Setting

Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by the Office for Standards in Education under Section 162A of the Education Act 2002 in order to advise the Secretary of State for Education and Skills about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about the school

Jamiah Madaniyah is a non-selective Islamic primary school for pupils aged between five and eleven years of age. It is located in a residential area of Forest Gate in East London. The school was opened in 2004. The school is owned and managed by the proprietor who has oversight of, and teaches, the Islamic curriculum. He is assisted by the headteacher who has oversight of the secular curriculum.

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Information about the school

There are 29 pupils on roll, all of whom are full time. There are three classes. The Key Stage 1 class is for both Year 1 and Year 2 pupils who are aged between five and seven years old. There are two Key Stage 2 classes for pupils aged between seven and eleven years; one class is for Year 3 and Year 4 pupils and the second contains Year 5 and Year 6 pupils.

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Information about the school

The school aims ‘to teach essential Islamic knowledge and to teach the National Curriculum to the highest standards’ .

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Summary of main findings

Jamiah Madaniyah Primary is failing to meet the academic needs of its pupils. Curricular provision is unsatisfactory. Planning does not provide a firm basis for teachers to teach effectively and, as a result, pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. Assessment is weak. It is too superficial a tool to facilitate the identification of pupils’ precise learning needs. In contrast to these shortcomings, the pupils’ personal development and well-being are strengths of the school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and their parents feel that the school provides them with the information that they need.

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What the school does well:

• its provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good;

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What the school does well:

• it ensures good relationships between staff and pupils; and

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What the school does well:

• it provides a safe and caring environment for its pupils.

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What the school must do in order to comply with the regulations:

• rectify all the curricular, teaching and assessment issues identified in section 1 of the report;

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What the school must do in order to comply with the regulations:

• rectify the welfare, health and safety issues identified in section 3 of the report;

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What the school must do in order to comply with the regulations:

• prior to the confirmation of the appointment of all staff, carry out appropriate checks to confirm their identity, medical fitness, previous employment history, character references, and, where appropriate, qualifications and professional references; and

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What the school must do in order to comply with the regulations:

• rectify the issues pertaining to the school’s complaints procedure as detailed in section 7 of the report.

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The quality of the curriculum

The prospectus sets out clearly the school’s values and aims. In its aims and objectives the prospectus commits the school to teaching pupils the core National Curriculum subjects to the highest standards. In addition to the National Curriculum subjects, the school provides Islamic studies and teaching of Arabic. The school does not have a curriculum policy or appropriate schemes of work to provide a firm basis for planning programmes of teaching for the religious or secular curricula. The school’s own schemes of work consist, in the main, of lists of activities to be covered each term, but do not detail learning objectives or resources to be used. Subject planning is not extensive enough in setting out what will be taught, how and when. The school uses commercial schemes, although with insufficient rigour to enable the pupils to make steady progress in each subject. For example, the work undertaken

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The quality of the curriculum

by pupils in literacy and mathematics is either unchallenging or has been taught on an ad-hoc basis. The curriculum is not planned in sufficient detail for there to be progression in what pupils know, understand and can do. Overall, the range of resources to support the curriculum is inadequate.

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The quality of the curriculum

National Curriculum subjects are taught each morning and in a few periods in the afternoon sessions. Islamic Studies and Arabic are taught each afternoon. Overall, sufficient time is allocated to each subject with appropriate time given to literacy and numeracy each day. The timetable is broad and balanced.

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The quality of the curriculum

Provision for sporting activities or vigorous games is unsatisfactory. It is limited by the small playground and the school does not make sufficient use of the local park. The largest classroom is spacious enough to enable pupils to use small physical education apparatus safely. Design and technology has recently been introduced and will be taught on alternate weeks with art and design.

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The quality of the curriculum

Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is good. The school has a suitable range of computers and printers. All age groups are timetabled to use the computers each week.

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The quality of the curriculum

The school has not identified any pupils as having special educational needs. The current assessment procedures do not identify those pupils who need extra support.

