Al-Aqsa Primary School Final Report 2010

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Al-Aqsa Primary SchoolInspection report

This inspection was carried out under section 162 (A) of the Education Act 2002 asamended. Bridge Schools Inspectorate (BSI) has been approved by the Secretary ofState in the Department for Education (DfE) to undertake inspections in designatedindependent schools within membership of the Christian Schools Trust (CST) or theAssociation of Muslim Schools UK (AMSUK).

DfE number: 856/6017Association: AMSUKDate of inspection: 18th-21st October 2010Lead Inspector: Mr C SchenkTeam inspectors: Mrs H Aslam

Miss J Morgan

Age range of pupils: 3-11 yearsNumber on roll: 210Full-time: 71 boys 101 girlsPart-time: 19 boys 19 girlsNumber of pupils witha statement of specialeducational need: 1

Proprietor: Al-Aqsa Schools Trust

Head teacher: Mrs F DOyenAddress of school: The Wayne Way

LeicesterLE5 4PP

Telephone number: 0116 2760953Email: [email protected]


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The purpose and scope of the inspection

The main purpose of the inspection is twofold. It is to advise the DfE whether theschool continues to meet the requirements for registration, and to determine whetherthe schools religious ethos continues to meet the expectations of its association.

Ofsted monitors the work of independent inspectorates, including a sample ofinspections, and you can find the latest evaluation of the work of The Bridge SchoolsInspectorate on the Ofsted website.

Information about the school

Al-Aqsa Primary School started in September 1998 in premises rented from theIslamic Foundation at the Markfield Conference Centre, some ten miles outsideLeicester. The school moved in 2004 to a former infant school site in the city ofLeicester and now has eight classes, one for each year group from Reception toYear 6, as well as two part-time nursery classes, one in the morning and one in the

afternoon. There are 30 full-time and 38 part-time pupils in the Early YearsFoundation Stage (EYFS) aged between three and five; 54 pupils in Key Stage 1aged between five and seven; and 88 in Key Stage 2 aged between seven andeleven. Over the years, there has been a high turnover of teachers, due mainly tomarriage and maternity leave, and seven are new to the school this year, includingthe head teacher. The school was last inspected, by Ofsted, in November 2007.

The schools aims are stated as follows. The school seeks:

To develop the whole personality of pupils with Tawheed at the core andIslam as the main focus of their lives.

To acquire a moral attitude to life through conscientious awareness and thepractice of Divine Guidance in all their affairs and transactions.

To encourage the pursuit and acquisition of general knowledge and skills. To promote the dignity of each young person through self-respect, respect for

parents, elders and others, through the development of personalresponsibility.

To help young people to understand the complexity of the world in which theylive and that their own well-being is closely connected to the well-being ofothers.

To develop an understanding of, and respect for, differences that exist in

multi-cultural, multi-faith British society. To ensure that young people enjoy their life at school and develop a love of

learning and a strong desire to continue their education as a lifelongexperience.

Evaluation of the school

The school meets its aims well. Pupils enjoy their learning and are becomingindependent learners who think for themselves. They show responsibility andmaturity in their attitudes to others and their behaviour is excellent. Because theyhave been involved in formulating the school and class rules, they are developing a

good understanding of the principles upon which they are based and their moraldevelopment is outstanding. A new curriculum, implemented this term, gives them a


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coherent and interesting programme of work in which Islamic attitudes and ideasform a common strand that runs through every aspect of school life. Together withregular prayers, assemblies and circle times, this results in outstanding spiritualdevelopment. While the curriculum is broad, its balance needs some adjustment; forexample, pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their artistic and

creative skills. Much of the teaching is good and some is outstanding, but there istoo much variation in quality between different classes. The number of teachingassistants is good, but their valuable contribution is underused. Pupils make a goodstart in the EYFS and their enthusiasm for learning carries through into the primaryyears and is particularly evident in their eager response to the lively teaching theyreceive in the oldest classes. Relationships between teachers and pupils areexcellent and the pupils are very well cared for. The policies and procedures thatsafeguard their welfare, health and safety are thorough and robust and areimplemented consistently. This is an inclusive school that supports pupils with awide range of needs, including some with considerable learning difficulties, enablingall to thrive and make progress in their learning. The inspiring and dynamic head

teacher, ably assisted by the exceptionally efficient and effective bursar, has createda common sense of purpose among staff and achieved a great deal in a short spaceof time. The school is well aware, however, that there is more to be done and thatthe new initiatives need to be carefully evaluated, and if necessary adjusted, beforethey are fully embedded. The school has responded well to the issues raised in thelast inspection report and has made clear improvements. All the regulations are met.

