Talmud Torah Yetev Lev

School report Talmud Torah Yetev Lev 393-395 Bury New Road, Salford, Lancashire, M7 2BT

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Overall effectiveness Good 2

Pupils’ achievement Good 2 Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Quality of curriculum Good 2 Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This school is good because

 Pupils’ achievement is good; pupils enjoy learning and are consistently engaged in lessons. As a result, they achieve well and make good progress. Particularly impressive is the progress made in Torah studies and mathematics.  The integrated curriculum, which embraces both Kodesh (religious studies) and Chol (secular studies), is good. It provides all pupils, including those with special educational needs, with a rich education.  Teaching is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge, know their pupils well and lesson planning is good.  Pupils’ behaviour and their personal development are good, as is their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Leadership and management are good and have had a positive impact on improving the quality of teaching, the curriculum and pupils’ achievement. Senior leaders are highly committed to securing the welfare, health and safety of pupils and to developing and

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This school is good because

maintaining high standards. The school has continued to improve since the last inspection.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Teaching does not always support the less- able pupils. In addition, the range of resources to support learning is somewhat limited, in particular within the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The procedures for the monitoring of teaching and learning are not rigorous enough in giving feedback to teachers, linked to follow-up observations.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school meets schedule 1 of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2012, as amended by the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  The inspectors observed 17 lessons taught by 16 different teachers. They looked at pupils’ work and held meetings with the head of Kodesh, the headteacher, senior members of staff, pupils and a representative of the governing body.  The inspectors took account of the views of parents and carers and members of staff.  The inspectors looked at the school’s documentation, including schemes of work and teachers’ planning, and interviewed two groups of pupils representing classes within Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Yodaiken, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Saleem Hussain Additional Inspector Susan Walsh Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Talmud Torah Yetev Lev is a school for orthodox Jewish Chassidic boys, aged from three to 12 years, in the Broughton Park area of Salford, Manchester.  The school was formed in 1997 and is owned and maintained by the Satmar Chassidic community, although it accepts pupils irrespective of their Jewish sectarian allegiance.  The aim of the school is ‘to provide a sound Jewish education that reflects the Satmar traditions and moral values’.  The school is registered for up to 245 pupils. Currently, there are 301 pupils on roll. A small proportion of pupils have statements of special educational needs. There are 63 children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The school was last inspected in October 2010.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Enhance the quality of teaching so that all pupils make accelerated progress by:  ensuring that all lessons provide appropriate support and challenge for the less able within the classroom setting  further improving the range of resources to support learning, particularly within the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Further improve leadership and management by:  establishing a more formal and systematic approach to lesson observations, which provides guidance on how the quality of teaching can be improved and is linked to follow-up observations.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

Pupils’ achievement is good. Pupils join the school in the Nursery with skills and knowledge below the usual expectations for their age. By the time they leave school in Year 8 they reach above average standards in Kodesh and numeracy and attain an average standard in literacy.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

In the Early Years Foundation Stage progress is at least adequate. Ongoing assessments are used to plan teaching. However, the narrow range of resources, particularly in the outdoor playground, limits somewhat the progress of children. Throughout the school, pupils make good progress because of the good quality of the teaching and the curriculum. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, including pupils with statements of special educational needs, also make good progress. This is the result of the support they receive in lessons and particularly within individual sessions out of the classroom. Pupils make at least good and sometimes outstanding progress in their Kodesh studies. Pupils develop their literacy and numeracy skills well and are able to reflect upon the books they have read. Reading is given a high priority and most pupils leave the school with average reading skills. Although pupils do progress in their writing skills, not all classes

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Pupils’ achievement Good

are given enough time for pupils to fully engage in creative writing. Attainment in mathematics is often above average, as exemplified within a Year 4 class where pupils were actively engaged in doing higher level multiplication exercises involving tens of thousands.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

