Rida Boys High School

Inspection of Rida Boys High School 2 Chapel Street, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF12 9NQ

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Inspection dates: 28 to 30 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have not ensured that the school’s arrangements to keep children safe are effective. For example, the proprietary body did not make sure that the new school building complied with necessary fire safety regulations before moving pupils into the premises. However, pupils do feel safe in school. They talk about how the curriculum teaches them about the risks to their safety. This includes when using the internet or outside in the local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school vision to develop pupils into ‘confident, responsible and inspiring young men’ is central to everything the pupils learn. All staff have the highest expectations of pupils’ attitudes to learning, behaviour and attendance. Pupils recognise the importance of this. They respond with a strong work ethic, exemplary behaviour and high levels of attendance. Pupils enjoy the opportunities across the curriculum to present their ideas verbally and to debate relevant issues.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils follow established routines and have a clear understanding of right and wrong. They show the utmost respect for different cultures and religions. Bullying is not a problem in this school. Pupils say it would never be tolerated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish their roles of responsibility such as head boy, school councillors or librarians. They are proud of the fundraising they do to support charities. Every lesson has personal or social education woven through it. Pupils learn about different cultures and religions. They show great respect for all different groups of people and know it is wrong to treat people unfairly.

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better?

The proprietary body has recently moved the school into new premises. It has extended the number of pupils on roll and the age range of pupils. The proprietary body did not seek the required permission from the government to make the changes. As a result, some relevant independent school standards, to ensure pupils’ welfare and safety, are not met.

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better?

Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum with clear aims and structure in place. In every subject, leaders set out the essential knowledge and skills needed for pupils to learn and remember. Leaders have planned a series of lessons, in sequence, from term to term and year to year. Curriculum leaders plan their subjects around vocabulary, knowledge and skills. All teachers have strong subject knowledge.

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better?

Pupils have strong factual knowledge about science theory, but since September 2022 practical science experiments have been limited. This is because suitable space for the practical and experimental elements of science, and subjects such as food technology, is not available in the new building. This means the curriculum in these subjects is narrowed. 28 to 30 September 2022 Leaders have developed a ‘mastery in mathematics’ curriculum. Pupils are confident and competent to calculate, use vocabulary and record their work. Pupils apply their mathematical knowledge in different problem-solving situations well.

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better?

Reading and vocabulary development are at the centre of the English curriculum. All pupils read with ease and confidence. Pupils develop their cultural knowledge through the ‘culture and poetry’ curriculum unit. They gain cross-curricular learning through studying African poetry. Visits from authors support pupils to structure their writing and develop their love of both writing and reading.

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better?

Leaders have high ambition for pupils in the wider curriculum subjects such as history. Leaders have ensured that the history curriculum is ‘brought to life’ through educational visits. They visit the Natural History Museum in London, regional castles and local areas of interest. Pupils develop a knowledge of cultural, social, political and economic history. Pupils’ writing in history is peppered with historical dates and facts.

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better?

There is a very small number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the school. All pupils access the same ambitious curriculum in every subject. Teachers alter their questioning and verbal feedback within the lesson to support individual pupils. All pupils achieve highly.

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better?

Teachers make regular checks in lessons and over series of lessons to identify any small gaps pupils may have in their knowledge. Teachers adjust lessons or plan future work to help pupils build on what they already know.

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better?

Leaders have designed an excellent curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE). Pupils learn about mutual respect, different faiths and cultures, and different groups of people. They know that it is wrong to treat people unfairly because of their race, religion, age or gender. Leaders have designed a comprehensive programme for relationships and sex education. Pupils learn about the concepts of consent, and healthy and unhealthy relationships as well as exploitation.

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better?

From Year 7 onwards, leaders provide a career plan for every pupil. Leaders organise a range of experiences to help raise awareness of different career pathways. A recent visit to an aerodrome provided information about a wide range of jobs within the aviation sector. Leaders are in the process of organising work experience placements for Year 10 pupils.

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better?

The proprietors moved the pupils to a new building without seeking a material change from the Department for Education (DfE). As a result, the building was not officially checked to see if it would be likely to meet the independent school standards linked to premises and fire safety. This is ongoing work for the proprietors and needs to be completed with urgency. Other minor aspects of the independent school standards were not met at the beginning of this inspection. The proprietor addressed these shortcomings before the end of the inspection. 28 to 30 September 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The proprietary body did not ensure that the new school building complied with necessary fire safety regulations before moving pupils into the new premises. Although checks are underway, some of the independent school standards relating to safety and welfare are not met. The proprietary body does not check on the premises sufficiently well to ensure that the relevant independent school standards are met. This may put the pupils at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy DSL work well with external agencies such as the police and the local authority. They report concerns about pupils being at risk of harm or neglect promptly and appropriately. They provide in- depth and regular training for all staff. Staff know how and when to report concerns. Pupils learn about unsafe situations, personal safety and online safety. The safeguarding policy is up to date and refers to the most recent statutory guidance.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Pupils’ safety may be at risk because the proprietory body moved pupils into new premises without ensuring that all of the necessary fire safety regulations were met in this new building. This may put pupils’ welfare and safety at risk. The proprietary body should take immediate action to ensure that they meet all regulations relating to the necessary fire risks and the building is safe.  In subjects such as science and food technology, pupils do not have a suitable space to carry out practical activities. This means that the curriculum in these subjects is narrowed. The proprietor and leaders should ensure that in these subjects pupils are able to have practical, as well as theoretical, study.  The proprietary body has not checked on how well the school is meeting the independent school standards. Several of the independent school standards relating to the premises and safety are not met continually or consistently. The

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

proprietary body should check the independent school standards regularly to ensure that they are met consistently and that the premises are safe.

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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. 28 to 30 September 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 147171 DfE registration number 382/6014

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School details

Inspection number 10239931 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Proprietor Zakaria Education (Dewsbury) Limited

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 to 12 March 2020 28 to 30 September 2022

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Information about this school

 The school is currently operating beyond its registration agreement as recorded on the government’s Get Information About Schools (GIAS) website. The school is currently registered for pupils aged 11 to 14 years but has admitted one pupil aged 15. In addition, 13 pupils who will turn 15 before the end of the academic year are on the school’s roll.  The school is also operating beyond its registration agreement because it has exceeded the maximum capacity of pupils. The registration agreement has a capacity of 42 pupils. There are 55 pupils on roll.  The school is also operating beyond its registration agreement because it moved premises without requesting, and being granted, a material change by the DfE.  The executive headteacher also leads Rida Girls High School and Paradise Primary School.  There are no pupils on roll with an education, health and care plan.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of 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 and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the proprietary body, members of the governing body, the headteacher, the executive headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, science and history. For each of these curriculum subjects, inspectors met with curriculum subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors viewed the school’s behaviour, attendance and exclusion records, observed pupils in and around the school and met with leaders about behaviour and personal development.  The inspection team reviewed a wide range of documentation to check on the

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Information about this inspection

effectiveness of safeguarding. This included the school’s safeguarding policy, the register of recruitment checks carried out on employees, and safeguarding 28 to 30 September 2022 records. An inspector also scrutinised a wide range of documents relating to the independent school standards and met with the DSL.  Inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through the Ofsted Parent View survey and written free-text responses. They also considered views of staff via Ofsted’s staff survey and pupils’ responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey. The team inspector spoke to several parents by telephone.  Inspectors toured the school premises, scrutinised the admissions and attendance registers and viewed a range of documentation to check that the school complies with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

Alison Aitchison, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Bernard Clark Ofsted Inspector 28 to 30 September 2022

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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.  12 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005[12].  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 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.

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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. 28 to 30 September 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

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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