Al-Ashraf Secondary School for Girls, Gloucester

What it's like to be a pupil at Al-Ashraf Secondary School for Girls

Pupils enjoy their time at Al-Ashraf and they attend regularly. Pupils from different backgrounds are welcomed. Pupils describe the school as a family. The school's alumni are listed proudly on the walls. Many previous pupils visit to share their experiences with the girls currently attending. Pupils say this inspires them to be ambitious for their futures. Some pupils choose to return and work at the school in order to be part of its continued legacy. Teaching of the ambitious curriculum is typically effective, so pupils achieve well, as shown in national published outcomes. Staff get to know them as individuals which enables pupils to thrive. The school provides effective support to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils, like their peers, make secure progress from their starting points. The school environment is calm and purposeful. Pupils are welcoming to visitors. They are always well mannered and respectful. Pupils form positive relationships with their peers and staff. They have trusted adults they can talk to with any worries or concerns. This supports them to feel safe in school. Bullying is extremely rare. Pupils know that the school will not tolerate any discriminatory behaviour. The school's house system creates a strong sense of belonging. Pupils enjoy competing against their peers in sport, baking and poetry for example. Pupils benefit from an extensive range of wider experiences and opportunities. These include the annual enrichment week, visits from renowned artists, reward trips and working with local primary schools. Many pupils develop the confidence to lead assemblies where they debate topics of their choice. Pupils learn about faiths and beliefs different to their own. They reflect maturely on world events. They are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders should ensure that teaching precisely and consistently checks pupils' understanding of what they have been taught and that this information is used to carefully plan the next steps for pupils' learning so that any remaining gaps in their knowledge close quickly.
• Leaders should ensure that the professional learning programme is more extensive to carefully match the needs of individual staff while also supporting whole school priorities.
• Leaders, including governors and the proprietor, should further strengthen their strategic oversight of the school's performance in order to achieve consistently strong standards across all areas of the school's work.

Al-Ashraf creates a warm, family-like environment where pupils feel welcomed and valued as individuals. The school combines strong academic teaching with an impressive range of enrichment activities, helping girls develop confidence and prepare well for life beyond school. Behaviour is excellent, attendance is consistently high, and the school has successfully built trusting relationships with families from diverse backgrounds.

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Annual enrichment week, house system competitions (sport, baking, poetry), reward trips, assemblies led by pupils, visits from renowned artists, work with local primary schools, swimming lessons with Royal Life Saving Society, work experience placements

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Bus Stops