Iqra Primary Academy

Inspection of IQRA Primary Academy Drummond Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD8 8DA

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Inspection dates: 31 October and 1 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Andrea Ives. This school is part of iExel Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Professor M. Khurshid Khan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ali Jan Haider.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Iqra Primary Academy as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. However, the academy received an urgent inspection under section 8 of the Act on 17 April 2018. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is an overwhelming feeling of respect and acceptance in this school. Pupils are consistently kind and encouraging to each other. Pupils listen carefully when classmates are speaking, and they help when their classmates need it. They thoroughly enjoy their time in school, in lessons and outside.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve. This is particularly the case for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is ambitious and helps pupils to learn and use important knowledge and vocabulary. Pupils who need extra support get it so that they can be successful in what they are doing.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ ability to manage their own behaviour is exceptional. Pupils know the rules and routines in the school so well that they need almost no reminding of what to do or how to behave. They come inside after breaktimes quickly and independently with no time lost whatsoever. Throughout the day they are focused on what they are doing and maximise every minute of their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They appreciate all its unique features like the science classrooms and the wide range of clubs such as cheerleading and coding. Pupils gain a huge amount of cultural knowledge about Bradford and all its diversity. They go to the literature festival and visit places of worship in order to understand their place in the community. As one pupil said to an inspector, ‘Everyone can find their place here.’

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better?

Trustees have a clear understanding of what is happening in the school. They are well informed by local governors. They have ensured that recent changes in the school have been as smooth as possible. The school has a clear understanding of what is working well and what more needs to be done.

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better?

The school has made sure that books and reading are ever-present for pupils. Staff in the early years read books to children with energy and enthusiasm. Children join in and complete rhymes to help with their vocabulary. Children are also taught how to read sounds in words through the phonics programme. Younger pupils read books matched to these sounds. Pupils enjoy reading books together as a class and discuss the characters in them. Pupils are keen to take books home to read. They enjoy reading and having the chance of receiving a prize from the reading vending machines.

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better?

The school has defined the knowledge that pupils need across a range of subjects. The early years provides a rich curriculum for children to use as a foundation for future learning. The school recognises that in some foundation subjects some of this knowledge needs to be broken down into smaller steps. Currently, sometimes this is 31 October and 1 November 2023

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not as well defined and teachers are not as clear in the important knowledge to cover.

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Pupils talk about science and mathematics with deep understanding, using accurate vocabulary. Teachers are highly knowledgeable about these subjects themselves. They stop and explain important information so that pupils can fully understand important concepts. In some other subjects, or areas of learning in the early years, some staff are not as confident in their subject knowledge. This means that they sometimes miss opportunities to check what pupils have remembered.

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Teachers use assessment well. This is particularly strong when they are clear on the small steps of progress that pupils need to make. They use this information to change their activity or give extra help to those who need it. Leaders have rightfully brought in more ways to check what pupils know and can do without the need for more formal testing. Staff appreciate this as it has reduced their workload. It has helped them to focus more on checking how well pupils are keeping up with the curriculum.

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Staff know the pupils in the school well. Leaders keep clear records of any incidents, such as bullying, and deal with problems swiftly. Leaders also keep a close eye on pupils whose attendance is low. They provide support and challenge to these families to make sure that pupils improve their attendance. The attendance of pupils in the school is high.

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Pupils with SEND achieve well at the school. Staff are very clear about what their specific circumstances are. Staff provide support and resources for pupils so that any barriers to their success are reduced or removed. For example, staff have a strong understanding of the gaps that some pupils with SEND have in their phonics knowledge. They then prepare specific reading texts for them. This means that they can be successful in all subjects as this is not holding them back.

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Pupils develop an incredible sense of maturity and tolerance in the school. Young children talk with a deep understanding about the need to treat others kindly. Trustees and leaders have invested a vast amount of time and resource in the enrichment offer across the school. This is intelligently woven through the whole curriculum. Pupils understand complex concepts such as democracy with a depth that is remarkable.

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The school knows that some parents and carers would like more communication with them about what is happening in the school. Leaders are building up relationships with the community by opening the school’s doors and inviting parents in. There are now many opportunities for parents to see all the things that are happening in school, such as picnics in Nursery or reading workshops.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, teachers do not break down the high-level end- points of knowledge into small enough component parts. In these cases, teachers are not clear on what it is exactly that pupils need to remember. The school should break down these end-points into ordered sequences of learning that help pupils build up knowledge cumulatively.  Some staff do not have the subject knowledge needed to deliver some parts of the curriculum to a high level. As a result, some misconceptions from pupils are not picked up quickly. Some knowledge that pupils need is not retrieved as well as it could be. The school should train all staff to have the subject knowledge that they need across subjects and areas of learning.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 31 October and 1 November 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new principal took up post in April 2022.  There is a breakfast club that runs each day before school.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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 Inspectors met with school leaders, trustees, members of the local governing body and the CEO about their evaluation of the school and any improvement planning.  To evaluate the quality of education, inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, art and design, and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum for physical education, music and computing and visited some lessons in design technology.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.

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 Pupils were spoken to in groups and individually about their experiences of coming to the school.  Inspectors evaluated all the responses from parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and spoke to some parents at collection and drop off.  Alongside the school’s special educational needs coordinator, inspectors visited pupils with SEND in lessons and checked how their individual plans were being used by teachers.

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Inspection team

Matthew Knox, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Taylor Ofsted Inspector 31 October and 1 November 2023

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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