Quality of education provided

At the time of the inspection, the school was in the process of rapid development.Three new and interlinked initiatives had only been implemented for about a month.The first is to do with developing attitudes and behaviour, aiming to encouragepupils independence and responsibility. The second is to do with teachingapproaches, giving more emphasis to individual work and encouraging pupils to bethe agents of their own learning. The third is the introduction of a new curriculum.

This curriculum has been carefully planned to form a coherent whole, even though itdraws on an eclectic range of source material. Based on a mixture of Islamic,Montessori and National Curriculum principles, it uses British and American teachingmaterials to underpin its programmes of study and to support the teachers. Althoughthe head teacher has only been in post for a few weeks, she was able to work part-

time in the school during the summer term, and had an opportunity over the longsummer break to work with the new team of teachers. This preparatory training hasplayed a critical role in the successful implementation of the new initiatives.Teachers have had sufficient opportunities to discuss the ideas and principles behindthe new approaches; as a result, they have developed an understanding of them anda shared commitment to implementing them. Nevertheless, there are differences inthe degrees of confidence they feel, and some teachers are still at a stage wherethey are following the teaching materials too closely and are not yet confidentenough to adapt them when necessary to meet the needs of their pupils. Thisoccasionally results in inappropriate texts being used that fail to capture the attentionof the pupils.


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Pupils in the EYFS follow a broad programme that gives them experiences in allareas of learning, with a good blend between child-initiated and adult-led activities.The teachers and teaching assistants, most of whom have been in post for sometime, work effectively together. The teaching is good and the assessment of pupilsprogress is thorough and covers all areas of learning.

For primary aged pupils, the day normally starts with a halaqah (circle), which takesthe form of a brief whole school assembly in the masjid(prayer hall), that includesduas (supplications), talks by the head teacher and the Islamic studies co-ordinatorand lively and enthusiastic singing. Later, back in their classes, there is a morningmeeting in which the pupils sit in a circle on the story carpet. These short, regularsessions give very good opportunities for personal, social and health education in anIslamic context, often drawing on the messages of the whole school halaqah, as wellas developing the pupils speaking and listening skills.

All pupils, apart from the nursery, study the Quran for half an hour each day. The

time is well used and over the course of each week, pupils make good progress intheir understanding of the texts, their ability to read Arabic and their skills inrecitation. Although the classes are large, with two and sometimes three age groupstaught together, the specialist Islamic studies teacher gains and sustains the pupilsconcentration by teaching in a lively style with sufficient pace and variety. The otheradults present play a part in encouraging all pupils to be attentive, but beyond that,too little use is made of them. There is a weekly lesson in Islamic studies, taught byclass teachers with guidance from the specialist teacher, following a good scheme ofwork.

The curriculum is broad, but the balance between subjects is in need of review. Theschool rightly gives considerable emphasis to the development of literacy andnumeracy skills, but the time allocation to literacy is so great that it limits the timeavailable for other subjects too much. In particular, the present timetablearrangements, whereby science is taught for the first half of the year and humanitieswill be taught in the second half of the year, may not allow the ambitious and wide-ranging programmes of study to be covered in sufficient depth. Physical education(PE) has recently been given more time and this helps pupils to understand andvalue the place of exercise in keeping healthy. However, the programme of work inPE is still constrained by the limitations of the building and the site.

In other subjects, the effectiveness in which the time is used varies too widely. Ininformation and communication technology (ICT), for example, very good use ismade of the one session a fortnight that half-classes have in the ICT room, wherethe good subject knowledge of both the ICT specialist teacher and the teachingassistant enables pupils to make rapid progress in their skills and understanding.By contrast, the weekly creative sessions, in which art is taught by class teachers,are sometimes not effective, because they do not give pupils enough opportunities tomake choices and so their artistic and creative skills are not being developed.

