Hazrat Khadijatul Kubra Girls School

Inspection of Hazrat Khadijatul Kubra Girls School 18 Dixon Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands B10 0BP

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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 Good

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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 flourish at this warm and welcoming school which is at the heart of a culturally diverse community. They grow into compassionate, respectful and resilient young adults throughout their time at the school. Pupils show real pride and understanding of their role within wider British society. Leaders have been careful to nurture this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A culture of mutual respect between staff and pupils permeates all that is done across the school. Pupils feel safe here and know who to turn to if they have a concern. Older pupils frequently act as mentors to support younger pupils through their studies. This work helps to build a powerful sense of belonging. Many pupils comment that ‘we are one big family here’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are working hard to grow a culture of academic excellence across the school. This work is developing well. They are building a broad and ambitious curriculum. This is beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ experiences in lessons. The commitment that most pupils show towards their learning in lessons, and around the school, is commendable. Pupils understand the important role that education plays in their lives. Most pupils behave well at school and attend regularly.

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better?

Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils receive an education that gives them the knowledge, skills and qualifications to reach their future potential. Staff share this ambitious vision and work hard to achieve it. Leaders are mindful that many staff are new to teaching and make sure that these teachers receive effective professional development to enhance their early teaching practice. Leaders take careful account of staff’s workload.

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better?

Upon appointment, the headteacher quickly began redeveloping the school’s curriculum. Across most subjects, leaders have planned the curriculum carefully and have set out the knowledge they expect pupils to learn in detail. This knowledge is ordered well. This helps pupils to make sense of their learning and they make strong progress as a result. For example, in art, pupils have a secure understanding of the major movements within the subject and produce high-quality artwork experimenting with a range of materials. Leaders know that this work is ongoing. As such, they will next turn their attention to the history curriculum. They are aware that the precise knowledge that pupils should learn in this subject has not been laid out. Here, pupils’ progress is limited.

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better?

In the main, teachers use assessment well. They spot when errors have been made and adjust their teaching to fill any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This stops pupils from falling behind.

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better?

Pupils who have additional needs are well supported. Teachers understand and meet these needs well, and these pupils make strong progress as a result. 12 to 14 March 2024 There are ample opportunities within the curriculum for reading. Books such as ‘My Past Is a Foreign Country’ and ‘Home Fire’ help pupils engage with important themes that permeate their own lives, such as individuality and feminism within their faith. However, the school does not have a clear understanding of pupils’ reading ability. Consequently, pupils who struggle to read do not receive the targeted support they need to improve.

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better?

Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour are incredibly high. Most pupils meet these expectations consistently. However, some do not. Leaders are at the early stages of beginning to understand the barriers to good behaviour for these pupils. Leaders’ work to ensure that pupils who struggle to attend school, or arrive on time, is beginning to have a positive impact. Together, these steps are shifting the culture of the school in the right direction.

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better?

Pupils’ understanding of their social and moral responsibility is impressive. Leaders provide plenty of opportunities to enhance this. For example, throughout the month of Ramadan, all pupils lead fundraising events for a range of charities. Leaders are rightfully proud of pupils’ role in this work. Presently, there is a limited range of opportunities for pupils to develop their interests outside of the classrooms. Leaders are working to resolve this. Leaders have made sure that pupils receive high-quality information about the world of work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a culture of safeguarding at the school, and pupils are safe here. Leaders have a deep understanding of the risks to pupils in the local area and act quickly to keep pupils safe when needed. However, leaders, including the proprietor body, do not check carefully enough on the quality of record-keeping. Some records of concerns do not contain sufficient information about the concern, or the actions taken. Leaders are beginning to address this.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In history, the school has not defined the precise knowledge that pupils will learn. Where this happens, pupils’ learning does not always build on what has been taught before. This holds pupils back. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is equally well planned across all subjects so that the knowledge to be taught is clearly defined.  Leaders do not have a clear understanding of the gaps in pupils’ reading abilities and effective support is lacking for those who struggle to read. Because of this, some pupils do not learn to read fluently quickly enough. Leaders should ensure they have an accurate view of pupils’ reading ability and provide pupils with the 12 to 14 March 2024 targeted support they need to bridge any gaps in reading.  The proprietor body’s oversight of its work, at times, lacks rigour. While there is a culture of safeguarding, leaders have not made sure that all records of concerns

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

contain the appropriate level of detail. This means that there is a risk that pupils may not receive the help they need at the right time. The proprietor body had not identified this. Leaders, including the proprietor body, should ensure that safeguarding records are sufficiently detailed to outline the detail of the concern, the discussions had and the decisions made.

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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. 12 to 14 March 2024

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School details

Proprietor Hazrat Khadijatul Kubra Girls

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 to 16 May 2019 12 to 14 March 2024

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Information about this school

 Hazrat Khadijatul Kubra Girls School is an independent Islamic school for girls aged 11 to 16. The school is smaller than the average-size secondary school. The school is situated in the Small Heath area of Birmingham and serves a wide catchment area.  Since the previous inspection in May 2019, a new headteacher has been appointed. The new headteacher took up her post in September 2021.  Pupils study the national curriculum at key stage 3 and a range of GCSE courses at key stage 4. Pupils also study Islamic studies.  There are no pupils on roll who have an education, health and care plan. The are no pupils with on roll who have diagnosed special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Pupils come from a range of socio-economic backgrounds. The school does not receive any additional funding for disadvantaged pupils.  The school operates on a single site and does not use 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

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

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  Inspectors spoke with members of the proprietor body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, history, art and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to 12 to 14 March 2024

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Information about this inspection

teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils formally and informally at various points in the inspection.  Inspectors looked at records and spoke to staff in relation to attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Alexander Laney, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Huw Bishop Ofsted Inspector 12 to 14 March 2024 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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