Read Academy Education

Read Academy Education

Address: 34-38 Mansfield Road, Ilford, Essex, Ilford, Essex, IG1 3BD Unique reference number (URN): 139826

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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 make the importance of regular attendance clear to pupils and families and ensure that pupils with strong attendance records are recognised and rewarded. Through establishing positive professional relationships, leaders support families where needed to overcome barriers to attending school regularly. As a result of this work, pupils' attendance rates across phases and year groups are high and have been over time. Persistent absence rates are very low.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders establish high expectations for pupils from the beginning of the early years. In the primary and secondary phases, pupils respond very positively to the school's clear behaviour expectations that encourage pupils to behave well. In Nursery and Reception classes, children line up sensibly and help clear up after eating their lunch. In class, lessons proceed with no disruptions, enabling pupils and staff alike to focus on teaching and learning. At lesson change times, pupils move around the school site sensibly and with purpose. Rates of suspensions from school to deal with serious behaviour issues been very low for many years. Pupils are taught to express their view points respectfully. Leaders have established a culture where any form of discrimination or bullying is wholly unacceptable to both pupils and staff. Pupils are confident that the school's staff would deal swiftly with any issues, were they to arise.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The wide-ranging personal development curriculum, including relationships education, is carefully tailored to the needs of all pupils at the school. Personal development classes sensitively introduce pupils to important topics such as keeping themselves safe. Leaders carefully plan when topics are taught so that learning is maximised. For example, staff teach pupils about healthy eating during Ramadan to support pupils at this time. Leaders also promote pupils' wellbeing. Pupils in the primary and secondary phases are taught and use strategies independently that help them feel better if they are worried.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school ensures that pupils are fully prepared to contribute to society and to safeguard their wellbeing in modern Britain. For example, pupils in the secondary phase speak fluently about checking the reliability of sources when reading news online and understand the emerging potential risks of artificial intelligence. They also have extensive knowledge of religions beyond their own. They approach topics from a place of respect and are also able to discuss and reflect how their personal faith sits alongside the opinions of others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders organise many activities beyond the curriculum that develop pupils' character and resilience. Pupils participate keenly in house competitions and play competitive sports such as football and badminton. They attend educational outings that deepen their understanding of the curriculum. For example, pupils learning history visited Westminster Abbey, where they built on their learning about kings and queens of England. Pupils also raise money for charities regularly, and volunteer at local foodbanks. All these experiences are tracked carefully to ensure all pupils are involved through the school's 'honours system', and pupils' participation is encouraged and rewarded.

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Expected standard

Leaders provide pupils with the information that they need to make decisions about their future careers. All pupils receive high-quality, unbiased careers advice in Years 10 and 11 and successfully undertake work experience by the time they leave Year 11. Visiting speakers to the school speak to pupils about a wide range of career options such as law, dentistry and medicine.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils achieve well in examinations at the end of Year 6 and in their GCSEs. In 2025, all pupils in Year 6 reached the expected standard in reading and mathematics, ensuring that they were ready for the next stage in their education. In the same year, 96% of pupils in Year 11 achieved at least a standard pass in English, mathematics and science. At times, where teaching is more variable, the quality of pupils' work is less high, as are pupils' results at GCSE. Where this is the case, pupils are less able to draw connections within and between subjects.

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Achievement Expected standard

All pupils successfully progress into further education and training after they leave the school. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their learning. Typically, pupils go on to study subjects at A level and/or study for vocational qualifications at local sixth-form and post-16 colleges.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate view of the quality of curriculum planning and teaching in the school. They continually refine and improve standards of teaching. The curriculum builds pupils' knowledge steadily over time, and encourages pupils to be imaginative and to work together.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils gain the key skills that they need for future learning. Pupils with gaps in their learning are identified and supported to improve. Alongside this in the primary phase, leaders have refined their curriculum for writing at the primary phase. In the secondary phase, leaders have increased staffing to ensure that subjects are taught by specialists, including computing, physical education and art.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Generally, teachers explain new content to pupils so that they understand it well. Staff systematically revisit knowledge so that pupils retain it in their long term memory. Usually, teachers check that pupils know and understand what is being taught. Occasionally, when checking does not occur as routinely, teaching and resources are not revisited or adapted for pupils as effectively to support their understanding and recall of learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders in the early years are aware of the provision's strengths and where further improvement is needed. They continue to refine the curriculum so that it builds children's knowledge steadily and expands their vocabulary in preparation for Year 1. Children learn the important skills that they need to so they can focus, settle and learn in a classroom. They enjoy playing and learning together, in the school's inside and outdoor areas. Leaders have begun work to expand the outside space so that children can develop their coordination and physical skills fully. In Reception, children learn effectively how to read and write. Leaders identify quickly any children who may have barriers to learning, and work with parents and carers to give these children the learning and pastoral support that they need to help them keep up.