There is a programme of educational visits and trips, including a residentialexperience in North Wales for pupils in Years 5 and 6. A madrassah (Quranic class)

meets in the school premises each day after school. Around 25 pupils attend, and ahigh proportion of the rest of the pupils attend one of the many after-school


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madrassahs in the area. The school has offered other extra-curricular activities inthe past, for example embroidery, archery and a science club, but does not do so atpresent. However, plans are well advanced to put on club activities during theschool day from time to time so that pupils can take part and still attend their after-school madrassah.

There are good systems in place for identifying and supporting pupils with specialeducational needs. The prospectus states that children with special needs areaccommodated when possible and the school currently has some pupils withconsiderable needs who are well supported. There are helpful links with the localauthority, whose specialist officers have visited to give advice and training.

While the majority of pupils speak other languages at home, there are only a fewwho are at an early stage of learning English. Primary pupils are given individual orsmall group support by a volunteer who visits once a week. The school now plans toalign her work more closely with the topics being studied, to make the best use of

her valuable contribution.

Pupils with particular gifts or talents are identified, and a wide range of talents arerecognised. The new head teacher, working part-time in the school last year, ran aprogramme for these pupils. Currently, it is left to individual teachers to develop andextend their pupils talents.

The school is revising and developing the homework policy and the current draftshows a sensible balance between the practice of skills already learned in schooland the development of research skills to find out more about interesting topics.When teachers give homework, the pupils are eager to do it, but some parents areuncertain about whether their children are receiving the right amount.

Much of the teaching is good and some is outstanding, but there is too muchvariation in the quality of teaching between classes. In the most successful lessons,there is a good blend of whole class teaching, group work and individual learning.The lively whole class sessions are brisk and pupils respond with interest andenthusiasm. Their positive attitudes carry over into the group and individual work,and they concentrate well on the tasks they are involved in. By contrast, in somelessons the pace is too slow and pupils do not fully sustain their concentration duringgroup work and become rather restless. There are a good number of teaching

assistants. When they take small groups, they do so well, but too often in theclassroom not enough use is made of them.

The school has good systems of regular assessment to track the pupils progress,particularly in literacy and numeracy. The teaching materials introduced as part ofthe new curriculum have been carefully chosen to include assessment opportunities,which will be important in evaluating the success of the initiatives. Up to 2008, thepupils in Year 6 at the school took national tests. However, since then, the schoolhas used only teacher assessment, carefully undertaken and well informed byguidance material, to judge the National Curriculum levels at which pupils areworking. As a result of the pupils very positive attitudes to learning, and of the

generally good teaching they receive, they are making good progress. Last year, theteacher assessments judged that by the end of Year 6, pupils attainments in English


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were in line with the national average and were remarkably good in mathematicswhere all pupils were judged to have reached Level 5.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is outstanding.Spirituality is a real strength. The religious ethos gives pupils a clear sense of theirIslamic identity. They have a sound understanding of their faith and compete torecite the Quran as beautifully as their teacher. Through the Quranic ayaat(verses), pupils are taught to differentiate Arabic letters and sounds and also todiscern meanings and lessons from the Holy Scriptures. The recently rewrittenIslamic curriculum is broad and relevant, and includes Islamic history and citizenship.Pupils are proud of their school; as one Year 6 pupil said, This school is specialbecause we can practise our own religion and pray and talk about it freely. Nearlyall parents agree that the school helps their child grow in faith. The pupils in theEYFS gain good foundations in spirituality in ways that are appropriate to their age;

for example, when they learn about hajj(pilgrimage) they pack a suitcase with ihram(white cloth for the ritual clothing) for their enactment of the journey.

The excellent way that virtues and morals are taught through assembly topics andtalks makes a strong contribution to the pupils moral development. Pupils areencouraged to follow Divine guidance through a love of their faith rather than a fearof punishment. Building on a school tradition in which teachers and pupils havereviewed and discussed class rules each year, pupils in all year groups have drawnup their own rules, helping them to understand the reasons for moral behaviour andto differentiate more thoughtfully between right and wrong. The teachers are

encouraging, caring and patient providing the pupils with good role models. As aresult, their behaviour is outstanding and they look after each other well. As one ofthem put it: We are peaceful with each other.

