Abu Bakr Boys School

Abu Bakr Boys School

Address: 154-156 Wednesbury Road, Walsall, WS1 4JJ Unique reference number (URN): 135483

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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 Expected standard

There are robust systems in place for tracking and monitoring attendance. Any absence is followed up with tenacity and rigour. Pupils attend regularly, with rates in line with the national average. Leaders have clear plans in place for pupils with low attendance. The school’s work with these pupils and their families is effective. Some pupils show demonstrable improvement in their attendance over time.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Across the school, pupils generally behave well. They are polite to visitors. Pupils want to learn more. Behaviour is best when pupils are fully engaged in learning, and this happens where teaching is most effective. Pupils generally take their lessons seriously and move calmly around school. They learn in an environment where discrimination and bullying are not tolerated. Pupils are confident that any bullying is dealt with by staff. Relationships are typically warm and respectful. Staff uphold high expectations and apply rules fairly and consistently. Leaders have an informed understanding of behaviour in the school.

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Achievement Needs attention

While published outcomes show attainment in English and mathematics is broadly in line with national averages, previously high-attaining pupils do not attain as well as expected. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and disadvantaged pupils, lack consistently effective support. Consequently, gaps in their knowledge are not closing quickly enough.

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Achievement Needs attention

Teachers use limited strategies to address gaps in reading, writing and spelling. Pupils also have too few opportunities to develop a love of reading. Achievement across subjects beyond English and mathematics remains inconsistent. In some subjects, pupils are not prepared well for future education, employment or training.

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Achievement Needs attention

In these areas, staff’s limited subject knowledge leads to inconsistencies in curriculum delivery, leaving gaps in pupils’ knowledge over time. However, where specialists teach subjects well, pupils make progress through the curriculum. In these subjects, pupils’ books demonstrate clear progress in learning. Pupils remember key knowledge and speak confidently about their work.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have not embedded effective systems to check how well pupils achieve across all subjects. Consequently, staff do not identify and address gaps in learning quickly enough. Leaders also lack a clear understanding of how effectively staff deliver the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teaching remains variable across subjects. Some staff lack the subject knowledge needed to adapt learning for different pupils’ needs. Consequently, pupils typically complete the same work regardless of their starting points. Teaching does not consistently help all pupils learn and make progress well. Pupils have too few opportunities to develop foundational skills. The school provides very few reading books for pupils to choose independently. Consequently, pupils do not develop a love of reading or catch up quickly enough.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Too often, teachers work outside their subject expertise, creating inconsistencies in teaching quality. As a result, pupils do not always build knowledge securely over time. However, where teaching is effective, pupils learn and remember more. Teachers use strong subject knowledge to build learning on previous content. For example, pupils discuss poetry confidently and explain scientific concepts using accurate vocabulary. Pupils’ books show clear progress towards intended curriculum outcomes.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The school has not established an effective step-by-step approach to identifying and addressing pupils’ needs. Some staff lack training to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and other learning barriers. Staff do not review support plans frequently enough to meet pupils’ changing needs. Consequently, pupils do not receive support when they need it most. As a result, pupils with barriers to learning do not achieve as well as they could.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The school remains at an early stage of implementing systems to support pupils with barriers. Skilled and knowledgeable staff do not have enough time to carry out this work effectively. Consequently, these systems do not improve pupils’ progress consistently enough.

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Inclusion Needs attention

However, pupils with SEND are included well within the school community. They learn alongside their peers and enjoy socialising together at breaktimes.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils do not benefit from a programme of trips and visits to enhance their learning. The school also offers no clubs to develop pupils’ talents and interests. This means pupils have too few opportunities to broaden their experiences and try new activities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders have designed a well-considered personal development programme that reflects the local community context. Consequently, pupils learn about current issues and events relevant to their lives. Pupils learn about different world religions and compare these with their own beliefs. This helps pupils understand themselves, their community and the wider world.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

The school threads fundamental British values throughout the wider curriculum, assemblies and discussions. Pupils reflect on moral choices, social responsibilities and the impact of their actions on others. These opportunities help pupils consider different perspectives and develop their personal values.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils learn about relationships and sex education in an age-appropriate way. Teaching includes consent, healthy relationships, respect and tolerance through the personal development programme.

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Urgent improvement

The school’s careers programme prepares pupils for education, employment and future training opportunities. Younger pupils learn how teamwork skills, developed through sport, apply within the workplace. Staff support older pupils effectively to apply for their next steps.

