Five of the 21 schools have been judged by Ofsted to be inadequate and will be put into special measures: Park View, Golden Hillock, Saltley, Oldknow and Nansen.
A summary of the inspectors’ findings is below:
Park View school
Previous rating outstanding
New rating Inadequate
Inspectors said
- “The academy’s work to raise students’ awareness of the risks of extremism is inadequate.”
- “External speakers have not been vetted properly. For example, those who speak to students as part of a programme of Islamic-themed assemblies.”
- “Students are not taught how to use the internet safely. They are not taught sex and relationships education effectively.”
- “Equality of opportunity is not promoted well.”
- “There are few opportunities for students to learn about different types of beliefs and cultures in the older year groups. Students are not taught citizenship well enough or prepared properly for life in a diverse and multi-cultural society.”
- “Governors have failed to ensure that safeguarding requirements and other statutory duties are met.”
- Use, in liaison with the police, of the government’s Prevent strategy to identify and avoid extremism has only taken place for students in years 7 and 8. Moreover, most staff have not received training in the Prevent programme, although there are now plans for this to take place.
Golden Hillock
Previous rating not previously inspected
New rating Inadequate
Inspectors said
- “The academy’s work to keep students safe is inadequate. Key safeguarding procedures are not followed. Too little is done to keep students safe from the risks associated with extremist views.”
- “The equalities policy is not fit for purpose.”
- “The curriculum has weaknesses. For example, sex and relationships education has not been delivered through a carefully planned curriculum. Governors have only very recently approved the policy.”
- Some staff, including senior leaders, are concerned about a perceived unfairness and lack of transparency in the recruitment process and the breadth and balance of the curriculum.
- “Staff views are polarised about the leadership of the school. Some female members of staff complained to Her Majesty’s Inspectors that at times they are spoken to in a manner which they find intimidating.”
- “Governance is inadequate. The governing body has met infrequently since it was reconstituted at the time of the formation of the academy. It does not carry out the full range of its functions.”
Saltley school and specialist science college
Previous rating Good
New rating Inadequate
Inspectors said
- “Governance is inadequate. Many of the governors refuse to accept that the school is in a state of crisis. The governing body interferes with the day-to-day running of the school.”
- “Weaknesses in policy and procedure for safeguarding mean than neither senior leaders nor governors can be sure whether students are safe.”
- School budget unwisely – spent £55,000 paying private investigators to interrogate the emails of senior staff.
- Groups of staff believe some members of the senior leadership team do not treat everyone equally. Governors have failed to ensure that equality issues are dealt with quickly and openly.
- Leaders have no confidence in the governing body. In protest, some senior leaders refused to take part in a recent review of leadership and governance. Neither leaders nor governors have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result, they are unable to plan and deliver work to improve the school.
Oldknow academy
Previous rating Outstanding
New rating Inadequate
Inspectors said
- “Governors do not meet their statutory responsibilities to safeguard pupils because they have not taken steps to protect them from the risks of radicalisation and extremism.”
- “A small group of governors is making significant changes to the ethos and culture of the academy without full consultation. They are endeavouring to promote a particular and narrow faith-based ideology in what is a maintained and non-faith academy.”
- “The academy is not adequately ensuring that pupils have opportunities to learn about faith in a way that promotes tolerance and harmony between different cultural and religious traditions.”
- “The academy has two Islamic faith assemblies each week and additional, optional Friday prayer. Birmingham City Mission has been delivering Christian Acts of Collective Worship at Oldknow, once a term, since 2006. Its recent assembly was cancelled and the Mission’s offer of an alternative date was not taken up. No further visits have been requested. The academy’s Christmas special assembly was also cancelled.”
- “During a recent academy fête, raffles and tombolas were banned because they are considered un-Islamic.”
Nansen primary school
Previous rating Not previously inspected
New rating Inadequate
Inspectors said
- “Governance, safety, pupils’ cultural development, equal opportunities and the teaching of religious education are all inadequate.”
- “The governing body and senior leaders do not adopt effective strategies that develop pupils’ awareness of the risks of extremism or radicalisation.”
