Kobi Nazrul Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Kobi Nazrul Primary School Settles Street, Whitechapel, London E1 1JP

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Kobi Nazrul is at the heart of a diverse and welcoming community. Parents and carers speak positively about the school, valuing the care and support their children receive. Every name is known, and every child is valued. It is a warm, friendly place, where pupils and families thrive. This helps to ensure that pupils feel and are kept safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment children join the nursery, they begin to learn the importance of kindness and following simple rules. Older pupils are thoughtful and considerate, helping to create a calm and respectful environment. This reflects leaders’ high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences that support the development of important personal qualities. They show empathy and responsibility when caring for the school pets, Cookie and Reggie. Pupils take pride in running the school job centre, managing applications for roles, such as leading assemblies and talk circles. These experiences help to build leadership, teamwork and communication skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s culture of ‘everyone is a teacher’ makes every interaction a learning opportunity. In early years, children approach new activities with confidence. Staff nurture their curiosity, independence and resilience. Pupils achieve well and leave well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is prioritised. Beginning in Nursery, children are supported to develop their listening and language by joining in with familiar stories, rhymes and songs. The carefully 20 and 21 May 2025

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designed reading curriculum helps pupils to recognise and apply different sounds. This enables them to read and spell unfamiliar words later on. Pupils’ phonics knowledge is assessed regularly, and any misconceptions are promptly addressed. Pupils who fall behind receive support to help them catch up quickly. Books are carefully matched to the sounds pupils know, helping them to become fluent and confident readers. Pupils talk enthusiastically about reading and particularly enjoy taking part in the school’s annual poetry slam competition.

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The curriculum is ambitious, coherently designed and carefully sequenced. The school has identified the key knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. Staff provide opportunities for pupils to revisit and build on what they know before moving on to more complex ideas. For example, in mathematics, children in early years compare quantities using everyday language, such as ‘full’ and ‘empty’, through water play. Older pupils build on this foundation when learning about capacity and converting units of measurements. Similarly, in history, pupils explore the Industrial Revolution, studying figures such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel and key concepts, such as ‘influence’ and ‘change’. Older pupils deepen their understanding of these ideas when exploring cause and effect in more complex historical events, such as the First and Second World Wars.

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Teachers implement the curriculum well. They promote discussion and encourage pupils to explain their ideas with confidence. This approach deepens pupils’ knowledge and supports their ability to justify and debate their views clearly. Many pupils enter the school at different points in the year, some with limited experience of school and a high proportion speaking English as an additional language. The school’s carefully constructed curriculum and strong provision ensures that all pupils achieve well from their different starting points.

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The school promptly identifies pupils with SEND through careful observations and rigorous assessment procedures. Effective adaptations and targeted support help pupils access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. A wide range of resources, including widgets and visual timetables, are used judiciously to support access to learning. As a result, pupils with SEND make strong progress through the curriculum.

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Children in early years get off to a strong start. They develop key skills through a carefully designed curriculum and well-chosen activities. Visits to the Tower of London and other places of local interest, help develop their language and communication skills. This provides a strong foundation for their future learning.

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Pupils benefit from a rich and well-considered programme that supports their wider development. They take part in a broad range of visits to places of interest, such as the Thames Barrier and Weavers Fields. These experiences help pupils deepen their understanding of environmental protection, engineering and the world beyond school.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are highly respectful of staff and one another. Classrooms are calm and purposeful, allowing learning to flourish. Attendance is strong. The school go above and beyond to support families facing barriers, including those living 20 and 21 May 2025

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outside the local area. They work proactively with external agencies to ensure pupils attend regularly and access the support they need.

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Leaders, including those responsible for governance, have a strong understanding of the school. They are committed to ongoing improvement. Staff report feeling valued and well supported through high-quality coaching, training and manageable workloads. Parents praise the school’s focus on academic achievement and personal development, which prepares pupils extremely well for life in modern Britain.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2019.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 20 and 21 May 2025

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 20 and 21 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.kobinazrul.towerhamlets.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders, teachers and other staff.  The inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. The inspector also spoke with a representative of the Tower Hamlets Education Partnership. 20 and 21 May 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and leaders, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record of pre-employment checks; 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.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation provided by leaders, including their priorities for attendance and school improvement.  The inspector considered the views of parents, pupils and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Dawn Titus, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 May 2025

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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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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