Rida Girls High School

Inspection of Rida Girls High School 39 Warren Street, Savile Town, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF12 9LX

p.1

Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have not ensured effective safeguarding arrangements. This puts pupils at risk. Many of the school’s risk assessments are poor. They do not include the risks that pupils may encounter or the actions that staff should take to reduce these risks. Safer recruitment procedures are not robust enough. Leaders do not ensure that the school’s own safeguarding policies and procedures are followed consistently. Concerns about pupils are not always referred to the local authority, when appropriate, or recorded consistently.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers do not check effectively that pupils have understood important knowledge before moving on to new content. Leaders do not have systems in place to check if pupils have any difficulties with reading.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are exceptionally well behaved. Staff have very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. There is a strong culture of mutual respect between staff and pupils. Pupils are eager to learn. They have very positive attitudes towards their learning across the curriculum. The school is exceptionally calm and purposeful. Pupils show respectful and tolerant views. They have a good understanding of different faiths and cultures.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is extremely rare. If it does happen, pupils are confident that staff will deal with any issues swiftly.

p.2

better?

Leaders ensure that pupils study a broad range of subjects from Years 7 to 11. Curriculum leaders have thought about the knowledge that they want pupils to learn. Teachers have good subject knowledge, particularly in English, mathematics and science. They ensure that pupils have access to a range of appropriate resources to support their studies. However, sometimes, teachers rush through the important content that pupils need to remember. This means that pupils sometimes do not learn important content in depth. Consequently, in some subjects, pupils find it difficult to remember what they have been taught.

p.2

better?

Pupils enjoy reading. They regularly use the school library. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to read aloud in class. Leaders understand the importance of reading. However, there are no systems in place to identify pupils who may have difficulties with reading.

p.2

better?

Teachers and leaders do not have the knowledge and understanding to identify and support pupils who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders are not aware of the external support they can access to support pupils with SEND. 14 to 16 June 2022 Pupils enjoy taking on leadership roles. For instance, they take part in the school council. Pupils contribute to the wider community. They raise money for charities. Pupils benefit from a range of guest speakers who visit the school. This continued online during the pandemic. Pupils told inspectors that visits from guest speakers help them to make more informed decisions about their next steps in education, employment or training. Despite the careers leader receiving no training to carry out their role, pupils are learning about their options for their futures.

p.2

better?

Pupils have a good understanding of the importance of fundamental British values. They understand the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act, 2010. The school’s personal development programme is comprehensive. Pupils are taught about a range of risks such as grooming, online safety, coercive relationships, drugs and consent, as well as health and fitness. They enjoy a range of trips and visits to enhance the taught curriculum. Pupils would welcome a wider range of clubs during the school day. Currently, the range of clubs is limited.

p.3

better?

Pupils’ behaviour and conduct around the school and in lessons are exemplary. There is a culture of mutual respect between staff and pupils. Pupils are very polite to visitors. They made inspectors feel very welcome. Pupils attend very well. They value their education. Behaviour incidents, including bullying, are exceptionally rare.

p.3

better?

The school building is well maintained. The environment is pleasant for staff and pupils. There is no litter around the school. Pupils show highly respectful attitudes to their school. The board of proprietors have ensured that all of the independent school premises standards are met.

p.3

better?

The proprietor has requested a material change to increase the number and age range of pupils. There is not enough outside space to accommodate the proposed increase in pupil numbers. Identified outside space near the school is not suitable. Curriculum plans for Year 5 and 6 are in place. However, some staff do not have the necessary expertise or confidence to teach primary-age pupils without further training.

p.3

better?

The new board of proprietors has a very clear vision for the school. The members have high aspirations for pupils. The proprietors have a wide range of skills in law, accountancy and education. The new board of proprietors has not, however, ensured that leaders have the necessary training to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. There are policies in place which meet the requirements of the independent school standards. However, leaders have not had high-quality training to ensure that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to implement some of the school’s policies effectively.

p.3

better?

