Zakariya Primary School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Zakariya Primary School 447-451 Romford Road, Forest Gate, London, E7 8AB

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(1)(b), 2(1)(b)(i), 3, 3(a), 3(c), 3(d), 3(e), 3(g)  At the school’s previous progress monitoring inspection in October 2023, the curriculum policy and long-term teaching plans had been overhauled to ensure the curriculum was broader and more ambitious than before. This was the case for all year groups, including Year 6. Staff were receiving training, including in the teaching of phonics and reading. Checks on pupils’ learning were more regular and had a clearer focus. The school had invested in appropriate teaching resources and reading books. The school had also appointed a coordinator for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, a range of strategies and processes had been put in place to support pupils with SEND. However, the school was at an early stage of implementing all these changes, and they were not fully embedded. Staff training had begun and was

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Main inspection findings

ongoing and curriculum thinking was a work in progress.  The school has continued to develop its curriculum thinking and staff training. Leaders have invested in commercial schemes for all areas of the curriculum. Staff have received training in all schemes, and the school has invested in ongoing consultancy support and coaching from the scheme providers. The schemes cover the aims of the national curriculum and clearly define the knowledge and skills that pupils need to know and remember in each subject area. With the support of the coordinator for pupils with SEND, teachers plan their lessons to meet the needs of pupils of all abilities.  Teachers are making good use of the scheme resources and training to plan effective lessons across the curriculum. Pupils’ books show that teachers are selecting appropriate activities in lessons to deliver the intended curriculum. As a result, pupils are acquiring

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Main inspection findings

the intended knowledge and skills to improve their understanding. This also includes those pupils with SEND. Staff make good use of the curriculum training they receive and are confident to deliver lessons across the full breadth of the curriculum. The school’s assessment policy is implemented in the classroom, and this can be seen in pupils’ books.  The independent school standards checked in this part are now met. Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 32(1)(c)  The school has an up-to-date safeguarding policy that takes account of current government requirements. This policy is available to parents and carers on request. All staff receive regular face-to-face and online safeguarding training. Staff are kept informed about any ongoing issues during daily staff briefing meetings. Leaders with designated responsibility for safeguarding are also up to date with the latest training.

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Main inspection findings

Staff know who to report concerns to within the school and the local authority. Leaders work closely with the local authority safeguarding team. Pupils know who they should speak to if they have concerns. They are confident they will be listened to.  The independent school standards checked in this part are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)  At the previous progress monitoring inspection, leaders and governors had taken the findings of the previous inspection seriously. They had prioritised securing improvements in safeguarding, staff recruitment processes and pupils’ behaviour. They had started work on improving the curriculum, but this work was not fully embedded. Leaders had also upgraded the premises to ensure they were safe and appropriate for pupils to learn. However, work on the curriculum was not far enough advanced for the independent school standards in this part to be met.  Leaders’ post-inspection action plan included suitable actions to achieve improvements, but some timescales and success criteria were deemed unrealistic and as such the action plan was judged unacceptable.  There have been several leadership changes since the last progress monitoring

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Main inspection findings

inspection and the submission of the action plan. The school now has a new chair of the proprietor body who is committed to providing a high-quality education to all pupils. The governing body has been strengthened, including with the recruitment of a headteacher from a local independent school. The school also recruited a consultant to work with leaders and governors to make the improvements that had been identified. Leaders and governors now have a good understanding of the independent school standards. They have reviewed their policies and they understand how to implement these policies to achieve improvement. Leaders have ensured that staff have the training they need to deliver the planned curriculum. In addition, the headteacher is undertaking a recognised headteacher qualification.  The independent school standards checked in this part are now met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if- – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub- paragraph – (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and – 2(1)(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work- – 2(1)(b)(i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan; and  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; – 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; – 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 28 to 30 March 2023

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Information about this school

 Zakariya Primary School is an independent primary day school with an Islamic ethos. The school is situated in the same building as Forest Gate Mosque at 447 – 451 Romford Road, Forest Gate, London, E7 8AB.  There has been a change in the chair of the proprietor body since the last inspection.  The previous inspection was a progress monitoring inspection in October 2023.  Leaders make no use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This was the school’s second progress monitoring inspection since its last standard inspection in March 2023. The inspection was conducted without notice.  Since the previous progress monitoring inspection, leaders were asked to submit an action plan. This was judged by Ofsted to be not acceptable in January 2024 and was subsequently rejected by the Department for Education.  The inspector met with the headteacher, who is also the designated safeguarding lead. He also met the deputy designated safeguarding leads and two members of the local governing body. The inspector met with a group of staff and a group of pupils from

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Information about this inspection

Years 5 and 6. He reviewed a range of documents, including policies and curriculum plans.

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Inspection team

Mark Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Parent View You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/ofsted .

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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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