Al-Furqan Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Al-Furqan Primary School Reddings Lane, Tyseley, Birmingham, West Midlands B11 3EY

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Outcome

Al-Furqan Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The values of equality and respect thread through this welcoming school. Leaders have set an ambitious and inclusive vision. Everyone works together to live up to this. Parents and carers recognise the improvements that the school has made over recent years. One parent said: ‘We are so proud of the school. It just keeps getting better and better. Staff go above and beyond.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are eager to learn. They work hard and achieve well. Pupils develop a strong moral code. They also develop a clear sense of what is right and wrong. This starts in early years, where children are taught to share and to listen to each other. Pupils are taught to recognise what bullying is. They know that leaders will act quickly if any instances of this occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They trust staff. They know whom to go to if anything is worrying them. They enjoy learning the full range of curriculum subjects and have many wider opportunities. They are proud of the school’s achievements in sports and of their links with the United Nations. Pupils benefit from having leadership roles in school, such as school councillors and play leaders. This prepares pupils well to become active citizens.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Right from the start of Reception Year, children listen to stories and learn songs and nursery rhymes. This develops their confidence with language and paves the way for future learning. Texts, including poetry and non-fiction, are allocated to different year groups across the school to broaden pupils’ reading experiences. Pupils are beginning to read widely. Many can talk confidently about their favourite authors and genres. This broadens pupils’ vocabulary and supports language comprehension.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s new phonics programme is ambitious. Staff teach phonics well. Books are well matched to the sounds that pupils are learning. Teachers check that pupils are remembering and using new sounds. Pupils who fall behind receive extra help. However, a 12 and 13 July 2023

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small number of these pupils do not practise and apply their new sounds frequently enough. This slows down the rate at which they become confident, fluent readers.

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Leaders continue their work to develop an ambitious curriculum. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils will learn in each subject have been significantly raised. In most subjects, a carefully constructed curriculum is designed and implemented effectively.

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Pupils enjoy mathematics. Leaders support staff well to ensure there is consistency in teaching across the school. There is a daily practice and recall session in addition to mathematics lessons. This helps pupils to remember important mathematical facts. An increasing number of pupils achieve greater depth in mathematics by the time they leave Year 6. The foundations for this start in early years. Children sing songs and rhymes about number. They use practical resources to explore number patterns. This helps them to deepen their understanding of mathematics.

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Other subjects are equally successful. For example, in history, Reception Year children start to learn about the past and the present by talking about family histories and the local community. Year 3 pupils deepen their understanding of migration by exploring the impact of the Roman Empire on Britain. Pupils enjoy making connections between new and prior learning. This helps them to know and remember more.

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Pupils have a love of learning. They are proud of their computing knowledge and skills. They know how to spot potential dangers when working online. They especially enjoy art and physical education. Learning is rarely disrupted.

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For some pupils, absence and persistent absence remain high. Leaders work closely with families to try to support attendance. This is not always successful. Too many pupils are still regularly absent from school.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support that they need. There are clear systems in place to identify pupils with SEND and to ensure that staff are equipped and confident to support these pupils effectively. Leaders work closely with families and other professionals. Pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life. They achieve well from their starting points.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. Pupils talk sensitively about issues such as racism and prejudice. They are very accepting and respectful of others. They visit different places of worship and learn about different faiths and cultures.

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Staff feel valued. They appreciate leaders’ consideration of their well-being and workload. Leaders are very outward-looking and collaborative. They continue to look at ways to improve the school. Governors are settling into a new structure. This has not hindered the effective support and challenge that they provide to school leaders. 12 and 13 July 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff are vigilant, and fully trained to spot any changes in pupils’ behaviour or character. Those who need help are quickly identified. Leaders respond immediately to any concerns. They work with outside agencies to make sure that pupils and their families receive early help when needed. Safeguarding records are thorough. Leaders carry out rigorous checks on all adults who work with pupils.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum offers many opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe, including online, and to learn about the importance of healthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not ensure that the small number of pupils who have fallen behind in their reading have sufficient time to practise the sounds that they have learned. This slows down the rate at which they become fluent and confident readers. Leaders should ensure that all children who fall behind in reading frequently practise new sounds so that they become fluent and confident readers.  Absence and persistent absence remain high for some pupils. These pupils miss too much school and are not learning as much as they should. Leaders should continue to build on and evaluate the work that they have already undertaken so that pupils’ attendance improves.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017. 12 and 13 July 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 12 and 13 July 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Website

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 June 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school became a voluntary-controlled Islamic faith school on 1 January 2023.  The school was previously a voluntary-aided Islamic faith school.  A new governing body was appointed on 1 January 2023.  The school’s last section 48 inspection was in June 2015. The school’s next inspection will be within eight years of the previous section 48 inspection.  Leaders do not use alternative provision.  The school runs a before-school club managed by the governing body.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. 12 and 13 July 2023

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 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and members of the senior leadership team to discuss their work to develop the school. The lead inspector also met with the special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority and met with the chair of the governing body and one other governor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work in other subjects, including computing, geography, art and religious education.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult. She met with groups of pupils to talk about their learning and life in school. She met with parents at

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the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including leaders’ self-evaluation and plans for improvement. Records of attendance were checked.  The lead inspector checked the school’s single central record and safeguarding documentation. Inspectors evaluated safeguarding by speaking with leaders, staff, pupils and parents.  Inspectors met with staff to talk about the curriculum, their workload and the behaviour and personal development of pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at playtime and lunchtime and talked to them about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  Responses to Ofsted’s survey of parents, Ofsted Parent View, were considered alongside Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Marilyn Mottram, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kerri James Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 July 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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