- “Leaders do not sufficiently develop pupils’ understanding of the different customs, traditions or religions that exist in Britain. This does not prepare pupils adequately for life in modern Britain.”
- “Pupils have limited knowledge of religious beliefs other than Islam.”
Alston primary school
School already in special measures
- “Boys and girls of different cultures and backgrounds play well together in the playground. Leaders and staff have changed lunchtime arrangements to ensure that pupils get involved in purposeful activities that encourage participation and mixing with others.”
- “Through the curriculum and other activities, pupils learn about the faiths and festivals of the world’s major religions … Pupils visit a variety of local centres of worship.”
- “They value and celebrate the cultural diversity of the school community and demonstrate a good awareness of the main teachings, beliefs and festivals associated with many of the major world religions.”
- “The assembly programme, sometimes delivered by representatives of the local church and mosque, is carefully monitored and recorded.”
A further 15 schools and nurseries were subject to “section 8" monitoring inspections by Ofsted. Five schools – Small Heath, Washwood Heath, Waverley, Chilwell Croft and Ninestiles schools – were cleared by inspectors of concerns related to risks of extremism and governance, while 11 were rated as “requires improvement”.
Gracelands nursery school
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “School leaders were unaware of local authority or government guidelines on the prevention of extreme and radical behaviour as set out in the ‘Prevent’ programme. The school has since updated the safeguarding policy with reference to ‘Prevent’ guidelines and placed the policy on the school website. However, staff and governors require further and immediate training to ensure that the new policy is understood and appropriately monitored.”
- “The local authority has failed to provide enough support for the school’s safeguarding arrangements, which should have included identifying and minimising risk around extremism.”
Adderley primary school
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “The school’s safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.”
- “A serious allegation made against the school by former members of staff is currently being investigated by the police.”
- “Pupils from a range of cultures and faiths work and play together. Pupils speak confidently about how everyone is equally valued.”
- “As part of recruitment procedures, a range of background checks are carried out which include those who have lived or worked overseas. Although it is evident from the individual staff files that checks are made, this information is not systematically recorded in one place.”
- “At the time of the inspection, school leaders and governors had not been made aware of the local authority’s ‘Prevent’ strategy, a government-funded initiative intended to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism.”
Highfield junior and infant school
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “The school has done a great deal to teach both pupils and their families about the importance of e-safety.”
- “The headteacher is determined to provide an education for pupils that prepares them for life in contemporary British society. Pupils and staff use English at all times. Boys and girls are taught physical education lessons together.”
- “Teachers lead weekly collective worship, based on a theme, that explores the views of other major world faiths. Individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, underpins the school’s behaviour policy.”
- “Despite this, the governing body does not fully support the school’s ethos and values.”
- “They have not pro-actively dealt with matters when parents have sought to undermine the headteacher’s resolve to promote the school’s values.”
- “They have not dealt with parental concerns in the way that they should for example they have advocated polices such as single-sex swimming lessons that do not reflect the inclusive ethos of the school.”
- “Governors have not paid sufficient attention to the school’s sex and relationships education or equalities policies.”
Ladypool primary school
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “Staff have been trained in basic child protection procedures. However, nothing has been done to further staff awareness of the risks surrounding forced marriage and female genital mutilation. Staff have not been well trained in teaching sex and relationships education.”
- “The headteacher and senior leadership team have not identified concerns among a sizeable group of staff that some cultural traditions and beliefs are being promoted more than others.”
- “The headteacher is not always explicit about how equality and diversity are valued and promoted. Staff say that they are not given adequate guidance from the headteacher regarding this.”
- "[Parents spoken to] would like even more opportunities for children to experience British culture. They are also happy for their children to have a greater understanding of sexual development and different kinds of families and relationships.”
Marlborough junior school
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “Staff receive regular training on how to keep pupils safe. They have had training in the past about preventing extremism. While there is currently no policy for vetting visitors to the school, the new headteacher has identified this as a priority and personally checks the suitability of all visitors. As a result, for example, visits to pupils’ assemblies by speakers which were arranged by the previous headteacher have been cancelled indefinitely until procedures are in place.”
