New blow for fee-paying school rated ‘inadequate’ since 2016

A fee-paying Queen’s Park school that has failed every Ofsted inspection for six years is still not meeting educational or safeguarding standards.

The School of the Islamic Republic of Iran [IRIS] in Carlton Vale has been found ‘inadequate’ for every full inspection since a ‘satisfactory’ rating in 2013. 

It has since posted ‘inadequate’ Ofsted ratings in 2016, 2018 and 2019. 
This additional inspection, which is for schools not making the grade, was completed in March and the subsequent report makes further damning reading.

“At the time of the last inspection leaders had bought new schemes of work,” the inspector wrote. “However, these had been taken from published sources and not adapted or implemented effectively. Teachers did not deliver the planned work.”

The independent school was founded in 2009.

According to its website, the school aims to: “Create and promote firm foundations in a warm caring Islamic environment, in which each child can achieve their full potential in faith and education, and blossom into individuals who are proud of their Muslim identity and who are an asset for our society.” 

The 2019 report found IRIS was ‘inadequate’ for ‘quality of education’ and ‘leadership and management’ but ‘good’ for ‘behaviour and attitudes’ and ‘requires improvement’ for ‘personal development’. 

This interim inspection focused on the areas of greatest concern. Ofsted found that work had taken place in some areas to improve ‘quality of education’ but “schemes of work are not in place for all subjects and for all year groups”. 

“In some subjects,” the report added, “For example in computing and physical education (PE), there are no plans at all. It is not clear what will be taught in these lessons and what leaders want pupils to know and remember.” 

It concluded: “The standards in this part continue to not be met. The school is repeatedly failing to meet the same standards over time.”

IRIS currently has 120 pupils aged six to 16 and charges £850 a year for day pupils.

Ofsted noted the PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) programme had been rewritten with students being taught about different types of family and relationships.

However, safeguarding, the report said, remains “ineffective” while “leaders have still not completed all the checks required on the staff they employ”. 
At the previous inspection, only one shower cubicle was available for pupils’ use after PE and this was in a staff toilet. This is no longer the case, but Ofsted found the facility can only be locked from the outside. 

The School of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been approached for comment.