Assunnah Primary School

Inspection of Assunnah Primary School 565 A, High Road, Tottenham N17 6SB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to come to school each day. They arrive early and attend exceptionally well. Pupils are happy and safe at school. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics. Teaching does not have equally high expectations in other subjects. As a result, pupils do not have the opportunity to develop depth of knowledge in all curriculum areas. In early years, children learn successfully across different areas of learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, pupils have strong attitudes to learning. Staff encourage the school values to prioritise tolerance, respect and patience. Pupils practise these through strong working relationships with their peers and staff. Pupils can speak to a trusted adult if they have any concerns. They value the school’s ‘house’ system. This encourages pupils to develop a healthy spirit of competition. Each week, they accumulate points for good work, behaviour and attendance. Pupils get certificates for being reader, mathematician, Qur’an reader or Arabic student of the week. They are excited about participating in regular spelling and times tables competitions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy having a say in the running of their school. As members of the school council, pupils have responsibilities. Some help to maintain the school environment. Others are internet safety councillors.

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better?

The school offers a broad curriculum. Leaders have prioritised English and mathematics as well as pupils’ Islamic studies. They have developed the curriculum in mathematics. It starts well in the early years, where pupils gain an understanding of numbers to 10. Children learn the names and the properties of two and three- dimensional shapes. This prepares them well for Year 1.

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better?

There is not enough time for pupils to study some subjects, such as art and computing. For example, younger pupils study art for two weeks each half term. This makes it difficult for them embed any depth of knowledge. Pupils struggle to recall content that they have previously been taught.

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better?

The school has emphasised the importance of reading. Staff who teach early reading have received the appropriate phonics training. They check that pupils read books which match the sounds that they are learning. Staff assess how pupils are getting on with their reading. They provide extra support for those who need it. Over time, pupils decode unfamiliar words with increasing accuracy and confidence. Older pupils enjoy reading in English lessons and in tutor time. They speak with enthusiasm about the books and authors they have enjoyed.

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better?

In many subjects, the curriculum is less well developed. The school has not thought enough about the important knowledge that pupils should learn. Typically, teaching does not build on key content that pupils have learned previously. Pupils are unclear about which knowledge belongs to which subject. This means pupils are not fully 5 to 7 December 2023 prepared for future learning. The school has not made sure that staff have regular training to develop their subject knowledge. As a result, teaching does not routinely identify and address misconceptions in pupils’ work.

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better?

In the early years, the curriculum is ambitious. It is well-sequenced and tailored to children’s interests. Staff have strong understanding of how to develop children’s speech and language. They identify the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) early. Staff ensure that children get the focused help they need. On the primary site, providing appropriate support for the small number of pupils with SEND is at an earlier stage of development.

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better?

The school has introduced a consistent approach to behaviour management. Low- level disruption happens rarely. Even the very youngest children settle to their learning quickly. Staff feel well-supported by leaders in the management of pupils’ behaviour. There are high expectations of pupils’ attendance and punctuality. Staff share these with pupils and parents and carers regularly.

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better?

Through the school values, pupils learn to celebrate each other’s differences. They learn about the variety of religious beliefs represented in modern Britain. The school has introduced regular outings to bring pupils’ learning of the curriculum to life. Pupils visit places of cultural interest. This term they have been to Kew Gardens and the London Transport Museum. Pupils enjoy taking part in football, archery, drama, cooking, art and friendship clubs after school.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that the independent school standards are met consistently. Leaders check that the school complies with the Equality Act 2010. Due to a lack of capacity, leaders are hindered in making further improvements to the quality of education. Staff are proud to work at the school. Leaders take account of their workload. Parents see the school as a welcoming and family-oriented environment.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In the foundation subjects, the school has not identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn over time. As a result, pupils do not build a deep body of subject-specific knowledge sequentially. The school needs to identify the key content pupils need to learn in the foundation subjects and in what order. It should also ensure that teachers have the expertise to teach those subjects with confidence so that they can identify and address any misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge and understanding.  The school’s leadership has too many responsibilities. This limits leaders’ ability to make improvements, including to the quality of education. The school must make 5 to 7 December 2023 sure that leadership capacity is strengthened so that it can identify and address areas for improvement quickly.

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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. 5 to 7 December 2023

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School details

Unique reference number 135988 DfE registration number 309/6088

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School category

Independent school Age range of pupils 2 to 11

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School category

Number of part-time pupils 11 [early years]

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School category

Email address hodan.y@assunnahschool.co.uk

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School category

Dates of previous inspection 12 to 14 October 2021 5 to 7 December 2023

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Information about this school

 Assunnah Primary School is an independent Muslim day school.  The school’s last standard inspection took place in October 2021.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school uses no alternative provision.  There are no pupils with an education, health and care plan.  Arabic and Islamic studies are taught as part of the timetable.  The primary school shares its site with a mosque complex. The early years provision operates from a separate site across the road from the school at 594 High Road, Tottenham N17 9TA.

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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

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

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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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors spoke with the proprietor, a member of the governing body and the headteacher.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and pupils’ books for some other 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors toured both sites and reviewed a range of documentation to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. 5 to 7 December 2023

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Inspection team

Lisa Strong, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Jaeggi Ofsted Inspector 5 to 7 December 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 looked after children, 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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