The behaviour and the personal development of pupils are good, both in lessons and around the school. Pupils show great respect to adults and kindness towards their peers. Pupils display very positive attitudes to learning, report that they enjoy coming to school and, as a result, their attendance is high. They are not outstanding in these areas because there are too few planned opportunities to develop their skills in becoming less reliant on the directives and control of teachers, which can result in low level noise in less structured lessons. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall, with the spiritual and moral elements being outstanding. Pupils recite prayers with great devotion and their singing fills the whole school during the time of davening (prayer). Pupils effectively distinguish between right and wrong based on the values of justice and respect for others, as specified in the Torah.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Pupils make an effective contribution to the school and wider community. They are involved regularly in fundraising activities for school. They collect for charity and often visit a local home for the elderly. Pupils are willing to take on responsibilities around school, such as being monitors, organising Chanukah (Festival of Lights) events and for the Purim Spiel (drama presentation). The school provides pupils with a broad knowledge of British institutions and services, for example in explaining the process of understanding an election, as well as the work of magistrates, the police force and the fire service. The school promotes tolerance and inclusion towards others as a basic tenet of Jewish practice. They learn about other cultures through their studies about the forefathers; the Greeks with regard to Chanukah and the Persians with regard to the festival of Purim. Excellent relationships between staff and pupils ensure that all pupils are valued as

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

individuals, and feel safe and confident to approach members of staff if they have any concerns. Staff are extremely caring and attentive to pupils’ needs, as exemplified by pupils stating: ‘We feel like one big family, well cared for and safe.’ They develop their confidence well, as demonstrated by the way they take part in drama activities and in the school choir, and are prepared well for their future lives as law-abiding citizens. Leaders have ensured that where political issues are considered, that steps have been taken to offer pupils a balanced presentation of opposing views.

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Quality of teaching Good

The quality of teaching is good and this results in good achievement. In Chol lessons, teachers have good subject knowledge and enthuse their pupils. Teachers share with pupils lesson objectives and provide them with individual pupil targets. Questioning strategies used are effective, with a good blend of open and closed questions. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and while most work provided is appropriate for the abilities of the pupils, occasionally there is not enough support provided for those of lower attainment. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive help from learning support assistants, often outside the classroom, which ensures that they make similar progress to their classmates. The quality of teaching in Kodesh is good with some outstanding teaching. In Kodesh lessons, rebbes (male Kodesh teachers) are very secure in their subject knowledge and provide very good role models for

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Quality of teaching Good

pupils to follow. They demonstrate warmth and love of Torah and show great enthusiasm which inspires pupils. Outstanding teaching was seen in a Year 6 lesson where the rebbe taught the class about the laws of Shabbos (the Jewish Sabbath), providing a rich cross-curricular input of measurements within numeracy.

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Quality of teaching Good

Assessment information is used to good effect by teachers. Teachers record pupils’ progress on a weekly basis and parents and carers are kept informed about progress regularly. The menahel (head of Kodesh) and headteacher monitor these records and discuss with the rebbes and teachers any pupil who may need additional support or challenge. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly but they do not always give them sufficiently clear feedback on the next steps in their learning.

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Quality of curriculum Good

The quality of the curriculum is good and, as a result, pupils achieve well and are prepared effectively for the next stage in their education. The curriculum is divided into two parts; Kodesh is taught in the morning and afternoon with Chol being taught in part of the afternoon. The Kodesh curriculum covers all subjects, for example chumash (bible), davening (prayers), Gemorah (Talmud), halacha (Jewish law), kriah (reading), hashkofa (Jewish philosophy) and yediah klolis (Jewish general knowledge). Some aspects of the Kodesh curriculum are outstanding, for example, the excellent provision in chumash and Gemorah ensures that pupils’ knowledge and skills are built upon very impressively year-on-year. For older pupils, much of the day is spent on Gemorah study. The study of Gemorah is analytical and involves debate and discourse. This teaches pupils to constantly consider other points of view and to problem solve from a variety of angles. The Kodesh

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Quality of curriculum Good

curriculum incorporates elements of the required areas of learning, such as mathematics, science, literacy and social awareness. A good example of cross-curricular work was in a Year 6 Jewish philosophy lesson which incorporated a social history of life at the time of the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash (Temple). Pupils hone their linguistic skills through opportunities to speak in front of their peers. They also have opportunities to be interactive through arts and crafts activities connected to the Torah portion read each week in synagogues.