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The quality of the curriculum

The school does not provide any extra-curricular activities. The pupils do not undertake any out-of-school visits to broaden their horizons and promote their understanding of topics taught in school.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

The quality of teaching is inadequate. Whilst inspectors were in school, two out of the three permanent class teachers, including the assistant headteacher, were absent. The assistant headteacher resigned for reasons of illness during the inspection. Half of the secular lessons observed by inspectors were unsatisfactory. A scrutiny of planning, assessment and pupils’ exercise books demonstrates that the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress over time is unsatisfactory in the crucial areas of reading, writing and mathematics. The teaching of Islamic Studies is satisfactory, but by the finest of margins.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

Pupils enter the school with standards that are well below those normally expected. The teaching they receive does not enable them to make up ground sufficiently quickly, and standards remain well below national expectations by the time pupils leave the school.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

Weekly planning is not sufficiently detailed to underpin effective teaching. Lesson objectives are too vague, or, more commonly, non existent. Planning demonstrates a lack of understanding of the way in which children learn. It is not effectively matched to the needs of pupils of different abilities. During the inspection, it was usual to find every child in a class, regardless of their age or ability, undertaking the same tasks. Exercise books demonstrate that teachers have failed to match work effectively to pupils’ capabilities over time.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

The teaching of reading is poor because it relies almost entirely on pupils’ abilities to memorise sets of words. Pupils are not rigorously taught phonics and teachers do not systematically check pupils’ ability to use their phonetic skills when they are reading or writing. Pupils say that they never read a text individually to teachers. Neither do they take texts home regularly to read. There is no home-school reading record, so that little opportunity exists for parents to comment on their child’s reading. The lack of good quality fiction and non-fiction texts means that teachers are unable to ensure that pupils are interested and enthused by reading.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

Weekly planning for the teaching of English is very weak, and does not include sufficient opportunities for pupils to write independently or at length. Pupils spend much time learning grammar and punctuation, but very seldom have the opportunity to use their knowledge to craft a piece of writing. No evidence was presented by the school to demonstrate that pupils write for different audiences or for different purposes. Standards of handwriting are unsatisfactory. Older pupils rarely use a cursive style, although some are capable of doing so. The handwriting of some teachers provides a poor model for pupils.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

Too often, lessons lack a sense of urgency and pupils are disengaged because the level of the subject matter is inappropriately pitched. Pupils seldom have opportunities to work with each or to discuss the task in hand. Explanations are sometimes confusing for pupils because the teacher lacks clarity about the purpose of the lesson.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

The assessment of pupils’ work is unsatisfactory. The school does not use standardised tests to assess pupils’ performance in English and mathematics, but devises its own tests. The scope of these tests is not sufficiently broad to assess adequately pupils’ abilities across the full range of these subjects. As a result, teachers do not have a clear view of what pupils can and cannot do, and thus do not plan or teach individual lessons to meet pupils’ needs. Marking, although appreciated by pupils, is unsatisfactory. Too often, it is accepting of work which could be better. Teachers seldom write comments which help pupils take the next step in learning and, on occasion, teachers mark answers right when they are wrong.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

The teaching of Islamic Studies encourages pupils to contemplate spiritual and moral issues. During the inspection, for example, pupils considered the themes of gratitude and of preparation for death. Pupils generally listen to each other in silence and with respect. The teacher uses anecdotes to good effect to inspire and encourage pupils. However, Islamic Studies lessons have no clear, planned structure. Consequently, some pupils become inattentive and restless because they require greater challenge.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

