Rawdhatul Uloom

Rawdhatul Uloom

Address: Jamia Masjid-E-Farooq-Azam, North Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 1LU Unique reference number (URN): 135219

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Insufficient evidence: Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether safeguarding standards are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for attendance. Pupils attend school well. Attendance at the school is above the national average, with steady year-on-year increases. Leaders check attendance closely and act early when concerns arise. They work innovatively with families to remove barriers to attendance, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Attendance for pupils with SEND and for those who face other disadvantages is high. Absence is rare.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are extremely polite, well mannered and enthusiastic about their learning. Pupils talk animatedly about what they have learned and achieved. They demonstrate a palpable love of learning. Classrooms are hives of activity where no time is wasted. This is because the whole school community understands the ‘golden rules’. All staff have high expectations for behaviour, and pupils respond positively to this. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and respectful. Older pupils are excellent role models to younger pupils. Children in the early years get into good habits from the outset. They develop their independence through daily routines such as putting on their own coat, taking off their shoes and tidying away their games.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Underpinned by an insightful knowledge of pupils and their wider community, leaders have devised a comprehensive set of experiences that help to reduce social disadvantage. Pupils regularly experience enrichment activities that broaden their perspectives beyond their immediate environment. They are knowledgeable in their understanding of the wider world, and they gain the skills they need for their future lives. For example, through organised activities such as swimming lessons, trips to nature reserves and taking train journeys, pupils learn to navigate public spaces, cross roads and develop an awareness of potential risks.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The programme for personal development is carefully designed. Leaders review it regularly so that it remains responsive to pupils’ needs. Pupils learn about democracy, equality and tolerance through real, hands-on experiences such as the election of the school council, celebrating World Braille Day and visiting places of worship. They celebrate the faiths and beliefs of others. Additionally, pupils understand the value of looking after their mental and physical health. Children in the Reception class learn important messages about looking after their teeth and the importance of eating healthy foods. Discussions and practical activities help pupils learn about safety and how to keep themselves safe, online and offline. Relationships and health education is taught in a clear, age-appropriate way.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school builds pupils’ social skills particularly well. For example, a ‘linking schools’ project has supported pupils to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences while celebrating what makes them unique. Leadership roles, such as the school council and reading buddies team, give pupils real responsibility.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school has a well-developed offer for pupils to develop their interests. For example, pupils regularly enjoy attending the gardening club, programming club and outdoor cookery.

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Expected standard

They relish planning and organising the school talent show and contributing to local enterprise initiatives and competitions.

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Achievement Expected standard

Staff have a detailed knowledge of pupils’ starting points. They use this information to support pupils to achieve well. In the early years, staff ensure that children learn the building blocks of knowledge that underpin early reading, writing and mathematics through adept teaching and regular assessment. As pupils move up through the school, they build knowledge and gain skills securely. Across the whole curriculum, pupils develop a broad and typically secure body of knowledge over time.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders make sure pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, pupils who speak English as an additional language and disadvantaged pupils receive targeted support, such as additional help with letter formation and additional reading practice. This helps to reduce the impact of barriers to pupils' learning so that pupils achieve well in relation to their starting points. However, for some pupils, more work is needed to help them to secure accuracy and fluency in their handwriting, particularly as they move up the school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a varied and balanced curriculum. From the start of the early years onwards, careful thought has been given to what pupils are taught and the order in which pupils should build their knowledge. This helps to ensure that pupils secure important foundations for future learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Across key stages, typically, teachers deliver the curriculum well. In the early years, children benefit from language-rich activities. In most subjects, teachers use their expert subject knowledge to design activities that help pupils learn subject content well. Pupils are given ample opportunities to regularly recap their prior learning. This helps them to tackle more complex ideas later on. However, in a small number of subjects, the learning activities set by teachers do not always help pupils to secure key knowledge. On these occasions, pupils do not learn as deeply as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

As soon as children start in the Reception Year, they learn the essential basics of reading, writing and mathematics. Since the previous inspection, leaders have strengthened the school’s approach to phonics. Reading is taught well. Leaders make sure pupils who need extra help with reading, including pupils who speak English as an additional language, receive timely support and strengthen their skills. However, writing is not as consistent across all classes. Some older pupils do not apply spelling and handwriting skills accurately in their work.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have forged productive relationships with parents and carers. As a result, children make a smooth start when they join the Reception Year. Children are welcomed warmly by staff they trust. They settle quickly.

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Early years Expected standard

The school has a well-sequenced curriculum so that children secure the key knowledge and skills they require. The school uses its limited space creatively to provide a range of learning activities. This enables children to deepen their understanding across all the required areas of learning. Skilled staff develop children’s language and communication skills. They model appropriate vocabulary, which is reinforced through regular stories, rhymes and songs. This helps children to extend their vocabulary and engage in meaningful interactions. For example, during play, staff talk to children about items in the home area and how they relate to their own homes.

