Advance Education

Inspection of Advance Education Unit 5, Unimix House, Abbey Road, Park Royal, London NW10 7TR

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Good 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?

Pupils like their school and enjoy making friends here. Leaders promote pupils’ understanding of diversity and prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils are taught about their Muslim faith as well as about a range of other faiths, cultures and lifestyles.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have not ensured that the school meets all its statutory requirements. Leaders have also been slow in making sure that the quality of education is strong. This means that some aspects of pupils’ welfare and the depth of their knowledge are not as secure as they should be. Safeguarding is not effective.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff have strong working relationships. From the start of the Reception Year, staff set clear routines and expectations for children’s behaviour. Although enthusiastically lively at times, pupils’ overall behaviour is positive, friendly and sensible. Staff deal with pupils’ worries and act quickly to address any concerns. They deal with bullying effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have been taught how to hold reconciliation conversations should they fall out with their friends. They value having these skills because they help them to maintain cordial relationships with their peers.

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better?

Leaders understand the importance of teaching pupils to read. Skilled staff teach children in the Reception Year to read using a recently introduced phonics programme. Children practise reading using books that match the sounds that they know. Across the school, staff identify pupils who fall behind in early reading. However, leaders have not ensured fidelity to one phonics teaching approach across the school in order to ensure consistency. Staff use a variety of reading schemes across the year groups to help weaker readers to catch up. As a consequence, pupils who need additional support with reading are not helped to catch up quickly.

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better?

The curriculum meets the requirements of the independent school standards (the standards). Even so, pupils’ achievements in the range of subjects are variable. Typically, leaders have thought about the subject content that they want pupils to know. However, teaching does not routinely follow leaders’ curriculum thinking closely so as to deliver subject content in a well-sequenced order. Teachers make use of a variety of different resources, which leads to variation between classes within the same subject. Generally, leaders have not ensured that teaching builds on what pupils know already. They have not ensured that teachers consistently check what pupils know and can do, or provide opportunities for them to revisit and reinforce prior learning. The proprietor has not ensured that teaching staff have strong knowledge of all the subjects that they teach. Sometimes, subject leaders are not subject experts in the subjects they lead and lack expertise to check teaching

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better?

quality in their areas of responsibility. In a few subjects where teachers’ subject- specific knowledge is strong, pupils are helped to recall cumulative knowledge 1 to 3 November 2022 securely. In the early years, staff are knowledgeable and skilled to deliver a well- sequenced curriculum effectively. As a result, children build up knowledge and skills securely across all areas of learning and development.

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better?

Children in the Reception Year are motivated and attentive. They put up their hands and take turns, share and listen to each other. For example, they enjoyed discussing their feelings about Diwali fireworks. Pupils throughout the school are curious and keen to learn. On the odd occasion where some low-level disruption arises, teachers resolve the matter straight away and lessons proceed uninterrupted so that all can learn.

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better?

From the earliest opportunity, staff encourage children in the early years to reflect on their feelings. Older pupils receive guidance on emotional well-being and anger management, for example. Pupils are taught about puberty and healthy lifestyles. They are tutored on how to stay safe when using the internet. They also appreciate enrichment opportunities that leaders organise for them beyond the classroom. For example, they go on visits to places of interest, such as to zoos and places where they can learn about and experience different careers.

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better?

Leaders do not ensure that the school is well maintained and in good order. Some toilet bowls did not have toilet seats and a couple of the cubicles could not be locked from the inside. In one set of boys’ lavatories, there was no soap available for washing hands and none of the handwashing facilities were equipped for hand drying.

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better?

Leaders are not rigorous enough in identifying risks and in taking action to reduce them. The escape route to the point of assembly in case of fire takes users past a rat-infested area where rubbish bins are stored. The assembly point is strewn with fly-tipped furniture and assorted debris. A physical education storage cupboard was not locked. It contained electrical circuit boards which pose a risk to pupils’ safety.

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better?

The trust board and the proprietor have little knowledge of the standards, and other requirements such as for the early years. The trust board and the proprietor do not have rigorous enough systems in place to check the school’s compliance with statutory guidance.

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better?

The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

Staff felt that they have a reasonable balance between work and their home lives. They said that the proprietor is considerate of their welfare.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The school’s safeguarding policy had not been updated to reflect the latest statutory guidance. The school’s leader with responsibility for safeguarding has not 1 to 3 November 2022 maintained the required up-to-date training for the role. Leaders’ safeguarding training certification could not be authenticated.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff know the pupils well. They are particularly alert to the contextual vulnerabilities of their pupils and look out for signs that suggest pupils may be at risk. Leaders raise concerns with external agencies and secure the help pupils may need to support their safety and well-being. There are appropriate vetting procedures in place when recruiting new staff to ensure applicants are suitable to work with pupils.