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Quality of curriculum Good

The Chol curriculum is good overall and is broadly based on the National Curriculum. English and mathematics are taught as discrete subjects, as are physical education and science. All other subjects are taught in a cross-curricular fashion. There are appropriate plans and schemes of work for all subjects. In addition, there is also a clear framework by which pupil performance is evaluated across the curriculum. Pupils take part in many extra-curricular activities, such as events planned around Jewish festivals. The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is less strong as it is somewhat narrow due to a limited range of resources. The school arranges several beneficial educational visits during the year for each class.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good

The provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety is good and all the independent school regulations are met. Safeguarding arrangements are securely in place and the school has correctly checked the suitability of staff and others to work with pupils. The information is held on a single central register, as required. The designated staff responsible for safeguarding, and all other staff, have been trained to the required level. All essential policies are in place, including those for child protection, health and safety, first aid and anti-bullying. Procedures are in place to record any accidents and incidents and risk assessments are conducted routinely. Checks on electrical appliances, and procedures to prevent fire, are fully implemented including checks on fire safety equipment and regular fire drills. A suitable policy for educational visits ensures that appropriate steps are taken to keep pupils safe when on school trips. Pupils are well supervised, and the

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good

admissions and attendance registers are properly maintained and meet the regulations.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good

Effective policies are in place for promoting good behaviour and the prevention of bullying. These are consistently applied by staff. Discussions with pupils indicate that behaviour is typically good and that bullying is rare, but should it occur they are confident that staff would deal with it promptly. Pupils say they feel safe and parents and carers confirm that their children are kept safe. The school promotes healthy lifestyles, particularly healthy eating; however, opportunities to participate in sport and exercise are adequate but limited.

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Leadership and management Good

The quality of leadership and management is good and ensures that pupils achieve well. Leaders and managers work well together and offer outstanding guidance to pupils. This is exemplified by the menahel’s recent visit to a home at 11.00 at night on Shabbos to enquire how a child was doing after going to a hospital during the day. Pupils are well supported and, as a result, teaching is good and pupils make good progress. The menahel and the headteacher have a shared vision and communicate a desire for excellence that is well received by teachers. Their warmth and kindness have been pivotal in creating the high morale of staff at the school. Although the range of resources is sometimes limited, they are constantly looking for ways to make the best use of the resources that are available and to plan for future developments. This is exemplified by the well- developed plans to relocate the Early Years Foundation Stage into a separate setting near to the

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Leadership and management Good

present accommodation, so that there will be an enrichment of the Early Years Foundation Stage learning environment.

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Leadership and management Good

Leaders and managers are clear about the school’s strengths and areas that still need to be developed, although self-evaluation is not fully formulated in writing. The school has robust policies to ensure the welfare, health and safety of pupils, including safeguarding. The governors have worked hard to improve the quality of provision, particularly with their input on the maintenance and enhancement of the present premises and accommodation. As a result, these are fit for purpose. The menahel and headteacher are visible in and around the school and take an active role in classroom activities, particularly in the comprehensive, ongoing assessment which takes place throughout the school. These assessment strategies provide the school with a clear insight into which pupils are struggling and may need additional intervention to support them. However, procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching are not linked sufficiently well to a systematic

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Leadership and management Good

and formal approach to lesson observations, where targets for teachers and areas for development are followed up in a rigorous way. The school’s actions since the last inspection have brought about improvements in many areas including the welfare, health and safety of pupils.

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Leadership and management Good

The school works well with parents and carers who fully support the work of the school, as demonstrated by the very positive outcomes of the 22 parents interviewed. Parents and carers receive all the required information, including annual reports, on their children’s progress and they have opportunities to attend consultation meetings. The school’s procedures for handling complaints are appropriate, clear and concise. The proprietor has ensured that all the independent school regulations are met.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding A school which provides an exceptional quality of education and significantly exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 2 Good A school which provides a high quality of education that exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 3 Adequate A school which meets minimum requirements but needs to improve the quality of education it provides. Grade 4 Inadequate A school where minimum requirements are not met and/or the quality of education has serious weaknesses.

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School details

Unique reference number 131435 Inspection number 422724 DfE registration number 355/6035 This inspection was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. Type of school Orthodox Jewish Primary School status Independent School Age range of pupils 3–12 years Gender of pupils Boys Number of pupils on the school roll 301 Number of part time pupils 0 Proprietor Talmud Torah Yetev Lev Ltd Chair Mr C Weiss Headteacher Rabbi Poznanski Date of previous school inspection 12 October 2010 Annual fees (day pupils) £2,300 Telephone number 0161 792 9922 Fax number 0161 792 9933 Email address ttlysatmar@gmail.com guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If

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School details

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School details

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School details

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School details

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