Leaders have ensured that the school has an accessibility plan. This plan meets the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act, 2010.

p.3

better?

Leaders are considerate of the workload of staff. Staff enjoy working at the school and feel well supported. All parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View, would recommend the school. One parent said, ‘My daughter has 14 to 16 June 2022 developed over the last 5 years into a confident young adult who is true to herself and her dreams, thanks to all the staff and leadership at the school.’

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.4

Safeguarding

Safer recruitment checks are not robust enough. The single central record, which includes the checks made on staff to ensure that they are safe to work with children, was not fully compliant at the start of the inspection. Some checks had not been done. Leaders addressed this during the inspection. Leaders do not ensure that application forms for employment are always completed fully, in line with the school’s own policy.

p.4

Safeguarding

The school’s safeguarding policy is available on the school’s website. Leaders do not ensure that the school’s policy is implemented effectively. They do not consistently ensure that advice is sought from the local authority, or referrals are made when appropriate, when there are concerns about pupils’ safety. Records of concerns, actions taken and next steps are not consistently recorded. This is not in line with the school’s own policy or statutory guidance.

p.4

Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding leader (DSL) and the deputy DSL have completed the necessary training. However, their knowledge of safeguarding processes and procedures is not secure.

p.4

Safeguarding

Several of the school’s risk assessments are weak, despite being approved by senior leaders. Staff do not have sufficient training or expertise to identify risks effectively, and to ensure appropriate action is taken to reduce these risks.

p.4

Safeguarding

Pupils say they feel safe in school. They have a good understanding of the risks they may face online and offline. The school’s personal development curriculum is adapted based on the emerging needs of pupils and any issues that arise locally or nationally.

p.4

(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Leaders do not implement the school’s safeguarding policies effectively. Leaders do not ensure that they consistently seek the advice or refer to the local authority, if appropriate, when there are concerns about pupils. Leaders do not ensure that all concerns about pupils are recorded following statutory guidance in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ and ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’. Leaders must ensure that the school’s own safeguarding policies and procedures are followed, including statutory guidance, when there are concerns about pupils. They must also ensure that any concerns, actions taken and next steps are recorded. 14 to 16 June 2022  Staff have not had training to ensure that they can identify risks effectively, for example when they take pupils on educational visits. Leaders have not ensured that measures are in place to mitigate these risks. This puts pupils at risk of harm. The board of proprietors must ensure that staff receive training so that

p.4

(Information for the school and proprietor)

they can identify risks effectively and take appropriate action to reduce them.  Safer recruitment procedures are not robust enough. Leaders do not ensure that the school’s safer recruitment policy is consistently followed. Not all necessary checks are completed and/or recorded on staff and governors before they are appointed. Leaders must ensure that the single central record is fully compliant and all necessary checks on staff are made and recorded.  There are no systems in place to assess how well pupils can read. This means that leaders and teachers cannot accurately identify pupils who need support. Leaders should ensure that teachers identify any barriers to pupils’ reading through regular assessment. This information should then be used to support pupils to catch up quickly.  Staff, including senior leaders, do not have the necessary expertise to identify pupils who may have SEND. The board of proprietors must ensure that teachers

p.5

(Information for the school and proprietor)

and senior leaders receive training so that they can identify, assess and meet the needs of pupils who may have SEND effectively.  Teachers do not check effectively that pupils are secure in their understanding of what has been taught, before moving on to new content. In some subjects, pupils cannot recall the important knowledge that they need to remember to carry out more complex tasks. Leaders need to ensure that teachers check pupils understanding before moving on to new content.

p.5

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.