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Safeguarding

The school’s safeguarding policy is not currently published on its website. It is available in hard copy from the school office.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The board of trustees and the proprietor are not knowledgeable enough about the standards and other requirements. As a result, they do not check and ensure that the school is compliant with statutory requirements, including for the health and welfare of pupils, such as risk assessments. The board of trustees and the proprietor should familiarise themselves with all the standards and other requirements, including those for the early years, and ensure that they are met consistently.  The proprietor is not rigorous enough in checking that the school meets all the standards and the requirements of the early years foundation stage framework. The proprietor should establish mechanisms to keep up to date with and monitor carefully compliance will all statutory guidance, including for the early years.  Pupils who fall behind in their reading do not get the right support they need to quickly gain confidence and fluency. This is because staff are not trained to teach

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

and implement one agreed phonics programme. This leads to confusion. Leaders should introduce fidelity to one phonics programme for the whole school and make sure that all staff gain the expertise to teach it effectively and consistently.  Leaders and the proprietor have not ensured that teaching staff have enough subject-specific expertise to teach in some foundation subjects. This means that staff who lead and teach those subjects are not skilled to deliver the curriculum effectively. The proprietor should ensure that the subject leaders and teachers gain a deep knowledge of all subjects they teach.  Subject leaders do not routinely check that staff teach the intended curriculum. Occasionally, teachers make their own choices of what to teach and what teaching resources to use. This means that pupils do not consistently gain the same knowledge as their peers. Potentially, they miss out on learning essential

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

knowledge that they will need to build on in future. Leaders should monitor to check that teachers consistently teach the intended knowledge identified in the agreed schemes of learning and resources.  In some subjects, teachers do not identify specific gaps in pupils’ knowledge in order to address pupils’ misconceptions. Leaders should review their strategies for 1 to 3 November 2022 assessment so that they can check exactly which bits of knowledge pupils have not mastered and that need further explanation.

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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. 1 to 3 November 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 143640 DfE registration number 304/6004

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School details

Inspection number 10225423 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Website www.advanceeducationcentre- London.co.uk Email address advance.education@hotmail.com

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 to 14 November 2019 1 to 3 November 2022

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Information about this school

 Advance Education is an independent day school with a Muslim ethos. It is located in a self-contained unit on the ground floor of a large, multi-storey commercial office block. It has access to a small, secure, outdoor-play space at the front of the building.  The previous standard inspection named the proprietor as Advance Education. Get Information about Schools, the Department for Education’s (DfE) register for schools, lists the proprietor as Mujanet Daniah, who is also the headteacher. The DfE confirmed during the inspection that Mujanet Daniah is the registered proprietor. The Charity Commission has Advance Education Centre (London) on its register. The charity’s registered address is the same as that of the school. The three trustees of the charity take on the role of governance at the school and are listed as trustees on the school’s website. The chair of the board is Martin Charles.  The school’s last full standard inspection was in November 2019. It was judged as

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Information about this school

requiring improvement. All the standards were met.  Three section 97 inspections (possible unregistered independent school) took place between December 2018 and March 2019.  Following a criminal investigation by Ofsted, Suleyman Folami (the school’s current designated safeguarding lead) and Mujanet Daniah (the school’s current proprietor and headteacher) were found guilty after a trial in March 2020 of running an unregistered school for pupils of secondary-school age in the same building as Advance Education primary school. They were handed a four-week custodial sentence, suspended for a year. The pair appealed to the Crown Court against their convictions and sentences. In January 2022, the judge upheld their previous convictions and sentences for each appellant.  The school uses no 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 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, computing, and personal, social, health and economic education. Inspectors held discussions with leaders and teachers, visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and held 1 to 3 November 2022 discussions with pupils. Inspectors also considered other subjects as part of the inspection.  Inspectors spoke with the proprietor/headteacher, members of the board of trustees including the chair of trustees, and leaders responsible for safeguarding, and health and safety.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including information related to safeguarding and the checks carried out before the appointment of staff. Inspectors looked at records of pupils’ behaviour.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentary information to check the school’s compliance with the standards.  Inspectors had formal meetings with staff and with pupils. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and to the survey for staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

David Radomsky, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Amanda Carter-Fraser His Majesty’s Inspector 1 to 3 November 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; and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  11 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that relevant health and safety laws are complied with by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 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.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

3.37. For children aged three and over in independent schools (including in nursery classes in academies), where there is no person with Qualified Teacher Status, Early 1 to 3 November 2022 Years Professional Status, Early Years Teacher Status or another approved level 6 qualification, no instructor, and no suitably qualified overseas trained teacher, working directly with the children: • there must be at least one member of staff for every eight children • at least one member of staff must hold an approved level 3 qualification. 1 to 3 November 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

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Early Years Foundation Stage

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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Early Years Foundation Stage

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Early Years Foundation Stage

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Early Years Foundation Stage

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Early Years Foundation Stage

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