Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Manchester

Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Manchester

Address: 40 Rayburn Way, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M8 8DT Unique reference number (URN): 144745

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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.

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Achievement Exceptional

Pupils, including those with any barriers to their learning, make impressive progress from their starting points across all subjects and year groups. They develop deep and rich bodies of knowledge across the curriculum. This is reflected in pupils’ attainment and progress in examinations at the end of key stage 4, which are consistently above national averages. Disadvantaged pupils’ attainment is particularly noteworthy as it is higher than non- disadvantaged pupils’ attainment nationally.

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Achievement Exceptional

Pupils master the essential knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. They produce work that is high-quality and demonstrates their deep understanding across the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make significant gains in their knowledge and progress as a result of effective teaching and support. Pupils are prepared extremely well for their ambitious next steps in education, employment or training because of the secure knowledge and skills that that they develop.

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Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

Consistently high standards of attendance have been maintained over time, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders swiftly identify and remove any barriers to pupils attending school. For the small number of pupils who face challenges in attending regularly, leaders provide compassionate and tailored support underpinned by a persistent expectation of high attendance for everyone. This has been immensely effective in ensuring that pupils attend school regularly and benefit from the exceedingly high-quality education provided.

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Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are exemplary. When they join the school, pupils quickly develop magnificent learning behaviours. They appreciate the structure provided by the school’s firmly embedded routines, which instil self-discipline and enhance learning. Staff always maintain the highest expectations of behaviour. There is no low-level disruption in lessons. Pupils are highly focused on their learning.

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Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

Pupils who have struggled to behave well in the past are supported exceedingly well. Staff use their deep knowledge of these pupils to help them to make positive choices. These pupils recognise the benefits of behaving well, and they do.

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Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

Pupils are respectful, courteous and polite. Kindness abounds. There is no discriminatory or derogatory language, and bullying is extremely rare. Pupils take great pride in the caring nature of the school’s community.

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Curriculum and teaching Exceptional

The curriculum is meticulously designed to ensure that pupils build knowledge over time. Across all subjects and phases, it is delivered with high levels of consistency and effectiveness. Expert staff make frequent and purposeful checks on pupils’ learning. Staff use this information to address misconceptions swiftly and to adapt future learning with agility. Staff are tenacious in ensuring that pupils remember their learning over time. Learning activities are perfectly matched to the curriculum’s aims and enable pupils to acquire and consolidate their knowledge. Teachers skilfully adapt teaching to meet pupils’ needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Exceptional

Leaders’ impressive oversight of the quality of teaching and learning enable them to make astute decisions about how the curriculum should evolve. Careful consideration is given to matching teachers with particular classes. Leaders’ sophisticated understanding of each subject allows them to design professional development that deepens teachers’ understanding of how pupils learn best and the most effective teaching strategies to use. As a result, pupils’ learning is secured quickly.

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Curriculum and teaching Exceptional

Staff quickly identify any pupils who find reading, writing or mathematics difficult. These pupils receive excellent support to close the gaps in their knowledge, which ensures that they can fully access the curriculum. Teaching consistently develops pupils’ language and vocabulary skills, enabling them to improve and refine their work.

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Inclusion Exceptional

The school’s ‘Every Star Matters’ framework is integral to its work around inclusion. Leaders’ highly analytical approach to ensuring that every pupil is known and understood means that they collect a comprehensive range of information about each pupil. Leaders skilfully use this to pivot support and deploy strategies that remove barriers to pupils’ learning or wellbeing. The precision with which the support is executed, alongside a commitment to a forensic review of impact, ensures that pupils, regardless of any challenges in their lives, exceed national averages for attendance and key stage 4 progress. These pupils experience a deep sense of belonging in the school community.

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Inclusion Exceptional

The additional funding for pupil premium is used wisely to ensure that disadvantaged pupils build resilience and independence so that they can confidently progress into the next stages of education. Well-thought-out and carefully tailored strategies ensure that any barriers to learning are swiftly removed.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Leaders’ early identification of any needs that pupils may have, including special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), swiftly results in the use of deliberate and personalised strategies to support their learning. Expectations of pupils with SEND remain unwaveringly high. They rise to these and play a full and active part in school life.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leadership is the jewel in the school’s crown. The strength of it permeates every aspect of the school’s work and shapes a culture in which all pupils flourish. Nothing is left to chance. Leaders’ and trustees’ meticulous understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further refinement allows them to bring about incremental and sustained improvement. A relentless focus on excellence, supported by rigorously applied processes, drives the school forward. Leaders’ unwavering pursuit of excellence is underpinned by the strong moral imperative to provide every pupil, regardless of need or disadvantage, with the best education. This leadership, bolstered by impressively consistent and highly effective strategies, propels the school from strength to strength. Leaders and the trust work in powerful partnership. Trustees’ and governors’ insightful expertise is used effectively to challenge leaders to demonstrate impact in all aspects of