p.5

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.5

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 . 14 to 16 June 2022

p.5

School details

Unique reference number 144811 DfE registration number 382/6007

p.6

School details

Inspection number 10212956 Type of school Other Independent School

p.6

School details

Headteacher Afsana Patel (also known as Hafsa Patel)

p.6

School details

Date of previous inspection 6 to 8 March 2018 14 to 16 June 2022

p.6

Information about this school

 The school has an Islamic ethos.  The headteacher of Rida Girls High School is also the headteacher of Rida Boys High School and Paradise Primary School. The headteacher was also in charge of Rida Early Years. This provision has now closed. The school has had the same headteacher since it opened.  Leaders very recently made the decision to create a new board of proprietors, Paradise Rida School Trust, with responsibility for all three schools: Rida Girls High School, Rida Boys High School and Paradise Primary School. This new board contains some members of the school’s previous board of proprietors and the members of the previous board of proprietors of Paradise Primary School. At the time of the inspection, the new board of proprietors had been established for a short period of time. The Department for Education (DfE) confirmed that it is completing checks on the new chair of the board of proprietors.

p.7

Information about this school

 The members of the board of proprietors are also members of the school’s governing body.  The school’s previous standard inspection was in March 2018. Since then, the school has received two material change inspections, in September 2018 and May 2019.  The school does not use any alternative education provision.  The name of the proprietor is missing from the government’s website, ‘Get Information about Schools’.

p.7

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.

p.7

Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

p.7

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 school leaders and have taken account of this in their evaluation.  The school has applied to the DfE to make a material change to its registration. The proprietor wishes to increase the number of pupils that can be admitted to the school from 120 to 200 and to increase the age range from 11 to16 to nine to16. The school has already made a change to the proprietor board. A new board of proprietors has recently been established, with a new chair since the school was previously inspected. At the request of the DfE, inspectors checked whether the school is likely to continue to meet the independent school standards 14 to 16 June 2022 if the DfE were to decide to approve the material change. This is the third material change requested since the school opened in September 2017.

p.7

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, science, history and personal, social, health and economic education. Here, inspectors talked to some pupils about their work, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to teachers and curriculum leaders. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans in these and other subjects.  An inspector toured the school premises to check compliance with the independent school standards premises standards. An inspector visited the off- site sports and recreational centre that the school uses for physical education.  An inspector heard some pupils read and met with groups of pupils from all year groups.  An inspector spoke to a local authority safeguarding officer and the head of safeguarding and inclusion for Kirklees local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised documents relating to the school’s work to safeguarding pupils. Inspectors spoke to a number of staff about the impact of the

p.8

Information about this inspection

safeguarding training they receive. An inspector spoke to the school’s DSL and deputy DSL. An inspector scrutinised some of the school’s behaviour and attendance logs. The school’s single central record was reviewed.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy head teacher, who is also the school’s special educational needs coordinator, and some curriculum leaders. The lead inspector met with the chair of the board of proprietors and other members of the board.  Inspectors considered the views of staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff survey and pupils who responded to Ofsted’s pupil survey. Inspectors also considered the views of parents who responded to Ofsted’s parent survey, Parent View.

p.8

number of pupils

The school has applied to the DfE to make a ‘material change’ to its registration. At the DfE’s request, inspectors checked whether the school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the DfE decides to approve the change. This part of the inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002.  The outcome of this part of the inspection is: The school is unlikely to meet

p.8

the relevant independent school standards if the material change

relating to the school’s provision is implemented. 14 to 16 June 2022

p.8

Inspection team

Michele Costello, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.9

Inspection team

Gordon Watts Ofsted Inspector 14 to 16 June 2022

p.9

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. – 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.

p.10

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.

p.10

The school is unlikely to meet the following standards

 29(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable outdoor space is provided in order to enable–

p.10

The school is unlikely to meet the following standards

– 31(b) any requirement that anything provided under this Part must be “suitable” means that it must be suitable for the pupils in respect of whom it is provided, having regard to their ages, numbers and sex and any special requirements they may have; and 14 to 16 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.

p.10

The school is unlikely to meet the following standards

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.11

The school is unlikely to meet the following standards

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

The school is unlikely to meet the following standards

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

The school is unlikely to meet the following standards

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11