The experience of living in a caring community fosters the pupils socialdevelopment. They are increasingly independent and responsible and demonstratehigh levels of self-discipline, maturity and respectfulness. Islamic principles andvirtues are interlinked in a natural way with personal responsibility. Even theyoungest children know and celebrate their identity as Muslims. Pupils are eager tolearn and enjoy school very much. The Islamic studies curriculum encourages pupilsto make a positive contribution as global citizens. They are regularly involved in a

number of community projects to raise funds for the less fortunate and also for theirown school. They have an increasing understanding of public institutions throughnational events and visitors to school.

Pupils have a strong sense of their own cultures and a growing respect andunderstanding of other cultures and faiths. There is a link with a nearby RomanCatholic voluntary aided primary school. The Islamic studies curriculum includesunits on Judaism and Christianity that increase knowledge and encourage respectfor these religions. When Hindu and Sikh students on placement have visited theschool they have been welcomed and encouraged to share their religious heritage.


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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

Pupils are very well cared for by the committed staff who conscientiously safeguardtheir welfare, health and safety in school and on educational visits. Pupils aresupervised at all times and regular risk assessments are carried out on activities and

equipment throughout the school. Nearly all parents agree that their children aresafe and well cared for in school. Robust policies and procedures, which reflectIslamic values, are well established and comply fully with national requirements andguidance. Policies are regularly reviewed. The child protection officer has receivedtraining from the Local Safeguarding Children Board and she ensures that all staffhave up-to-date training in safeguarding. There are a good number of first aidersand there are thorough procedures for dealing with and recording accidents and formaking all staff aware of pupils with medical conditions.

The schools well-considered anti-bullying policy is effectively implemented. Itstates, We are a telling school - anyone who knows that bullying is happening is

expected to tell the staff. Incidents of bullying are extremely rare: as one Year 6pupil said, Ive never come across an incident where there is bullying in the six yearsI have been here - except once or twice.

The bursar works effectively to ensure that fire equipment, emergency lighting andother appliances are routinely serviced and that records are kept. Fire drills areconducted and recorded each term.

Pupils are encouraged to live healthy life styles and are regularly reminded of theneed to keep themselves and fellow pupils safe through their actions. Beginning inthe EYFS, pupils develop a good understanding of how to be healthy and how tostay safe.

In line with its inclusive nature, the school takes seriously its duties under theEquality Act 2010 and has produced a thoughtful and well-considered plan toincrease accessibility for disabled people. The commitment to inclusion is wellillustrated by the adjustments to the premises that were made in order to meet theneeds of a visually impaired pupil, who has now left the school.

Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

The school has very effective and comprehensive recruitment procedures thatensure that all the required checks on staff and proprietors are made and recordedappropriately. The procedures are overseen carefully by the bursar, who is wellinformed about recent changes in legislation.

Premises and accommodation

The partly-nineteenth century school building (with 1930s, post-war and 60sextensions) has been pleasantly refurbished and is well maintained with twocaretakers and good systems for regular maintenance work to take place. Therecent decorations over the summer have enabled the pupils to enjoy a colourful,

pleasant and safe environment. There is a spacious, warm masjidthat is also wellused and has ICT facilities for Quran lessons. The recent investment in a fully


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networked ICT room has enhanced learning and motivation and demonstrates theschools effective response to a recommendation in the last inspection report, thatICT should be used more widely.

The school makes good use of the outside play area. The arrangements for morning

breaks and lunch-time play ensure that it is sufficient in size for the number of pupilsusing it at any one time. There are attractive grids and patterns painted on thesurface and pupils are able to use a range of play equipment. The pupils in theEYFS have their own outside play area, with direct access to it from both the Nurseryand Reception classrooms. While it is rather small, it is well used to provide a goodrange of appropriate activities.

The school makes some use of a local church hall and an adjacent ball court forgymnastics and games but PE facilities on site are limited to the playground, with themasjidbeing used in bad weather. There is an allotment nearby which is used by thepupils to grow vegetables in the spring and summer; the allotment is also used as an

outdoor resource in a range of lessons.