- “Pupils passionately oppose racism and the school’s anti-racism councillors make a strong contribution to harmonious relationships between pupils from different backgrounds. For example, one pupil said: ‘We are all the same on the inside.’ The school’s religious education curriculum makes sure that pupils learn about a range of beliefs and faiths. This is enhanced by a strong partnership with Birmingham City Mission.”
- “The headteacher is in the process of making sure that all pupils are also safeguarded well at the after-school Madrasa.”
- “It [the local authority] has not provided support in implementing its ‘Prevent’ programme, a government-funded initiative intended to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism.”
Montgomery primary school
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “Individual members of staff have some knowledge about the risks of extremism in schools but leaders have not provided guidance or training to the academy staff about how to identify these risks or how to mitigate and address them.”
- “School leaders have not informed staff about the government guidelines on the prevention of extreme and radical behaviour as set out in the ‘Prevent’ programme.”
Regents Park community primary
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “The schoool’s safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. The quality of leadership and management requires improvement.”
- “The school’s headteacher and deputy headteacher resigned from the school in September 2013. The results of the national tests for pupils in year 6, in 2013, have been annulled by the Department for Education. This followed concerns from the Standards and Testing Agency about the validity of the results.”
- “Leaders have been slow to strengthen the school’s systems for protecting pupils from the possible risk of being exposed to extremisms...She [the new head teacher] has also challenged senior leaders to sharpen the school’s procedures further, for example through closer consideration of the risks of radicalisation and extremism and to raise awareness of other issues such as forced marriage and female genital mutilation.”
- “In religious education lessons pupils learn about a range of festivals and celebrations linked to different faiths, but they do not explore different religious beliefs in the same detail.”
- “As part of the recruitment process, however, the range of background checks that are made on those who have lived or worked overseas are not always recorded systematically. The school’s procedures to check on the suitability of visitors to the school are not always rigorous enough. The school’s child protection policy, although comprehensive in many respects, does not outline clear procedures to follow if staff suspect that children may be at risk from extremism.”
- “The local authority has not provided support for the school’s leaders to help them understand how they can deal with risks of extremism or radicalisation.”
Shaw Hill primary school
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “With the agreement of other pupils, a child explained, ‘we don’t care about your race or religion, as long as there is good in people we don’t mind’.”
- “The local authority’s support and challenge of the school’s leadership and management has been weak. Processes to appoint local authority governors have hindered the work of the school.”
- “Staff have recently attended training in the national ‘Prevent’ programme, a government-funded initiative intended to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism.”
Welford primary school
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “They mix well and play together regardless of their heritage, gender or religion.”
- “Pupils learn about democracy by electing school councillors and house captains through a voting system.”
- “Senior staff are alert to any racial tensions in the immediate locality through good communication with the police. They have made appropriate referrals when parents have shown intolerance of others. However, the school is not well informed about the ‘Prevent’ strategy, a government funded initiative intended to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism, and more needs to be done to support staff in identifying and reducing risks associated with extremism.”
- “The curriculum promotes understanding, tolerance and celebration of world faiths in the school and beyond. Collective worship is regular. Parents are invited to class assemblies about festivals that are in the world faith calendar. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and be good citizens of the United Kingdom. Time is allocated for pupils’ personal, social, and health education, including sex and relationships education. However, some pupils lack some confidence in discussing different types of families and relationships.”
Ninestiles school
Inspection verdict Outstanding
- “Students know about different kinds of bullying, including e-bullying, racial and homophobic bullying. Moreover, students have a developed awareness of tensions that might arise between groups who hold different beliefs from one another. In the words of one Year 10 student: ‘Everyone learns to embrace each other’s differences. We learn about beliefs and points of view and we really think about them.’”
- “The academy’s safeguarding and child protection policies provide staff with general information about what they need to know and what to do if they have concerns. ... [the policy] signals where further information can be found on subjects such as forced marriage and female genital mutilation.”