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

their work. At every level, the best interests of pupils sit firmly at the centre. Leaders’ uncompromising attention to detail and analysis of information ensures that they focus on the right priorities.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leaders extend the most considered hospitality to parents and carers, helping them to feel part of the school community and reinforcing the school’s high standards. Leaders’ commitment to helping to raise standards for all young people compels them to share their expertise in attendance and behaviour with other schools.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Staff benefit from an exemplary programme of professional development, reflected in their skilled delivery of the curriculum. They are proud to play their part in this wonderful school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

The school’s personal development offer transforms pupils’ lives because it opens doors and opportunities that would ordinarily have been closed. Leaders’ determination to break down long-standing glass ceilings is underpinned by the most rigorous processes, wrapped in care and compassion. For example, gender stereotypes are broken down.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Leaders’ intricate knowledge of every pupil, and their systematic identification of those who need support, allows them to precisely shape strategies to meet the needs of individuals. This deeply embedded and highly effective pastoral support contributes significantly to pupils’ ability to thrive and succeed.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Pupils are phenomenally well equipped to take up their place in society. They confidently apply their learning to real-life situations. For example, pupils debate complex moral issues maturely, demonstrate financial awareness and take a keen interest in local government and politics. This is essential preparation for life beyond school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Alongside academic excellence, character development is seamlessly woven into every part of the school’s work. Pupils richly benefit from deliberate teaching, linked to both faith and fundamental British values, which fosters self-belief, empathy and determination. They surpass their own expectations of what they can achieve. Pupils’ wider development bears fruit in their active and meaningful service to the school and the wider community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Pupils eagerly grasp the mantle of a range of leadership roles, from safeguarding ambassador to head girl. They learn how to advocate for themselves and others, while building their confidence and their understanding of how to exert influence. These roles instil pupils with the experience and confidence to aspire to a range of careers and leadership roles after school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

The comprehensive careers package is informed by leaders’ close tracking of pupils’ aspirations. Pupils receive independent advice that helps them to make well-informed and highly aspirational choices about their futures. They are inspired by alumni who return to school and provide a powerful, visible model of ambition and success.

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

Care, compassion and consistency define a pupil’s journey through Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy. Pupils, regardless of any barriers to learning or wellbeing, flourish. The school is an oasis of calm routine that helps pupils to feel safe. Impressive pastoral care helps to securely anchor pupils in the school community so that they feel at ease being themselves. Pupils are highly respectful of each other. Incidents of bullying are extremely rare and, when they do occur, they are resolved swiftly and with sensitivity.

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

From the moment that they join the school, pupils’ ambitions and aspirations accelerate. With quiet determination, pupils pursue excellence in all that they do. This is demonstrated through their attentive focus in lessons, their generous acts of service and their faithfulness to the school’s values. Consequently, all pupils achieve incredibly well and make superb progress from their starting points.

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

Pupils are keen to attend school each day because they do not want to miss out on the rich learning opportunities available to them. The school’s highly inclusive environment and rigorous pastoral systems ensure that every pupil is known and no pupil is unseen. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs expertly met. They thrive in all that they do because of the high-quality support that they receive.

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

Impeccably behaved, eager to learn and self-disciplined pupils are grateful for, and thrive on, the myriad opportunities on offer to them. They speak positively about taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the STAR diploma and ‘Faithful Stars’, alongside a considered range of extra-curricular activities such as calligraphy, Taekwondo and netball. Pupils’ horizons are broadened far beyond academic success. Pupils have a deep sense of service instilled in them. Their charitable works extend beyond the school gates. As such, the school is the beating heart of the community.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Star Academies, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Sir Mufti Hamid Patel CBE, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kamruddin Kothia OBE DL.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the principal, senior leaders, staff, pupils, the CEO, the chair of governors, a representative of the trustee board and a representative of the local authority.

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About this inspection

The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Team inspectors:

Dympna Woods, Ofsted Inspector Craig Yates, Ofsted Inspector Marc Doyle, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: This school is registered as having a Muslim religious character. Its last section 48 inspection was in January 2024. The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

Kulsum Vali : Principal The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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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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Urgent improvement

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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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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