Afifah School

Overview

Afifah School is a mixed independent day school with an Islamic faith ethos, serving pupils aged two to 16. The report describes a calm and orderly environment where pupils enjoy attending, feel secure, and achieve well in most subjects, including national tests and GCSEs. Leaders maintain high expectations for behaviour and attainment, ensuring that the curriculum is broad, ambitious, and accessible to all, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate "sensible behaviour" and listen carefully to teachers, contributing to a "calm and orderly" school atmosphere.
• The curriculum is "broad and ambitious," with knowledge broken down into "carefully ordered steps" that help pupils build on prior learning.
• Reading is a high priority; staff are "highly skilled at supporting children to develop their vocabulary," and most pupils achieve well in phonics screening.
• Pupils with SEND are "quickly identified" and receive "careful adaptations," enabling them to "achieve well from their starting points."
• Leaders show concern for staff well-being and workload, while maintaining "effective" safeguarding arrangements.

Areas to improve

• In a small number of subjects, particularly in key stage 3, the curriculum lacks clarity on the "smaller components of knowledge," hindering teachers’ ability to ensure pupils learn everything required.
• The school’s understanding of the curriculum’s impact is at an "early stage" in some subjects, limiting the ability to identify necessary improvements.

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."