- “A culture of inclusion, equal opportunity and individual responsibility is at the core of this academy, which helps promote community cohesion. Subjects such as religious education, citizenship, sex and relationships education, social, moral, spiritual and cultural education, philosophy and ethics, law, music, dance and drama, as well as the school’s unique ‘Aspire’ curriculum, ensure that students are exposed to diverse cultures, beliefs and traditions.”
- “Visits, such as the recent trip to the Houses of Parliament, further enhance student’s understanding of British democratic society.”
- “The senior leader with responsibility for safeguarding has recently attended training on radicalisation and extremism. A training event for staff, trustees and directors is taking place within the next few weeks to ensure that the importance of this specific agenda is even more widely understood.”
- “Senior staff, trustees and councillors make use of resources and support available through the police to manage individual incidents and to address the risk of extremism in school. The academy works positively with the local authority, for example in delivering a range of support and school improvement advice to other schools in the area. The local authority representative was unaware that concerns around radicalisation and extremism had been raised by the school.”
Chilwell Croft academy
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying, including homophobic name-calling.”
- “Pupils in years 5 and 6 have a clear understanding about different types of families and relationships. However, this is not the case across the rest of the academy. The academy is reviewing the way it teaches pupils about sex and relationships.”
Small Heath school
Inspection verdict Outstanding
- “The school’s safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.”
- “Strategies for preventing and tackling extremism are well developed. Students are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Regular letters from the headteacher remind parents about how they can help to keep their children safe. Close links with the police and other agencies support students’ safety well.”
- “A major strength of the school is that students value the differences between people of different beliefs, race and backgrounds. This has been achieved through a balanced curriculum for religious education and wide-ranging opportunities for personal development … There are regular debates on current affairs, helping students to value people’s different opinions as they learn about life in modern Britain.”
Washwood Heath school
Inspection verdict Good
- “Students are well informed about the different beliefs, cultures and traditions in modern Britain and globally. They have opportunities to deepen their cultural understanding through educational trips to areas of Britain that differ from their own, as well as to other countries.”
- “A well-planned programme for assemblies, religious education and ‘Dimension Days’ gives students a good understanding of staying safe. They know about risks related to religious extremism, sexual health, drug misuse, use of the internet and social media and different forms of bullying. Students are taught to respect the things that make people different such as sexual orientation, appearance, ability and race. Students say that it is acceptable to be different at the academy.”
Waverley school
Inspection verdict Outstanding
- “They show a very good awareness of risks to their personal safety and well-being both in and beyond the school, including when on the internet, from crime and from the risks of radicalisation and extremism. This stems directly from the successful work of the school to maintain safeguarding as an explicit priority, alongside its work to ensure high levels of community cohesion.”
- “Staff are well trained to identify signs of neglect, abuse and any indications of students being at risk from extremism.”
- “Staff told inspectors about the importance of being vigilant, and of reporting any concerns immediately to the designated person for safeguarding in the school. One said, ‘We are drilled; the message is ‘report it, report it’. There are strong links with the local police to help to keep students safe.”
- “The headteacher made important contributions to equality issues, tackling discrimination and strengthening community cohesion across Birmingham, nationally and internationally. Students’ very mature and well-developed appreciation of issues relating to different sexualities is a positive reflection of the confident emphasis this is given in the curriculum. The school is a Stonewall champion school.”
- “The local authority currently offers no strategic oversight with regard to the safeguarding of students beyond the safeguarding audit and provision of statutory safeguarding training. Its capacity to support the school with its work around the awareness of the potential risks relating to extremism, and to encourage the celebration of diversity, is limited, and it has not yet been able to help the school to share its excellent practice across other Birmingham schools.”
Heathfield primary
Inspection verdict Requires improvement
- “While safeguarding requirements are met, the work to keep pupils safe from any possible risks of extremism and radicalisation lacks clarity. The school has not engaged with the local authority’s ‘Prevent’ programme, a government funded initiative intended to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism. The executive headteacher has plans to develop staff and pupils’ understanding of such risks but this has not happened to date.”
- “Some governors hold an overly positive view of how well the school is performing. Governors are not well informed about the potential risks associated with radicalisation and extremism and how these might impact on the school.”