There were some stronger elements of teaching and learning. Some teachers used praise effectively to encourage pupils. There was an individual example of a lesson where pupils were asked to collaborate to answer challenging questions which they thoroughly enjoyed. All teachers have a pleasant and warm manner towards pupils.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• produce a written curriculum policy supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work which are implemented effectively (paragraph 1(2));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• improve the facilities for physical education for pupils of compulsory school age (paragraph 1(2)(a)(ii));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• make sure that the subject matter of lessons is appropriate for the ages and aptitudes of pupils (paragraph 1(2)(b));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• ensure that the curriculum provides opportunities for all pupils to learn and make progress (paragraph 1(2)(i));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• improve teaching so that it enables pupils to acquire new knowledge, and make progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught (paragraph 1(3)(a));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• ensure teaching encourages pupils to apply intellectual, physical or creative efforts and to show interest in their work and to think and learn for themselves (paragraph 1(3)(b));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• ensure lessons are well planned, effective teaching methods and suitable activities are used and class time is managed wisely (paragraph 1(3)(c)); • develop teachers’ understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensure these are taken into account in the planning of lessons (paragraph 1(3)(d));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• develop teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught (paragraph 1(3)(e));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• deploy classroom resources of an adequate quality, quantity and range and ensure these are used effectively (paragraph 1(3)(f));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• develop a framework to assess pupils' work regularly and thoroughly and use information from such assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can make progress (paragraph 1(3)(g)); and

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• strengthen the framework by which pupil performance can be evaluated by reference to either the school's own aims, as provided to parents, or by national norms (paragraph 1(4)).

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

The provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and is one of the strengths of the school. It provides opportunities for spiritual development through daily prayers performed in congregation. This promotes pupils’ reflection over the content of Islamic Studies lessons. The Islamic ethos has a positive impact on behaviour and attitudes. Pupils work and play together well. Staff have established respectful and friendly relationships with pupils. As a consequence, pupils are clear about expectations of them and distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour from an early age. The PSHE provision fully supports the school’s philosophy and values and, although not timetabled, the teachers use relevant opportunities for discussions.

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

Through a loosely structured programme of moral and social education which includes Islamic Studies, PSHE and RE, pupils are enabled to confront issues and learn to differentiate between right and wrong. In PSHE lessons, pupils in Years 1 and 2 have discussed the importance of showing kindness to all living creatures. They have also considered the importance of looking after orphans. Pupils are taught to respect the law and are encouraged to help others.

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

Lessons in PSHE ensure pupils have an understanding of a wide range of services and public institutions in England, such the post office, banks and the police. However, educational visits to broaden pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not provided.

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

The school is a friendly, secure community. It is successful in fostering pupils’ self- esteem, self-confidence and the ability to relate positively to others. Pupils report that there is no bullying and that they feel safe in school. Pupils learn about other cultures and religions in RE, PSHE and Islamic Studies. The school promotes understanding and respect for different religions and cultural traditions. This is reinforced in discussions in Islamic Studies lessons.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

Provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety is satisfactory. The school has appropriate policies and procedures in place to minimise health and safety risks to pupils. The school has a written First Aid policy, but does not have a qualified First Aider on site whilst the pupils are present. However, the school does have access to a doctor who lives in a separate part of the building.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The behaviour and anti-bullying policies are reinforced successfully through assemblies and Islamic studies. As a result, the pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to their work are good. Pupils say that they feel safe and know who to turn to if they have any concerns. The school records the rare incidents of misbehaviour but does not detail the sanctions used. The behaviour policy does not specify the range of sanctions available for unacceptable behaviour. However, it clearly states that parents will be informed whenever necessary.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The school meets fire safety regulations. It carries out and records monthly fire drills. All recommendations from the latest visit by the fire officer have been fulfilled.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The admission and attendance registers do not conform to regulations. The school fulfils its duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 2002 and has prepared a statement indicating how it can improve access to the physical environment.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• set out in the behaviour policy the range of sanctions used by the school in the event of pupils misbehaving (paragraph 3(2)(d));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• have a qualified First Aider on site at all times the pupils are present (paragraph 3(6)); and

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• maintain the admission and attendance registers in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995 (paragraph 3(9)).

