The School of the Islamic Republic of Iran

School progress monitoring inspection report

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The School of the Islamic Republic of Iran 100 Carlton Vale, London NW6 5HE

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(2), 2(2)(a), 2(2)(e) to 2(2)(e)(iii)  The previous progress monitoring inspection found the school’s plans to provide pupils with high-quality careers information, education, advice and guidance (CIEAG) had been strengthened. However, leaders were only just beginning to implement them.  This inspection found some clear improvements to the school’s CIEAG offer. For example, careers education now features as part of both the citizenship curriculum for pupils in Years 7 to 9 and the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum for pupils in Years 10 and 11. Pupils in Year 10 have attended a careers fair, and pupils in Year 11 have accessed personalised guidance from a visiting careers adviser. However, while these are positive steps forward, the current CIEAG offer remains limited overall. Pupils in year groups below Year 11 do not receive sufficiently impartial CIEAG. Many

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Main inspection findings

pupils spoken to were unclear about the range of career options available to them and the steps they would need to take in order to pursue them. As many pupils of secondary age continue to miss out on the impartial support they need to make well-informed choices about their future careers, the relevant independent school standard (the standard) remains unmet.  This inspection also found that the curriculum no longer provides pupils of secondary age with experience of aesthetic and creative or technological education. Art and design and computing have not been included in pupils’ timetables since September 2023.  As a result, the previously unmet standards checked in this part remain unmet. In addition, standard 2(2)(a) is now also unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7 to 7(b)  At the previous inspection, leaders and staff had not read or been trained in line with the latest ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (September 2023) guidance. The school’s safeguarding policy did not pay regard to this statutory guidance. Leaders still did not have a confident working knowledge of their safeguarding responsibilities.  This inspection found the school’s safeguarding policy and training programme now reflect the latest statutory guidance. Leaders deal suitably with concerns when they arise, and all pupils spoken to confirmed they feel safe and well looked after at school.  Arrangements for the filtering and monitoring of pupils’ use of the school’s online network remain unclear. The documentation of concerns, referrals made and actions taken lack rigour. The inspection also identified concerns around site security and the

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Main inspection findings

recording of vetting checks on external consultants.  The standard checked in this part remains unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1) to 34(1)(c)  The previous inspection found leaders had taken some suitable actions which meant some of the unmet standards from October 2022 were judged to be met. However, they had still not ensured that the school had a suitably rigorous safeguarding culture and proposals to improve CIEAG were brand new.  This inspection found the school to have made some further progress since September 2023, both in relation to safeguarding and CIEAG. However, leaders’ work is not secure enough to meet the standards, and further concerns about the curriculum have been identified.  Though leaders continue to make small steps of progress overall, there is a continued lack of capacity to meet all the standards securely and consistently.  The standard checked in this part remains unmet.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet 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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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

Proprietor The Embassy of Iran in London

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 11 to 13 October 2022

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Information about this school

 This is an Islamic independent school in Brent run by the Embassy of Iran in London.  The school’s previous inspection was a progress monitoring inspection in September 2023. The school’s last graded inspection was in October 2022.  The school is registered for 81 pupils aged six to 16 years. Currently, 91 pupils are on roll. The school is therefore operating beyond its registration agreement with the Department for Education as it has exceeded the maximum number of pupils on roll that it is registered to admit.  The school makes 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 second progress monitoring inspection since the school’s previous graded inspection in October 2022. The inspection was conducted without notice.  The focus of the inspection was to check whether the school complied with particular requirements within parts 1, 3 and 8 of the standards.  Inspection activities included meetings with the headteacher, the deputy designated safeguarding lead and four groups of pupils. Inspectors also toured the premises and met with the school’s new consultant.  Inspectors reviewed a range of evidence to check compliance with the previously unmet

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Information about this inspection

standards.  In addition to inspecting the requirements of the standards that were judged to be unmet at the previous inspection, inspectors also considered the school’s wider safeguarding arrangements, including the availability of a published safeguarding policy and the single central record. The requirements in parts 4 and 6 of the standards are met.

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Inspection team

James Waite, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain unmet at 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(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are- 2(2)(e) for pupils receiving secondary education, access to accurate, up-to-date careers guidance that- – 2(2)(e)(i) is presented in an impartial manner; – 2(2)(e)(ii) enables them to make informed choices about a broad range of career options; and – 2(2)(e)(iii) helps to encourage them to fulfil their potential.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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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 – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

Standards that were met at the previous inspection, but are now judged to not be met at 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(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are- – 2(2)(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education. 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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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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