; – 3(c) involves well-planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; – 3(f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range; – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress; – 3(h) utilises effective strategies for managing behaviour and encouraging pupils

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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– – 9(b) the policy is implemented effectively.  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 effective implementation of a written health and safety 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 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 20(6) The standard in this paragraph is met in relation to an individual (“MB”), not being the Chair of the school, who is a member of a body of persons corporate or unincorporate named as the proprietor of the school in the register or in an application to enter the school in the register, if– – 20(6)(a) MB– – 20(6)(a)(ii) does not carry out work, or intend to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction.  21(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor keeps a register which shows such of the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (3) to (7) as is applicable to the school in question.  21(6) The information referred to in this sub-paragraph is, in relation to each

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

member (“MB”) of a body of persons named as the proprietor appointed on or after 1st May 2007, whether the checks referred to in paragraph 20(6)(b) were made, the date they were made and the date on which the resulting certificate was obtained.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 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.  28(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that– – 28(1)(d) the temperature of hot water at the point of use does not pose a scalding risk to users.

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Part 6. Provision of information

– 32(3)(f) details of the complaints procedure referred to in paragraph 33, and the number of complaints registered under the formal procedure during the preceding school year.

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Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled

 33 The standard about the manner in which complaints are handled is met if the proprietor ensures that a complaints procedure is drawn up and effectively implemented which deals with the handling of complaints from parents of pupils and which– – 33(i) provides for the panel to make findings and recommendations and stipulates that a copy of those findings and recommendations is– – 33(i)(ii) available for inspection on the school premises by the proprietor and the head teacher; – 33(j) provides for a written record to be kept of all complaints that are made in accordance with sub-paragraph (e); and– – 33(j)(i) whether they are resolved following a formal procedure, or proceed to a panel hearing; and – 33(j)(ii) action taken by the school as a result of those complaints (regardless of whether they are upheld); and – 33(k) provides that correspondence, statements and records relating to individual complaints are to be kept confidential except where the Secretary of State or a

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Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled

body conducting an inspection under section 109 of the 2008 Act requests access to them. 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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Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled

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 7. Manner in which complaints are handled

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/ofsted .

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Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled

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Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled

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Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled

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Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled

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