Lantern of Knowledge Secondary School

Inspection of Lantern of Knowledge Secondary School 30-36 Lindley Road, Leyton, London E10 6QT

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Inspection dates: 19 and 21 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this school. They strive to attain the high standards set by the school in their academic work and conduct. Pupils take their learning seriously and work hard. They enjoy their time here. Pupils across the school get on well together. They said that they can make friends quickly due to the small size of the school. The respectful culture in school helps to maintain a calm and orderly environment where pupils behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make sure that pupils are safe at school. Staff supervise pupils and make them aware of any risks, such as when walking to the local park for breaktimes. Pupils trust staff to look after them. They know that they can talk to staff if they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school organises various educational outings for pupils, such as to museums and art galleries. Pupils greatly enjoy their weekly physical education (PE) lessons at a nearby leisure centre. The school puts great emphasis on citizenship and encourages pupils to play an active role in wider society. For example, some pupils visited 10 Downing Street and worked with pupils from different schools.

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better?

Leaders provide pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum. In Years 7 to 9, pupils study a wide range of subjects, including history, which is now taught from Year 7. All pupils study subjects such as Arabic, business studies and computer science at GCSE while continuing to learn art and PE.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for the school. They work hard to address any weaknesses, including areas for improvement identified at previous inspections. The quality of education has improved as a result. Leaders have considered what they want pupils to know and remember in each subject. They give clear thought to how learning is sequenced in all subjects. This helps to build pupils’ knowledge and skills over time. For example, in mathematics, pupils in year 7 learn to create simple linear graphs. They build on this progressively so that by Year 10 pupils can solve equations using graphs confidently. Pupils attain highly in their GCSE subjects at the end of Year 11.

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better?

Teachers present information clearly and recap previous learning regularly. This helps pupils to remember essential subject content. Pupils in Year 10, for example, used their previous learning about class structure to help them understand the deeper themes in ‘An Inspector Calls’. Staff check what pupils have learned regularly. At times, teaching does not check pupils’ understanding systematically in lessons before introducing new content. This limits pupils’ development of subject-specific knowledge and skills.

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better?

The school ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified as soon as they join the school. Teachers are clear about the 19 and 21 September 2023 individual needs of pupils from their regular training. This helps them to adapt their teaching effectively. Staff monitor the provision for pupils with SEND closely and make sure that pupils get the help they need.

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better?

The school identifies weaker readers and gives additional support for these pupils to develop their fluency and confidence in reading. Staff encourage pupils in Years 7 to 9 to read widely. For example, pupils spoke enthusiastically about the texts they read on the school’s online reading programme. However, for older pupils, the school does not promote pupils’ wider reading of high-quality texts so effectively.

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better?

The school sets clear expectations around attendance and punctuality. Pupils respond well to these so that attendance is high. Pupils conduct themselves well around the school and in lessons. Reminders in classrooms help them to follow the school rules of ‘ready, respect, safe’.

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better?

The school has a well-planned programme of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. This includes coverage of the statutory content for relationships and sex education. The school invites external speakers to deliver some aspects of PSHE, such as teaching pupils about the risks of gang crime and radicalisation. Pupils are encouraged to be respectful of other religions and they enjoy visiting different places of worship. Pupils are taught about British values in assemblies and in citizenship lessons. For example, pupils spoke about the different types of democracy and the importance of challenging stereotypes. Pupils receive a well- planned programme of careers guidance, including opportunities for work experience and impartial advice from a careers adviser.

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better?

Staff said that their workload is manageable and appreciated the support they get from leaders. However, there are few opportunities for teachers to develop their subject-specific knowledge further. Leaders, including the proprietor body, are keenly aware of their statutory duties. They have rigorous systems in place to ensure that the independent school standards are maintained. Leaders at all levels are committed to improving the school further and have the capacity to do so.

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better?

The school has ensured that the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 are met.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Sometimes, opportunities for teachers to develop and extend their subject- specific expertise are limited. In some subjects, this affects how well teachers implement the curriculum and check pupils’ learning. The school should ensure 19 and 21 September 2023 that all teachers have opportunities to develop their subject-specific expertise to further strengthen the implementation of the curriculum.  In Years 10 and 11, pupils do not have regular opportunities to enjoy and access a wide range of literature. The school should ensure that a love of reading is promoted for all pupils by ensuring pupils have access to a wider range of high- quality texts in Years 10 and 11.

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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. 19 and 21 September 2023

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School details

Unique reference number 132848 DfE registration number 320/6501

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School details

Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest

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School details

Inspection number 10267626 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Proprietor Lantern of Knowledge Educational Trust

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School details

Email address info@lanternofknowledge.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 to 15 July 2021 19 and 21 September 2023

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Information about this school

 The school is an independent Muslim secondary school for boys.  The school is registered for pupils aged 10 to 16. All pupils currently on roll are between the ages of 11 and 16.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.  At the previous standard inspection in July 2021, the school’s overall effectiveness was judged as requires improvement. The school had a progress monitoring inspection in May 2022. The school met all of the independent standards that were checked during that inspection.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher, the chair of the trust board and a governor. The lead inspector had a telephone conversation with the local authority designated officer for safeguarding.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: art, English, mathematics and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons where available, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors talked to leaders and pupils about other subjects. They looked at

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Information about this inspection

curriculum plans, sampled pupils’ work and visited lessons in a range of subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of evidence to check compliance with the independent school standards. 19 and 21 September 2023  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents and responses to the online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jude Wilson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Hannah Glossop His Majesty’s Inspector 19 and 21 September 2023 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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