Guru Nanak Sikh Academy

Inspection of Guru Nanak Sikh Academy Springfield Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB4 0LT

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders encourage pupils to do their best at this school. Leaders encourage pupils to adopt the school’s values and contribute to the school community. These values include helping others, being respectful and valuing individual differences. Parents and carers said how much their children love to go to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in class and around the school is consistently excellent. Pupils are polite and personable. They are safe. They are highly attentive in class and determined to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils in the school, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school’s curriculum reflects these high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders encourage pupils’ talents and interests. They prioritise pupils’ mental health. For example, each class in the primary phase has a well-being ambassador. Pupils in the secondary phase attend a range of clubs and activities, including football, chess and the activities linked to achieving the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Staff organised an overseas visit to Switzerland for students in the sixth form to teach them about particle physics. Pupils are taught the importance of charity. For example, the school recently donated almost 300 kilograms of food to the local food bank.

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better?

Senior leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum for pupils in all year groups. Published academic outcomes for 2022 showed that pupils achieved highly, including in examinations at the end of Year 11 and in national assessments in reading and writing at the end of Year 6 and in the Year 1 phonics screening check. A high proportion of pupils study and enter the GCSE examinations in English baccalaureate subjects. In Reception, leaders have designed a curriculum that develops children effectively in preparation for Year 1. All pupils study textiles, food technology and woodwork during Years 7 to 9. Leaders have planned a range of A levels and vocational courses for students to choose from in the sixth form.

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better?

Leaders’ curriculum thinking is typically clear across the school. In some subjects, for example in English, leaders thinking is particularly strong. Here, pupils in Year 9 have a deep knowledge Shakespeare’s use of a soliloquy in Hamlet. Leaders are in the process of connecting the primary and secondary curriculums so that pupils’ learning builds seamlessly throughout their time in the school. In subjects such as design and technology, and geography, this work is already well developed. Pupils study art and music from Year 1 to Year 9 and can choose to study these subjects at GCSE. In Reception, the curriculum supports children to expand their vocabulary. For example, children enthusiastically explained that lava comes out of volcanoes. 24 and 25 May 2023

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In the majority of subjects, teachers present new knowledge to pupils clearly. They provide pupils with sufficient time to practise and apply this knowledge before they introduce new material. Leaders have identified a few subjects across the school, including in sixth form and early years, where teaching does not as routinely check that pupils understand and remember what they have been taught. In these subjects, sometimes the work that pupils produce is not as high quality as it could be.

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Leaders have recently implemented a new and ambitious reading curriculum. This helps pupils to develop their reading fluency, expand their vocabulary and improve their comprehension. Leaders have provided staff with the training that they require to deliver this curriculum confidently. Leaders have also implemented systems to identify and support any pupils who may need help to catch up with their peers.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are appropriately supported to learn the curriculum along with their peers. Staff ensure that pupils with SEND are helped to achieve the best academic outcomes possible. Where leaders have identified that support for a small number of pupils with SEND could be enhanced, they are already working closely with parents, staff and external agencies to provide additional support.

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Pupils consistently maintain the highest standards of behaviour. As a result, pupils’ learning proceeds without interruption. For example, pupils in Year 1 concentrated carefully during story time. Leaders analyse behaviour patterns and put in place effective strategies for any pupils who need help to manage their emotions. Pupils have high levels of mutual respect for one another. They are calm and respectful throughout the school.

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Leaders organise a wide range of extra-curricular activities for pupils as part of a well-designed personal development programme. This programme includes occasions for pupils to debate current affairs and to think about how their actions impact the wider world. For example, pupils in Year 10 spoke about sensitive issues with maturity.

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Careers education is planned into the personal development curriculum from Year 7 onwards. Sixth-form students were enthusiastic about the many career-themed opportunities they receive. These include presentations on apprenticeships, jobs fairs and from visiting professionals.

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Leaders have high expectations of staff at this school. Staff said that senior leaders are mindful of staff’s workload and well-being. Those responsible for governance know and carry out their statutory duties appropriately.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 24 and 25 May 2023

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Leaders have ensured that a well-trained team shares responsibility for leading safeguarding throughout the school. All staff know how to report any concerns that pupils may be at risk of harm. Leaders provide a range of appropriate help for pupils who may need it. For example, leaders have organised for a school councillor to be on-site four days per week to support pupils with any mental health concerns. Leaders also work with external agencies as appropriate to provide any help that pupils may need. Pupils are also encouraged to keep themselves safe and preserve their well-being.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teaching does not accurately reflect leaders’ ambitious intentions. In these subjects, sometimes teaching does not consistently revisit prior learning. This means that sometimes pupils do not know and remember all that they should. In other cases, teaching does not consistently identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. As a result, pupils do not understand some of what they have been taught and they cannot connect new learning to prior learning. Leaders should ensure that teaching systematically revisits prior learning and identifies and addresses pupils’ misconceptions so that pupils know, remember and can do more across all subjects.

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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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 24 and 25 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10287212 Type of school All-through

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,574

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 20 and 21 March 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Guru Nanak Sikh multi-academy trust.  There have been recent changes to the senior leadership team.  The school uses no alternative providers.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character was carried out on 11 June 2019. It is due for its next section 48 inspection within five years of the date of the inspection.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 24 and 25 May 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive principal and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, personal, social and health education, behaviour, early reading and pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, English, history geography and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors considered the school’s policies and procedures for safeguarding.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors looked at documentation related to safeguarding, including the school’s record of pre-employment checks.  Inspectors met with representatives from the trust.  Inspectors considered the respective responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cristalina Fernandes-Bates Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 May 2023

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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.

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