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Early years Expected standard

Effectively trained staff teach phonics daily. This gives children the practice they need to recognise letter sounds and blend these together. Alongside the taught phonics programme, children further reinforce their knowledge of writing corresponding letters with dedicated mark-making sessions. Children develop secure early number skills through purposeful activities and clear adult modelling. Staff check children's starting points, identify their ongoing needs and adapt learning for each child. Children who start school below age- related expectations, and those who speak English as an additional language, typically make positive progress from their starting points in readiness for Year 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

All pupils’ needs at the school, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other disadvantages, are swiftly identified, checked and addressed. Staff know vulnerable pupils and their individual circumstances well. They work closely with families, and, as and when necessary, with external professionals to provide timely help. Leaders facilitate a range of support so that pupils get what they need.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders track closely how well pupils learn and develop. They evaluate, adapt and refine provision when necessary, so that every pupil receives the right support and guidance at the right time. Additionally, leaders keep a very close eye on those pupils who arrive at the school with little spoken English. They ensure that staff have appropriate training and the right information to support pupils with a range of needs, including speech and language needs. Staff support the needs of these pupils well. For example, they use a range of tools, such as mirrors and sand plates, to help pupils in the early stages of language acquisition practise the sounds of the letters that they know.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders know their school community well. They ensure that any barriers, including those related to finance, do not hinder pupils’ access to the wide range of experiences on offer.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear, accurate and shared understanding of the school’s strengths and next steps for development. There are well-considered plans in place to harness these improvements. The proprietor uses established monitoring and support processes to provide an effective balance of challenge and support to school leaders. Pupils’ best interests are always at the heart of the decisions they make.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, including the proprietor, meet statutory duties, including the independent school standards, with appropriate diligence. They have ensured that pupils are safe, well-educated and that the school has the resources it needs. Staff training is responsively designed to further develop teaching expertise. For example, extra training has been provided so teachers can further develop their support and guidance of pupils’ learning. This is helping them to make meaningful adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who find learning more difficult. Staff value the training and support they receive. Where some staff are still developing their knowledge in a few subjects, leaders have clear plans in place to strengthen this.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, including the proprietor, are highly considerate of staff wellbeing. Staff are proud to work at the school and value the ‘family feel’ that helps them to work closely as a team. They appreciate the efforts that leaders make to reduce their workload, such as the new marking policy.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Leaders’ work to build highly positive relationships with parents from the outset consistently bears fruit.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Rawdhatul Uloom is a place where pupils and children in the early years flourish. Staff have the pupils’ best interests at heart. Pupils know that they are looked after by kind adults who know them well. They are happy, safe and proud to belong to this welcoming school community.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

In lessons, pupils concentrate highly and respond positively to the consistent routines that are in place. Classrooms are calm and harmonious. Pupils show thoughtfulness and respect, embodied by the school’s ‘golden rules’, to their peers and their teachers. Bullying is rare, partly because pupils know leaders do not tolerate it, but mainly because pupils themselves do not accept unkind behaviour. Behaviour is impeccable across the school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Many pupils across the school speak English as an additional language. Staff skilfully identify any language barriers and provide effective support so that pupils can access the curriculum confidently. As a result, these pupils typically achieve well. The school has created a culture where pupils value their learning. It removes barriers to learning so that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, take part fully in school life and achieve well.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school has the highest ambition for every pupil, regardless of their background or circumstance. It wants pupils to broaden their horizons through the rich set of experiences it offers. Pupils enjoy linking their classroom learning to practical experiences. Whether it is using their learning in science to tend to the school’s garden, participating in an animal handling workshop or visiting a local church, pupils value how these visits bring their learning to life. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about outdoor learning, taking part in a

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Independent school standards

workshop with a Paralympian and visiting a theme park. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps.

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Next steps

Leaders should make certain that pupils secure the necessary accuracy and fluency in handwriting and spelling in readiness for their next learning steps. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the subject knowledge and expertise they need to deliver some foundation subjects’ curriculum content consistently well.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this standard inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and checked the school’s compliance with 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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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

This school has a Muslim religious character.

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About this inspection

The school does not use any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school is located at one site at Jamia Masjid-E-Farooq-Azam, North Street, Burnley, Lancashire BB10 1LU.

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About this inspection

The name of the proprietor is Rawdhatul Uloom Primary School CIC. The chair of the proprietor body is Sajid Irshad.

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About this inspection

The school's email address is adminfs@rawdhaprimary.co.uk

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead, during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with a representative of the local authority and the chair of the proprietor body.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Atia Bano Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category.

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About this inspection

1. Quality of education provided Standards met

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About this inspection

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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About this inspection

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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About this inspection

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards met

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About this inspection

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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About this inspection

6. Provision of information Standards met

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About this inspection

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Our grades explained

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards met

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Insufficient evidence

Inspectors were unable to gather reliable enough evidence to grade an evaluation area. This is rare and normally only happens if there are no pupils on roll at the school.

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Insufficient evidence

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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

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