Al-Khair Secondary Girls

Overview

Pupils enjoy being part of this “close-knit school community” where staff instil “a strong sense of shared values, such as respect and tolerance.” The school has successfully addressed previous weaknesses in meeting independent school standards, with leaders now ensuring these are “met consistently.” Pupils are described as “orderly,” “courteous,” and “typically ambitious for their futures,” producing work of a “high standard” and achieving “strong outcomes at GCSE.”

Strengths

• Staff have “thought carefully about how to ensure that pupils’ knowledge and skills builds over time,” allowing pupils to “gain in confidence and learn essential subject content securely.”
• The enrichment programme introduces pupils to a “wide variety of sporting activities” and educational outings, while the careers programme is “much improved since the previous inspection.”
• Leaders and governors have “effective systems in place to check that their actions are having the required impact” regarding independent school standards.
• Pupils are “avid readers,” supported by initiatives such as younger pupils reading aloud with prefects and targeted support for weaker readers.

Areas to improve

• Teachers’ checks of pupils’ understanding are variable, meaning “sometimes misconceptions go unchallenged” and teaching is not always adapted to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Actions to address poor attendance are not taken quickly enough; leaders must “sharpen systems to identify patterns of poor attendance quickly” to improve overall rates.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” noting that staff ensure pupils feel comfortable talking to trusted adults about concerns.