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4. The suitability of the proprietor and staff

All staff who work directly with children have been subject to checks by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). At the time of the inspection, the school was waiting for checks to be completed on two further members of staff who are, at present, office based and do not work with children. Both these staff have, however, been checked against List 99. For individual members of staff there is no documentary evidence to demonstrate that appropriate checks have been carried out to confirm their identity, medical fitness, previous employment history, character references and, where appropriate, qualifications and professional references.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• prior to the confirmation of the appointment of all staff, carry out appropriate checks to confirm their identity, medical fitness, previous employment history, character references, and, where appropriate, qualifications and professional references (paragraph 4(c)).

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5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

The premises and accommodation are of a satisfactory quality. The school is partly accommodated in a Victorian end-of-terrace house and two small classrooms are housed within this. Lighting in these two rooms is barely adequate on dark winter days. The remainder of the school buildings including the three main classrooms are of a prefabricated construction type and are located on a site directly next to the house. A small play outdoor play space is provided for pupils, and playtimes and lunchtimes are sensibly staggered to avoid overcrowding in this area.

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5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

All the internal areas of the school are adequately maintained and the standards of decoration are satisfactory. Classrooms are sufficiently heated and ventilated. Lighting in the prefabricated buildings is good. Furniture and fittings are of an appropriate size for the age range of the pupils. All areas of the school are reasonably clean and tidy.

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5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

The school has nine computers for pupils’ use, all of which are housed in the classroom for Year 3 and 4 pupils, thus restricting the use of this resource for other pupils outside dedicated ICT lessons. There is no school library, and the school lacks space to store curriculum resources.

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5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

The washroom facilities meet requirements for the numbers of pupils on roll and there are appropriate ablution facilities for pupils to wash before praying. There is adequate access to enable pupils to enter and leave the building safely.

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6. The quality of information for parents and other partners

The school provides an appropriate range of information for parents and prospective parents. The prospectus is informative and provides all the required details. It gives clear information about the life of the school, including appropriate contact details, the school’s stated aims, ethos, curriculum content and admissions, discipline and exclusions policies. Parents are informed that school policies and procedures are readily available to see on request. The school provides parents with further information through letters at fairly regular intervals.

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6. The quality of information for parents and other partners

Satisfactory reports on individual pupils’ progress are sent home once a year. Parents are welcome to discuss any concerns on an informal basis at any time and have the opportunity to discuss their children’s progress at a parents’ consultation meeting at the end of the summer term. The greater majority of parents feel well informed about their children’s progress in school.

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complaints

The school publishes a clear complaints procedure within its prospectus. This is available to parents and prospective parents. The school aims to deal with complaints quickly and fairly, but at present, the procedure does not set out clear timescales for the management of individual complaints. The procedure does not specify that parents may make a formal written complaint if they are not satisfied with the response to an informal complaint. The procedure does not specify that written records will be kept of all complaints, including those resolved at a preliminary stage.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• ensure the complaints procedure sets out clear timescales for the management of individual complaints (paragraph 7(c));

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• ensure the complaints procedure provides for a formal complaint to be made in writing if parents are not satisfied with the response to a formal complaint (paragraph 7(e)); and • ensure the complaints procedure provides for written records to be kept of all complaints indicating whether they were resolved at a preliminary stage or whether they proceeded to a panel hearing (paragraph 7(j)).

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SCHOOL DETAILS

Name of school: Jamiah Madaniyah Primary DfES Number: 316/6065 Type of school: Primary day Status: Independent Age range of pupils: 5 - 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll (full-time pupils): Boys: 13 Girls: 16 Total: 29 Annual fees (day pupils): £1,300 Address of school: 80 - 82 Stafford Road Forest Gate London E7 8NN Telephone number: 020 8472 9125 Fax number: 020 8472 9125 Email address: info@jamiahmadaniyah.co.uk Headteacher: Mr Mubin Khandekar Proprietor: Mr Hanif Mohammed Reporting Inspector: Bradley Simmons HMI Date of inspection: 23 - 26 January 2006

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SCHOOL DETAILS

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SCHOOL DETAILS

School inspection reports are available on the Ofsted website ( www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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SCHOOL DETAILS

The website lists Ofsted independent school inspection reports, together with information on the work Ofsted does in the independent sector.

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