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Early years Expected standard

Teachers check that children remember what they have learned. Staff interact very warmly with children and encourage them to try their best. Children are guided to learn independently, take turns, count and practise new words. Occasionally, interactions between staff and children do not develop children's thinking as effectively, and opportunities for deeper learning through dialogue are sometimes missed. By the end of Reception, children speak confidently and are prepared for learning in Year 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify accurately the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders identify pupils who may have other barriers to their learning, including wellbeing or family circumstances.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Once identified, leaders also create clear and achievable targets for pupils, which staff adjust and amend as necessary. Pupils are typically provided with the support that they need in order to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Leaders monitor carefully the actions that staff take to support pupils. They have identified that this support is not consistently effective across subjects and phases. In response, they are providing staff with frequent and helpful training on how best to support pupils with barriers to their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Support extends beyond the classroom. Pupils who may have barriers to their learning are encouraged to take part fully in school life, supported to make new friends and take on student leadership roles, which they do proudly. Staff meet regularly with parents and carers to discuss their children's learning needs and progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have successfully implemented changes to improve the quality of teaching since the last inspection. They know where further improvements are needed across the school and have suitable plans in place to bring about these developments. In some cases, leaders have recently begun to implement these plans. Staff are supportive of the school's leaders and the actions that they take. They appreciate that leaders take their wellbeing and workload into account when making decisions that may affect staff. Leaders consistently ensure that the independent school standards are met.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The professional learning programme for staff is research based, well organised and linked to the school's priorities. This programme of professional learning increasingly gives staff the skills they need to meet pupils' needs. The proprietor has expanded its role in holding the school's leaders to account since the last inspection. The governing body is drawn from members of the proprietor body and educational professionals. Those responsible for governance meet regularly to review the school's work. They use their expertise to check that leaders' actions are effective and to support the school to improve further.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have positive professional relationships with parents and carers, and regularly engage with the parent community. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

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

Pupils are encouraged to achieve their full potential here. Pupils of all ages are highly respectful of one another. They enjoy learning across subjects and work hard in class, so that they can achieve their best. Staff instil a positive culture of learning.

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

Pupils' behaviour is excellent across phases. Older pupils act as role models for younger pupils. They do so informally and as pupil leaders. Pupils are safe in school and know which adults they can speak to if they have a problem, however small.

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

Pupils frequently attend a range of extracurricular clubs including archery, calligraphy and grappling club. These clubs provide an opportunity for pupils to learn new ideas and try out new activities. For example, in STEM club, pupils designed and built a hydraulic hand. Many pupils attend annual camping residentials, where pupils cook on an open fire and sleep under canvass.

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

The personal development curriculum prepares pupils very well for adult life. For example pupils in the secondary phase learn about budgeting, investing and interest rates. They also learn to be respectful of those that are different from them and how to support those who are less fortunate.

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

As part of the school's 'Read project', pupils develop their understanding of the school's values and 'big ideas', such as creativity. For example, pupils take part in enterprise competitions where they design and market their own products and take part in formal debates. Pupils in Year 8 simulate an interfaith forum each year. Here, pupils discuss how to bring together people with differing views in order to solve problems.

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

Pupil leadership roles across the school are extensive. School councillors express the views of pupils and successfully campaign for changes in the school, such as new sports equipment.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue their work to ensure that in the early years, interactions between teaching staff and children are consistently of a high quality and maximise all opportunities to extend pupils' learning.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. Leaders should continue their work to ensure that teaching consistently checks that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, know and understand what they are taught. Where necessary, leaders should ensure that teaching revisits learning or is adapted to support pupils' learning and recall.

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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

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and the chair of the governing body, who is also a member of the proprietary body.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Muslim religious ethos.

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About this inspection

The school does not use any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The name of the proprietor body is Read Academy Education. The chair of the body is Gulam Abbas Hussain.

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About this inspection

The school has a local governing body which holds the school's leaders to account. Those on the governing body are referred to as trustees. Some trustees are also members of the proprietor body.

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About this inspection

The school is registered to admit 300 pupils.

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About this inspection

Annual fees (day pupils): £4,299 to £4,500 (plus VAT).

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About this inspection

1. Quality of education provided Standards met All standards have been 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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About this inspection

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools 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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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

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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