Islamia Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Islamia Primary School 129 Salusbury Road, London NW6 6PE

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2022

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Outcome

Islamia Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful and courteous at Islamia Primary School. In classrooms and corridors, pupils conduct themselves in an orderly and considerate manner. This leads to a calm and purposeful learning environment. Pupils are fully focused and engaged in their learning in lessons. Teachers encourage pupils to work together, for example by asking them to share ideas about their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe at school. They said that there are lots of adults in school they could talk to if they were feeling upset. Pupils are not worried about bullying because they are confident that adults listen and take any concerns seriously. Incidents of bullying are uncommon and dealt with promptly when they do occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, governors and teachers have high expectations of all pupils. They want them to achieve academically and develop into responsible citizens. Pupils rise to the expectations set for them and achieve well in most subjects. Pupils can confidently recall what they have learned in the past, particularly in science and mathematics. However, in a few subjects, pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not as deep and secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy participating in extra-curricular activities, including clubs and visits. Leaders make sure that all pupils are fully included in the wider curriculum on offer.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have put in place a curriculum that matches the scope of the national curriculum. The planned programme of learning includes a strong emphasis on supporting pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Teaching ensures that pupils get regular practice in developing and using key vocabulary in the subjects they are taught. The teaching of reading also has a high profile in the school. All pupils read on a daily basis. Teachers read high-quality texts to pupils regularly. They explain the meaning of new words, which also helps to build pupils’ vocabulary. 22 and 23 February 2022

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The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. Leaders and teachers use assessment well to identify and meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff put in place adaptations to ensure that these pupils achieve success in their learning.

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Leaders have worked out what pupils need to learn in each subject. They make sure that what pupils learn is sequenced in a logical way. In many subjects, teaching focuses on making sure that pupils understand and remember key ideas in the long term. This means that pupils are ready for what comes next in their learning. For example, in Year 6 science, learning about healthy diets builds on what pupils have already learned about the role different nutrients play in keeping the human body strong and healthy.

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In a few subjects, leaders’ aims for the curriculum have been developed and implemented recently. While leaders’ aims are clear and ambitious, a few inconsistencies remain in the way these aims are being put into practice in the classroom. This is particularly the case in art and history. As a result, pupils find it harder to recall and apply prior learning with the same fluency as they do in subjects such as mathematics and science.

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Early reading is planned and taught well, with clear expectations for the development of pupils’ reading fluency and accuracy. This begins in the early years, where Reception children develop their phonics knowledge effectively. These secure foundations are built upon well in Years 1 and 2. As a result, pupils learn to read successfully. Leaders and teachers identify pupils who may be at risk of falling behind, including those with SEND. They provide these pupils with extra support and make sure that they catch up.

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To strengthen their existing work on early reading, leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme. Leaders have ensured that staff have been trained, and, overall, the new programme is being delivered well. New reading books have also been purchased to support pupils’ progression through the programme. However, in a few instances, the reading books pupils take home are not carefully matched to their existing phonics knowledge. This means that, at times, pupils miss out on further opportunities to practise their reading.

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Pupils are keen to learn. This is reflected in their behaviour in classrooms. Low-level disruption is uncommon. Pupils like answering teachers’ questions and willingly work collaboratively with their peers.

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Leaders provide many opportunities to support pupils’ broader development. Pupils are taught about different cultures and learn from those who have different experiences and viewpoints to their own. Pupils also like being able to take on the roles of house captains and prefects. Through these roles, pupils work to raise awareness of themes that are important to both the school and the wider community, such as water conservation and recycling.

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Teachers said that they are well supported by leaders. They appreciate the steps leaders take to look after staff’s well-being and ensure that workload is well balanced. 22 and 23 February 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular updates and training. They know how to identify changes in pupils’ behaviour or circumstances and report any concerns they may have about a pupil’s safety and welfare.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work closely with external agencies to provide extra help when pupils need it. Adults are vigilant and know that safeguarding pupils is everyone’s responsibility.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure that all safeguarding checks on staff are completed in line with legislation.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe through the curriculum. They learn how to use the internet safely. This includes, for example, not talking to strangers online and telling a trusted adult if they are worried about something they come across.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders’ ambitious plans for the curriculum are not well embedded. Teaching has not routinely emphasised essential subject-specific content that pupils need to remember over time. Sometimes, pupils find it hard to recall their previous learning. Leaders need to ensure that their aims for all curriculum subjects are implemented consistently well. This includes ensuring that pupils go over and practise the knowledge that they will need to be successful in their future learning.  Occasionally, leaders have not carefully matched reading books to the sounds that pupils are learning. Leaders should make sure that the books they send home for pupils to read gives them plenty of opportunities to practise the sounds that they have learned in school.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately. 22 and 23 February 2022

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This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 22 and 23 February 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.islamiaprimary.org.uk Date of previous inspection 29 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2020. The two assistant headteachers and pastoral care leaders were appointed in September 2021.  The school has a Muslim religious ethos. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in 2015.  The school offers a breakfast club and after-school club.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in geography and art. Inspectors spoke to some pupils and looked at samples of their work in these subjects. 22 and 23 February 2022

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 Inspectors held discussions with leaders, staff and pupils to check the effectiveness of safeguarding. Additionally, inspectors looked at documentation relating to safeguarding, including the checks made on staff prior to their appointment. Inspectors also considered how leaders identified and managed risks to pupils’ welfare, including those related to the school premises.  The lead inspector met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body. She also met with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors spoke to staff about their workload. They held discussions with leaders responsible for behaviour, wider development and the provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors took into consideration 41 responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online questionnaire, and 19 written comments from parents and carers. Inspectors also talked to parents informally in the playground at the start of the school day.

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 Inspectors looked at other documentation, such as the school’s self-evaluation and external reviews on safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Rajeshree Mehta, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Helen Rai Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 February 2022

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regulates and inspects 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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