Rida Girls High School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)  At the previous standard inspection in June 2022, leaders did not implement the school’s safeguarding policy effectively. They did not consistently follow statutory guidance relating to concerns raised about pupil safety. Advice or external guidance was not routinely sought when it was needed. Some referrals made to the local authority or other external agencies were not timely or consistent enough. Staff had not received effective training around safeguarding. This put pupils at risk of potential harm.  Following the inspection in June 2022, leaders and governors immediately addressed the weaknesses in their understanding of important safeguarding guidance. Leaders worked swiftly to ensure that all staff received updated safeguarding training. Staff are now confident to identify safeguarding concerns and are clear about how to report them.

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Main inspection findings

Specific areas of risk, such as the ‘Prevent’ duty and child criminal exploitation are now well understood. The newly formed pastoral team work closely together to offer support to pupils and monitor any reported concerns. They ensure staff training is revisited regularly to check staff’s knowledge and understanding of how to keep pupils safe.  Leaders and governors have improved and refined safeguarding record-keeping systems in the school. Leaders now record concerns consistently and in a timely manner. Safeguarding leaders follow up on concerns and record the actions taken. External agencies are contacted for advice and support when this is needed. Leaders ensure that there is a complete picture of the support and guidance offered to pupils and families. School leaders and governors receive regular updates on any safeguarding concerns.  The school’s safeguarding policy is published on the school website and is now

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Main inspection findings

implemented consistently.  Pupils feel safe at school. They speak highly of the support offered by staff.  These requirements of the independent school standards (the standards) are now met. Paragraph 16, 16(a), 16(b)  The previous inspection identified that staff had not had sufficient training to identify risks effectively, for example when they took pupils on educational visits. This meant that staff did not always identify risks or that action was taken to reduce them.  Leaders recognised that their understanding of health and safety was not robust enough. Following the inspection in 2022, leaders commissioned external support to fully audit the school environment, policy and practices. Staff have had training on risk awareness and mitigation. A new policy has been introduced and is now implemented rigorously. The leadership team has been extended to include a health and safety officer who maintains oversight of all risk assessments produced in the school. Governors are

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Main inspection findings

proactive in visiting the school to ensure that health and safety, including risk assessment, are regularly monitored.  Pupils report that they enjoy the enrichment activities offered to support learning or to celebrate success over the year. These have included visits to Skipton Castle, universities and a theme park. The health and safety officer ensures that any risks are identified by staff through an on-site visit prior to pupils attending. Risk assessment documents are then produced and reviewed to ensure that pupils remain safe on these visits.  These requirements of the standards are now met. Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors  Paragraphs 17–21  While part 4 of the standards was met on the completion of the last standard inspection of the school, inspectors found that leaders did not complete safer recruitment checks robustly enough. At the start of the inspection in June 2022, the single central record

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Main inspection findings

was not fully compliant, and some checks on staff and governor suitability for the roles had not been completed. Leaders addressed this during the inspection. However, systems to ensure that this was consistent practice were not in place.  Leaders have now revised and strengthened arrangements to oversee the suitability of staff and to ensure that the single central record is robust. The headteacher ensures that all relevant checks are completed and the school’s safer recruitment policy is followed.  External consultants, including from the local authority, support the school to ensure that systems are used consistently. Governors have implemented a monitoring cycle to ensure records are complete. Scrutiny of the single central record, during this inspection, showed that all checks are complete and that these are in line with statutory requirements.  All standards linked to part 4 that apply to this setting were met at the last inspection

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Main inspection findings

and continue to be met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)  The proprietors and senior leaders have taken effective action to address all the unmet standards at the time of the previous inspection.  Following the last inspection, the proprietors recognised that the leadership structure was not sufficient to make the necessary improvements. They made strategic decisions which enabled the headteacher to be based permanently in the school, the pastoral and safeguarding team to be expanded, a special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) to be appointed and other specialist teachers recruited. These appointments have enabled leaders to address the issues related to pupils’ welfare, health and safety and recruitment checks, as well as to begin to improve the aspects of quality of education identified as needing improvement at the time of the last inspection.

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Main inspection findings

 Leaders and governors have commissioned external advice and support to make swift changes and improve policies and practices. This has enabled them to ensure that staff understand essential areas of safeguarding, safer recruitment and health and safety.  Leaders are ambitious to make further improvements. They have restructured staffing and employed leaders in key areas of the curriculum to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff have received training in important areas, such as phonics, to develop their knowledge and understanding of reading. The SENCo has started to work with staff to ensure that they can adapt learning sufficiently to support all pupils. Leaders are clear that there is more to do to fulfil their ambitious plans for the future expansion of the school.  These requirements of the standards are now met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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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.  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 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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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

Chair Yasir Patel (also known as Yasir Master)

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 14 to 16 June 2022

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Information about this school

 This is a secondary school for girls with an Islamic ethos.  The school is situated in the Zakaria Education Centre. Pupils attend a local sports and recreational centre for physical education lessons.  Since September 2022, the headteacher of Rida Girls High School is no longer the executive headteacher of Rida Boys High School and Paradise Primary School.  In February 2023, a new board of proprietors was established for Rida Girls High School, Rida Boys High School and Paradise Primary School. The new board contains some members of the school’s previous board of proprietors.  Some members of the board of proprietors are also members of the school’s governing body and of the Paradise Rida School Trust, a charitable body.  The school’s previous standard inspection was in June 2022. At that time, a material change inspection was carried out regarding a change to the age range and number of pupils admitted. The school was found to be unlikely to meet the standards to grant this

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Information about this school

due to insufficient outdoor space. This was the third material change requested since the school opened in September 2017.  No pupils in the school have education, health or care plans or are children looked after.  Leaders do not currently use any alternative provision for their pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This was the first progress monitoring inspection the school had received since its previous inspection in June 2022. It was conducted with no notice. The inspection focused on part 3 and part 8 of the standards. Inspectors also checked some aspects of part 4.  The school was asked to submit an action plan after its last standard inspection in June 2022. Ofsted judged the action plan as not acceptable in February 2023. The school was notified of this outcome by the Department for Education in April 2023.  The number of pupils on roll has risen since the school’s last standard inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Scrutiny of the school admission register showed that 115 pupils currently attend the school. They are aged between 11 and 16 years. This is in line with the school’s current registration.  No lessons were observed during this inspection.  During the inspection, the inspector toured the school premises. A telephone discussion was held with the health and safety officer about improvements and training.  The inspector met with the proprietors, headteacher and deputy headteacher to discuss school improvements. A further meeting was held with the teachers of English, science and mathematics to discuss safeguarding, as well as the curriculum and support for pupils with SEND.  The inspector scrutinised documents relating to the school’s work to safeguard pupils. Inspectors spoke with staff about changes made to safeguarding practices and policies, as well as about safeguarding training.  The inspector discussed safeguarding with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and

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Information about this inspection

the deputy DSL. The school’s single central record was reviewed.

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Inspection team

Andrea Batley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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