Hamd House School

Inspection of Hamd House School 73 Burbidge Road, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, West Midlands B9 4US

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hamd House School is a highly inclusive school where every child is ‘safe, happy, visible and valued’. British and Muslim values are carefully combined to ensure that all pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged, consistently achieve highly. Their work is of a very high quality. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) also achieve exceptionally well. However, leaders are clear that Hamd House School is about far more than just academic progress; it is about the whole child. ‘Everyone is different but equal.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Excellent behaviour is an expectation of everyone. Pupils say that they have high expectations of the school, and the school has high expectations of them. Pupils want to behave well and they hold themselves to these high standards. Pupils enjoy coming to school and value their learning experiences. They say that poor behaviour in lessons is not tolerated, and so learning can move forward at a pace. The atmosphere of mutual respect between teachers and pupils supports this positive behaviour. Pupils report that bullying is extremely rare, but if it did happen, pupils have total confidence in staff to address it rapidly.

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better?

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the school. They have created a purposeful environment in which pupils and staff are keen to learn. Pupils receive an excellent education across the school. Leaders have carefully sequenced and structured the curriculum to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills over time. This is working extremely well. Subject leaders are enthusiastic and passionate about their subjects. Teachers have very strong subject knowledge and adapt their teaching strategies to meet the needs of their pupils. As a result of this, pupils achieve exceptionally well across the school.

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better?

Leaders are passionate about ensuring that all children learn to read. They view it as the key that unlocks the rest of the curriculum. Leaders have invested in reading books to match the phonics scheme, and all primary-phase staff have had training in teaching phonics. Staff ensure that they support pupils at the earlier stages of learning to read extremely well. Many pupils start school in Year 1 with little or weak phonic knowledge. However, staff use catch-up programmes and interventions to swiftly address these gaps. This is highly effective. Older pupils enjoy reading a wide range of authors and genres, often opting to read ambitious texts.

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better?

Staff have high expectations of all pupils and expect them to work hard and achieve their best. They want all pupils at the school, including pupils with SEND, to become well-rounded learners. Teachers make appropriate curriculum adjustments for pupils with education, health and care plans, giving pupils carefully considered resources to allow them to work alongside their peers. These adaptations support the lesson objectives so that learning is inclusive and purposeful. 4 to 6 July 2023 Leaders place great emphasis on the importance of pupils’ wider personal development. Personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons are engaging and relevant. PSHE is key to the school curriculum, and leaders’ assertion that it is woven through all aspects of the curriculum stands up under scrutiny. Pupils have an excellent understanding of fundamental British values, such as tolerance and the rule of law. Pupils learn about different faiths and religions. British values are

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better?

carefully intertwined with Muslim values as pupils learn about respect and kindness. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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better?

Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that they build pupils’ experiences and widen their horizons. Pupils value these opportunities. Pupil voice is key in school and is incorporated into many lessons. Leaders ensure that staff provide pupils with meaningful opportunities to understand how to be responsible, respectful citizens who contribute positively to society. As part of this, there is a range of opportunities for student leadership roles, including on the student council and as school monitors and head boy and head girl.

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better?

Pupils are very articulate about their learning. They have many opportunities to discuss and debate issues and ideas in a considered way. For example, in PSHE, they are able to discuss sensitive or topical issues freely and respectfully. The school prepares pupils very well for their next stage of education, and parents and carers are keen to share many examples of how their children have progressed after leaving the school.

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better?

All pupils receive careers education. They learn about different career options and about college, apprenticeships and universities. Pupils in Year 10 complete work experience. This means that pupils are well prepared to make informed and ambitious decisions for their next steps in education, training or employment.

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better?

Staff feel very well supported by leaders. They say that workload is carefully considered, and leaders give additional time when required.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding, and effective systems are in place to keep pupils safe. Leaders carry out robust checks to ensure that staff appointed are suitable to work with children. Staff are confident in knowing what to do if they have concerns about a pupil. They take appropriate steps and act quickly to help pupils when required.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They know what to do if they have a problem and they say that staff will always listen to their worries. Pupils of all ages can talk with confidence about how to keep safe both when online and in the local area. 4 to 6 July 2023

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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. 4 to 6 July 2023

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School details

Unique reference number 131687 DfE registration number 330/6097

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School details

Inspection number 10290776 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Headteacher Haroon Rashid and Reahan Raja

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 to 12 December 2019 4 to 6 July 2023

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Information about this school

 Hamd House School is an independent day school providing education for pupils between the ages of five and 16 years.  The school has a Muslim ethos but is open to pupils of all faiths.  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 meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the proprietor, the headteachers for the primary and secondary phases and other leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in mathematics, early reading, history and PSHE. For each of these subjects, inspectors met with subject leaders, carried out visits to lessons, and spoke to pupils and looked at some of their work. An inspector also listened to pupils read.  Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils formally and informally at various points during the inspection.  Inspectors looked at records relating to behaviour, bullying, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements by checking the school’s approach to staff recruitment, scrutinising policy documents and meeting with the designated safeguarding lead.  Inspectors toured the school premises to check their suitability.  Inspectors spoke to parents and considered the responses to pupil and staff

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The school’s proposed change to the maximum number of pupils

The school has applied to the Department for Education (DfE) to make a ‘material change’ to its registration. At the DfE’s request, we checked whether the school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the DfE decides to approve the change. This part of the inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002. 4 to 6 July 2023  The outcome of this part of the inspection is: the school is likely to meet the

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Information about the material change inspection

 The proprietor has proposed to increase the number of pupils from 330 to 660, increasing from one class per year group from Year 1 to Year 11, to two classes per year group over time.

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Huw Bishop Ofsted Inspector 4 to 6 July 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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