Olive High

Inspection of Olive High Shorey Bank, Burnley BB11 2RY

p.1

Inspection dates: 21 to 23 September 2022

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told inspectors that Olive High is a safe place. They explained that staff care for them well. They know that their teachers will help them if they have any worries. Pupils greet staff and visitors warmly and get on well with each other. Their broad smiles are a sign that they enjoy coming to school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that leaders expect them to do their best in every aspect of school life. Pupils work hard to live up to leaders’ ambitions for them to become influential, British Muslim women of the 21st century. The first group of pupils to leave Year 11 did so with the qualifications that they need to support them in the next stage of their education.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well, which helps them to learn successfully. They show strong self-discipline and respect for each other and for adults. Pupils made it clear that leaders do not put up with bullying of any kind. Leaders deal with it swiftly and decisively when it happens.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ education goes well beyond their academic subjects. They enjoy high-quality opportunities to develop their character through programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. They understand fundamental British values and learn respect for the range of differences that people have.

p.2

better?

The vast majority of the curriculum that leaders have in place shows ambition and consists of learning that follows a logical order. Leaders provide a broad range of subjects that prepare pupils well for work or further study beyond key stage 4. Teachers have strong subject knowledge or they benefit regularly from appropriate subject-specific training. They organise teaching effectively and explain learning to pupils clearly. Across most of the curriculum, pupils achieve well and remember what they have been taught.

p.2

better?

Teachers have a range of helpful ways to check that pupils understand and remember their learning. These include activities to enable pupils to recall learning from previous lessons and topics.

p.2

better?

In a minority of subjects, the curriculum is not as well organised as it could be. Pupils do not build and embed their knowledge as securely as they could. This is because either content is not in the most suitable order, or teachers do not support pupils sufficiently well to remember knowledge over time. Leaders have recognised these areas for development and have already begun to revise the curriculum to address these issues.

p.2

better?

Leaders have prioritised reading and have systems in place to ensure that pupils read widely and often. They provide pupils with opportunities to read during lessons and at other times in the school day. Leaders assess how well pupils can read when 21 to 23 September 2022 they start in Year 7. However, leaders’ systems are not as precise as they could be, for example in identifying the gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge. Leaders are in the process of refining this aspect of their assessment. That said, pupils across the school read with strong fluency and accuracy, enabling them to access the wider curriculum.

p.2

better?

Leaders have identified that there are no pupils in the school with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Nevertheless, they have suitable systems in place to identify pupils’ needs if required. They have useful working relationships with local schools to help them if they need to support pupils with SEND. Leaders have also fostered links with outside experts, such as educational psychologists.

p.3

better?

Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to their work are excellent and their attendance is high. Their conduct in class is exemplary. This contributes positively to their effective learning in the classroom.

p.3

better?

Leaders provide an exceptional range of opportunities for pupils to develop their learning beyond their academic subjects. They take part in clubs ranging from those for public speaking to netball. They also take part in projects to support the local community, such as supplying food banks with vegetables and fruit that pupils have grown in the school’s garden. Leaders provide pupils with a substantial range of useful careers information. Pupils find out about academic and technical routes to the next stage of their education, employment or training.

p.3

better?

Staff feel well supported by leaders. Staff explained that leaders consider their workload well and think carefully about teachers’ well-being. Staff said that leaders are approachable and supportive.

p.3

better?

The proprietor body has ensured that the school meets all the independent school standards. Members of the proprietor body understand their roles and responsibilities well. There are also governors who check the work of school leaders and report back to the proprietor body. The proprietor body and the governors have a wide range of experience, such as in business and education. They hold leaders to account for their work effectively.

p.3

better?

The school has toilets and washing facilities for pupils that are well maintained. There are showers and a spacious changing area for when pupils take part in physical education (PE). There is also a well-equipped room to look after pupils if they are sick or injured.

p.3

better?

Leaders have all relevant policies in place, including for health and safety, fire safety and first aid. They put these policies into practice effectively. There is a comprehensive and up-to-date safeguarding policy. Leaders have published this on the school’s website. There is also a detailed policy on the provision of relationships and sex education. Pupils benefit from a well-designed programme of learning that informs them about topics such as healthy relationships, consent and respect. 21 to 23 September 2022 Leaders have an appropriate action plan that explains how they will support pupils with disabilities who may attend the school. Leaders’ actions include ensuring that entrances to the building are accessible and providing ways of communicating information to pupils, depending on their needs.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

Safeguarding

Leaders have suitable systems in place to identify and record safeguarding concerns about pupils. Records are detailed and leaders respond to concerns promptly. Staff receive regular training to enable them to spot signs of abuse or neglect.

p.4

Safeguarding

Leaders provide appropriate help for pupils if they need it. Leaders work with outside agencies, such as social care, when required. Leaders also understand the processes for managing allegations against staff, should any arise.

p.4

Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe in different circumstances. For example, they know the importance of promptly reporting incidents of sexual harassment, if these were to happen.

p.4

(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a very small number of subjects, the content and delivery of the curriculum are not as well organised as they could be. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they should. Leaders should continue their work to organise the sequencing and delivery of that minority of subjects more coherently, so that pupils learn and remember important knowledge across the whole curriculum.

p.4

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.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 21 to 23 September 2022

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection 1 to 3 May 2018 21 to 23 September 2022

p.5

Information about this school

 Olive High is a Muslim school for girls aged 11 to 16.  Since the previous standard inspection, the Department for Education (DfE) has approved the school’s move to new, larger premises. The DfE also approved an increase in the school’s maximum number of pupils to 450.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

p.6

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.6

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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had 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 spoke with the chair and a member of the proprietor body, the headteacher, governors and other school leaders.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in English, science and personal, social, health and economic education. In each subject, they met with the subject leader and teachers. They visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning. Inspectors heard some pupils read. Inspectors also examined the curriculum structure and held discussions with pupils about their work in PE and geography.  Inspectors looked at the school’s safeguarding policy and related policies and documentation. They talked with staff and pupils about safeguarding, pupils’

p.6

Information about this inspection

personal development and pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. They checked the school’s records of the suitability of staff to work with pupils. They looked at a range of other policies and documents related to pupils’ welfare and their education. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors analysed responses to Ofsted Parent View and Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

p.6

Inspection team

Mark Quinn, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Sally Timmons His Majesty’s Inspector 21 to 23 September 2022 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.

p.6

Inspection team

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.7

Inspection team

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.7

Inspection team

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

p.7

Inspection team

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

p.7