London East Academy

Inspection of London East Academy 46 Whitechapel Road, Whitechapel, London E1 1JX

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Inspection dates: 30 April to 2 May 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding 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 are happy and proud to attend this school. Younger and older pupils help each other readily. If there are any disagreements, pupils report to any member of staff who will investigate and deal with issues swiftly. Pupils enjoy having a say in how the school is run through the students’ council.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are highly ambitious for pupils’ academic achievement and behaviour. This rubs off on pupils. Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. They achieve well. Pupils have high aspirations for their futures. The school’s careers programme prepares pupils well to make choices for their next steps post-16.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught the importance of treating others equally, fairly and with respect. They develop their talents and interests through attending clubs, sporting events and enrichment activities organised by the mosque. Pupils benefit from outings to extend their understanding of the curriculum. They go to the theatre and visit exhibitions. Pupils in Year 7 develop team building skills during the annual residential stay in Gilwell Park. Pupils in Year 10 climb Mount Snowdon each year to raise money for charity. Pupils make a significant contribution to the local community.

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better?

Pupils enjoy a broad curriculum which meets the requirements of the independent school standards. The school’s curriculum encompasses religious and secular subjects. In English, pupils study a wide and varied range of contemporary texts. Pupils study a different Shakespeare play each year. Since the last standard inspection, leaders have developed a more ambitious art curriculum. They have ensured that older pupils have some exposure to creative education.

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better?

In most subjects, the curriculum is well planned and sequenced. The key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn are clearly mapped and revisited. Younger pupils are taught about a range of religions including Christianity. They consider similarities and differences. This lays the foundation for more detailed study of Christianity and Islam at GCSE.

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better?

Staff prioritise the checking of pupils’ recall and understanding of important knowledge. They plan work that requires pupils to go back over prior learning. Teachers adapt the curriculum to address any gaps in pupils’ understanding. Pupils value the feedback that teachers give them. It helps them to improve their work further.

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better?

In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified as precisely the important knowledge that pupils should know and remember. Teaching does not build routinely on the key content that pupils have covered before. This means that sometimes pupils are not as well prepared for future learning. 30 April to 2 May 2024 Pupils read fluently. The school provides useful one-to-one support for any pupils who need to develop reading confidence. Pupils visit the school’s mobile library regularly to borrow books to read. A member of staff helps them to select suitable books to develop their love of reading.

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better?

Teachers provide helpful resources or tasks so that all pupils can access the curriculum and, where needed, work at their own pace through the curriculum.

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better?

Pupils behave exceptionally well. They concentrate, try hard in class and work well with each other. Pupils understand the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. Leaders are taking effective action to reduce pupils’ rates of absence from school.

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better?

Pupils are extremely well prepared for life in modern Britain. Through personal, social and health education, pupils are taught to stay safe online. They are taught about healthy and respectful relationships and the importance of consent. Pupils encounter fundamental British values through the curriculum, assemblies and school events. Each year they are taught about democracy. They campaign for and elect the school’s head boy and deputy head boy. Pupils are encouraged to gain a strong moral understanding through their charity work.

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better?

The school ensures that pupils are well prepared to take their next steps. Pupils attend careers events both in and out of school. They benefit from opportunities to hear about the careers and professional pathways followed by previous pupils who attended the school. Pupils take part in online work experience. They are knowledgeable about the range of academic and vocational options available to them.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that the independent school standards are met consistently. Members of the governing board and trustees visit the school regularly. They hold leaders to account for the quality of education. Leaders make sure that the school complies with the Equality Act 2010. Staff enjoy working at the school and being part of the team. Although they each have many responsibilities in this small school, staff said they can manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school has not ensured that the important key concepts that pupils need to know and remember have been identified equally well in all subjects. This means some teaching does not build pupils’ cumulative knowledge and link new learning with what pupils have learned before. The school should make sure that staff know what key content should be taught in each subject and in what order and 30 April to 2 May 2024 that teaching routinely revisits the most important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember before moving on to new content.

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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. 30 April to 2 May 2024

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School details

Headteacher Mohammed Badrudduza (also known as Mohammed Badr) Annual fees (day pupils) £4,440

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 to 4 November 2021 30 April to 2 May 2024

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Information about this school

 London East Academy is an independent school with a Muslim ethos.  The school shares the same site as Al-Mizan School for pupils aged seven to 11 and has the same proprietor body, East London Mosque Trust. The two schools have the same governing body. The headteacher of London East Academy is also the headteacher of Al-Mizan School.  There are no pupils with an education, health and care plan.  Since the last standard inspection, the school has been subject to an unannounced emergency inspection. This took place on 22 June 2023.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place in November 2021. The school’s overall effectiveness was judged to be good.  The school uses the facilities at Whitechapel Sports Centre, 55 Durward Street, London, E1 5BA for physical education.  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

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.  This inspection was brought forward because of independent school standards being unmet during an additional emergency inspection.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the chair of the trust and the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science and religious education. 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 spoke to leaders about some other subjects. 30 April to 2 May 2024  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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 scrutinised documentation and toured the school site to check compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

Lisa Strong, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Smith His Majesty’s Inspector 30 April to 2 May 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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