Provision of information

The schools newly revamped website clearly communicates its philosophy foreducation and its aims. It is comprehensive and easily accessible by both currentand prospective parents. The school operates in an open and honest fashion andquickly responds to parental concerns. There is an informative weekly newsletter. Ittells parents about forthcoming events and gives some information about recentchanges. However, several parents who came to the parental meeting held at thestart of the inspection said that they would have liked more information at an earlierstage about the new developments.

Parents are told about their childrens progress at parents meetings that are heldtwice a year and through the helpful annual reports. The revised prospectus givesclear information and, together with the website, meets all requirements.

Manner in which complaints are to be handled

The detailed complaints procedure meets all the regulations by making provision forinformal and formal complaints to be appropriately handled within set time scales.

There have been no formal complaints from parents during the last twelve months.

Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

The EYFS is very effective. The 68 pupils are given a good beginning to their schoollife. The 29 pupils in the Reception class are full-time, while nearly all of the 39pupils in the Nursery attend part-time. From an early age the Islamic values arefostered and interwoven into the curriculum, providing a firm spiritual foundation onwhich to build. The ethos of the school emphasises the unique nature of each pupiland values and nurtures their different gifts.

The curriculum is well planned to cover the six areas of learning for the EYFS. Theschool has addressed the issue of the physical development of pupils raised in the


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last Ofsted report by including weekly PE lessons as well as visits to a nearby softplay area. The timetable reflects a well-balanced programme including someteacher-led sessions interspersed with opportunities for pupils to select their ownactivities helping them to become independent learners. The pupils particularlyenjoy singing songs about the days of the week, counting rhymes and nasheeds

(Islamic songs) as well as songs linked to each topic. Educational visits take placethroughout the year and members of the local community, for example police officersand doctors, come to school to increase pupils knowledge and understanding of theworld.

Daily lunch-time meetings ensure that staff observations are shared and recorded,together with photographs and samples of the pupils work, to create a LearningJourney for each pupil. The pupils progress towards their early learning goals iscarefully tracked and the information from the tracking is used to set individualtargets. It is also used to plan activities which fully take account of the needs ofindividual pupils, including the pupil with a statement of educational need and those

who are at an early stage of learning English. The detailed information gathered inthis way enables the EYFS profiles to be filled in accurately and thoughtfully.

The pupils have been carefully inducted into routines in the first weeks of the newschool year and they have been helped to behave appropriately and showconsideration for others. As a result, the behaviour of the pupils is excellent andthere is an atmosphere of purposeful learning. Appropriate rewards such as stickersand star of the week as well as sanctions, including a thinking chair, are usedeffectively.

Health and safety policies and procedures are successfully implemented to provide asafe and secure environment. Several members of staff have up-to-date paediatricfirst aid certificates and all have undergone safeguarding training. Each day, riskassessments are carried out on all apparatus and planned activities. The schoolshealthy eating policy is consistently implemented. Full-time pupils are encouraged tobring healthy packed lunches and all the pupils have daily milk and fruit snacks.

The leadership and management are good; the qualified, dedicated team work welltogether. The implementation of the EYFS has been well managed and allrequirements are met. The setting is well organised and the changeover from themorning supervisor to the afternoon supervisor in the Nursery is seamless. The staff

have benefitted from local authority support and training, and they are continuing toimprove their effectiveness using local and national guidance material. All membersof staff have level 3 qualifications; some are seeking to enhance their qualificationsfurther. Other improvements to the provision are planned, for example to cover partof the outside area so that the well-planned outdoor activities can continue ininclement weather.

Compliance with the regulations

The school meets all of the regulations for registration. The school also meets therequirements of the Equality Act 2010.


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Meeting the expectations of AMSUK

The schools religious ethos continues to meet the expectations of AMSUK.

What the school could do to improve further

As part of future development the school might wish to consider:

evaluating carefully the new initiatives concerned with curriculum, teachingapproaches and behaviour, so that any necessary adjustments can be made

achieving greater consistency in the quality of teaching between classes

giving more emphasis to the development of artistic and creative skills

developing the role of teaching assistants, making fuller use of this valuable

resource.

Documents

Al-Aqsa Primary School Final Report 2010