Iqra Academy

Inspection of Iqra Academy Enterprise Way, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE3 8YQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Insufficient evidence Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this school. They value their learning and the opportunities to build friendships. Pupils feel cared for, respected and safe. Pupils consider that there is a strong sense of community. They wear their uniforms with pride and speak of their school experiences positively. The school’s values, ‘Integrity, Quality, Respect and Aspiration’, are important threads that run through all aspects of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of all pupils. Pupils work hard and are ambitious in what they want to achieve. Many talk confidently about their learning. Pupils behave well. They are welcoming and polite to visitors. Low-level disruption is rare. Pupils consider that there is no bullying at their school. They understand the different forms that this can take. Pupils consider adults would listen if they had any concerns or problems.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive many opportunities to build resilience and character. Through charitable work and leading sports events, pupils develop an understanding of leadership and participation. Leaders encourage pupils to ‘think big’. Pupils take active roles in making decisions about their school and work. Their actions have successfully contributed to broadening horizons and in becoming well-rounded individuals. They are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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better?

Leaders and the proprietor have designed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. Pupils study secular subjects, alongside Islamic studies, preparing them well academically and personally. In many subjects, leaders have considered what pupils need to learn. In these subjects, staff plan learning in a logical order, so pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding. They use the schemes of work to identify key knowledge that pupils should remember. There is clear progression in the schemes of work.

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better?

This is not consistent in all subjects. COVID-19 has delayed leaders’ intentions for some curriculum areas. Leaders are still developing their plans in a few subjects. They have not identified all the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order of teaching. Pupils do not securely build their understanding in the long term in these subject areas.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They provide pupils with clear explanations. Adults check pupils’ learning in every lesson. Leaders make wider checks to ensure that pupils understand their learning over time and make progress. Leaders and staff use this information to refine their teaching and to tackle any misunderstanding pupils may have in learning .

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better?

Pupils read high-quality texts in English lessons. Pupils are knowledgeable about a variety of texts and read fluently. However, pupils do not read widely on their own. Leaders have provided more reading opportunities during tutorial times. There is still 22 to 24 June 2022 more work to build on these approaches to further promote pupils’ enjoyment of reading.

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better?

There are no pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) on roll currently. Leaders have appropriate knowledge about how they would identify and support pupils with SEND. Leaders have developed close partnerships with a local secondary school. They make use of external expertise to help adapt learning to support pupils who fall behind.

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better?

Leaders promote pupils’ personal development extremely well. Pupils take part in a variety of community activities. They lead charitable events building a strong sense of responsibility. Pupils take key roles in decision-making to promote aspirations and challenge expectations. For example, following sporting success, pupils have set up and lead cricket coaching sessions for other schools. Links with schools internationally adds a global dimension to promote pupils’ understanding of diversity. The school’s relationships and sex education policy is well established. Pupils maturely reflect upon the importance of respecting everyone’s choice of lifestyle.

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better?

Pupils have opportunities to participate in different clubs and activities. Pupils develop new interests and talents. Leaders offer opportunities for self-challenge and confidence building. Being a member of the cadet force or participating in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme are two specific examples. All pupils have secured places for further education. They receive clear and impartial advice about their future career options.

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better?

Leaders, working with the proprietor, have ensured that the independent school standards are securely met. There is suitable provision of resources to support pupils’ learning. The premises are clean and well maintained. School policies, including the safeguarding and child protection policy are appropriate. They are available for parents through the school’s website. Leaders ensure a suitable accessibility plan is in place to meet the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s context and how to keep pupils safe. They ensure that staff are well trained. Leaders provide all staff with regular updates to maintain their understanding of safeguarding. Staff keep a sharp eye open for any concerns. Leaders encourage adults to report any worries, no matter how small. Leaders use their safeguarding information to ensure that pupils get the right support. Leaders carry out statutory employment checks for all those who work at the school. 22 to 24 June 2022

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned in a few subjects. However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders need to complete the process of developing the curriculum. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.  In a few subjects, the key knowledge pupils need to learn has not been identified or logically sequenced well enough. This means that in these subjects, pupils are not developing a secure understanding to achieve well. Leaders should ensure that all subjects are consistently well planned with the key knowledge so pupils can make good progress in all subjects.  Not all pupils read widely and often enough. Some pupils are not developing their reading resilience and enjoyment of reading. Leaders should build on what they have already introduced by training staff in different approaches to support pupils’

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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 . 22 to 24 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10210117 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 to 15 June 2017 22 to 24 June 2022

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Information about this school

 Iqra Academy is an independent day secondary school for girls with a religious ethos. It is registered with the Department for Education to admit 205 pupils, aged from 11 to 19. Currently, there are no pupils in the sixth-form provision and no judgement has been awarded.  The school continues to work closely with Thomas Deacon Academy Education Trust. The local governing board includes the chief executive of the Thomas Deacon Education Trust as an associate governor.  The previous full inspection was carried out in June 2017, when the overall effectiveness of the school was judged to be good, and all the independent school standards were met.  The school does not use alternative providers.

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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 of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, geography and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors considered curriculum plans and spoke with leaders about citizenship, health and social care, modern foreign languages and science.  Inspectors held meetings with the principal and other senior leaders, including those responsible for pupils with SEND, pupils’ behaviour, attendance and personal development.  Inspectors met with leaders to discuss the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Safeguarding records and information were scrutinised. Inspectors asked staff

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Information about this inspection

about their safeguarding training and the safeguarding procedures at the school. The single central record was checked.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. There were insufficient responses for an analysis to be carried out. Inspectors also considered the school’s own recent survey of parents’ views. 22 to 24 June 2022  Inspectors reviewed 13 responses to the staff survey and held conversations with a group of staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey. Inspectors met with groups of pupils to discuss their experiences of school.

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Inspection team

Steve Mellors, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge Her Majesty’s Inspector 22 to 24 June 2022 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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