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Urgent improvement

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, both physically and when online. Key staff provide effective pastoral support that helps pupils attend school regularly.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leadership capacity is currently limited following significant unexpected recent changes within the school. Leaders have not taken sufficient action to improve identified weaknesses in the school’s work. The proprietor and trustees have failed to ensure all independent school standards are met.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

A fire damaged the premises and leaders have taken too long to complete repairs. Consequently, parts of the site remain poorly maintained. Leaders have also failed to address staffing shortages quickly enough. They increase existing staff workloads and deploy staff from other proprietor-owned schools. Consequently, leaders cannot fulfil their responsibilities as effectively as they should. Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), therefore, lacks sufficient effectiveness.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The proprietor does not consider staff workload and wellbeing carefully enough. Staff morale remains low. Leaders ask teachers to cover lessons when colleagues are absent. Sometimes this is at short notice. On these occasions, teachers have less time to prepare their own lessons effectively. Leaders have not provided professional development to strengthen teaching practice or SEND support. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The school collaborates with other schools owned by the proprietor. However, leaders do not engage with the wider professional community sufficiently. Consequently, they miss opportunities to quality assure provision and strengthen improvement planning.

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

Pupils’ experiences in lessons are inconsistent and they do not learn as well as they could. Too many lessons are taught by cover teachers without subject expertise. Leaders do not identify pupils’ individual needs effectively, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff, therefore, do not adapt work to meet pupils’ different learning needs appropriately. Pupils ready for greater challenge complete the same work as their peers too often.

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

The school provides very few reading books for pupils to access independently. Consequently, pupils do not read a broad range of texts regularly enough. Pupils, therefore, have limited opportunities to develop a love of reading. These weaknesses continue because the proprietor does not provide effective oversight of the school.

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

Pupils do not access a wide range of enrichment opportunities beyond the classroom. This means that pupils have too few opportunities to develop their talents and interests further.

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

However, Abu Bakr Boys School provides a welcoming environment, where pupils feel safe and cared for. The school’s Islamic ethos promotes a strong culture of respect across the community. Staff and pupils usually maintain positive relationships with one another. Pupils enjoy attending school and attendance remains strong overall.

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

Leaders hold high expectations for pupils’ behaviour across the school. Pupils behave well and welcome visitors politely and respectfully. Lunchtimes are harmonious and pupils socialise positively with their peers. Pupils enjoy playing football together in the playground.

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

Pupils know who to approach if they have concerns or worries. Leaders and staff respond appropriately when pupils report bullying incidents. Pupils also share suggestions and concerns through the school’s worry box.

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

The school’s personal development programme helps pupils understand the world around them more confidently. Pupils learn about different world religions and discuss healthy lifestyle choices thoughtfully. For example, pupils debate current issues, including the dangers associated with vaping. Staff also teach pupils about democracy and the rule of law. These experiences help pupils understand fundamental British values more securely.

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Next steps

The proprietor must strengthen leadership capacity, so leaders meet all independent school standards effectively. The proprietor must address staffing shortages, so staff workload and wellbeing improve. Leaders should train staff to identify and support pupils with barriers to learning effectively. Leaders should routinely check pupils’ progress to identify and address gaps in foundational knowledge and skills. Leaders should ensure teachers have sufficient time, training and resources to deliver the curriculum effectively. Leaders should provide more trips, experiences and clubs to broaden pupils’ horizons and develop their interests.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this 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 requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. 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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Independent school standards

Inspectors spoke with the proprietor, headteacher, advisory headteacher and other leaders.

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Independent school standards

The name of the proprietor is Mohammed Luqman.

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Independent school standards

The fees currently charged are £3,000 annually.

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Independent school standards

The email address of the school is info@abbs.walsall.sch.uk

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Independent school standards

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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Independent school standards

This school is registered as having an Islamic character.

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Independent school standards

The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 2(1)

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if–

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Independent school standards

(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

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Independent school standards

(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work– (i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan; and

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Independent school standards

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are–

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Independent school standards

(h) that all pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress; and

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Independent school standards

Paragraph 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school– (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; (b) fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves; (c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; (d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; (e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; (f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range; (g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils' work regularly and

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Independent school standards

thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress;

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Independent school standards

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

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Independent school standards

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

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

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Independent school standards

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met:

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school premises and the accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard

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Lead inspector:

Corinne Biddell, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Melanie Callaghan-Lewis, Ofsted Inspector Andrew Washbourne, His Majesty's Inspector such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured.

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Team inspectors:

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that–

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Team inspectors:

(a) suitable drinking water facilities are provided;

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Team inspectors:

6. Provision of information Standards met

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Team inspectors:

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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Team inspectors:

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards not met

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Team inspectors:

The following standards have not been met:

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Team inspectors:

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–

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Team inspectors:

(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; (b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and (c) actively promote the wellbeing of pupils.

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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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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

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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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