Beis Yaakov High School

69 Broom Lane, Salford, Greater Manchester, M7 4FF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Inadequate 4 Leadership and management Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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This is a school that requires special measures

 Safeguarding is inadequate. Students are potentially at risk because school procedures are too lax and fall far short of statutory requirements.  There are major gaps in students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Students are not provided with sufficient opportunities to learn about or understand people of other faiths or cultures. The school does not promote adequately students’ awareness and tolerance of communities which are different to their own. As a result, the school does not prepare students adequately for life in modern Britain. This means that the school is failing to give its students an acceptable standard of education.  Roles and responsibilities at senior leadership level lack clarity. Consequently, governors struggle to hold key members of staff to account for their performance.  Middle leaders are not held to account rigorously enough for their performance.  Recruitment procedures are too informal and do not

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This is a school that requires special measures

comply with recommended guidelines regarding equality of opportunity.  Attendance is too low and shows no significant sign of improvement  A very small minority of teachers do not adapt their lessons sufficiently well to suit the needs of the less able students.  The curriculum is too narrow and limits students’ potential. Students receive little information or guidance on careers they may wish to pursue. As a result, the school does not help them to make informed decisions about their future lives.  Financial records lack transparency. As a result, governors and school leaders cannot always give a clear explanation of how funds allocated to the school have been spent.

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The school has the following strengths

 The majority of students, including the most able, make good and sometimes outstanding progress in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.  Teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations and good subject knowledge. They ask searching questions that challenge students intellectually. As a result, most students achieve well in their public examinations.  Students enjoy a range of extra-curricular activities, including trips locally and abroad. This enriches their lives considerably.  Students know they can approach staff if they have a problem, either at school or at home. They feel confident that staff will always try to help them when they encounter difficulties in their lives.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection took place with no prior notice to the school.  Inspectors observed 10 part lessons and also conducted a number of learning walks. Inspectors observed and talked with students at break time and lunch time. Inspectors also talked with students in the dining hall and as they moved around the school on their way to lessons.  During the inspection, meetings were held with members of the governing body, senior leaders in the school, staff, students and a representative of the local authority. In addition, a telephone conversation was conducted with a parent of a student at the school, who had asked to speak to the inspection team.  The inspection team considered a wide range of documentation provided by the school when considering its judgements. This included information on students’ achievement, attendance and behaviour, students’ work, records of governing body meetings, school policies, the school’s self-evaluation of its work and

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Information about this inspection

plans for improvement.  Inspectors took account of the 36 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View), and 52 questionnaires completed by staff. The inspection team also considered the school’s own surveys of the views of parents, staff and students.

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Inspection team

Joan Bonenfant, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Anne Seneviratne Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended), Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this school

 Beis Yaakov High School serves the Orthodox Jewish Charedi community based in Salford, Bury and Manchester. It provides education for girls only.  The school is much smaller than the average-sized secondary school, although student numbers are rising.  The proportion of disadvantaged students supported by the pupil premium is lower than average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support students known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of students with disabilities or special educational needs is below the national average, but is increasing.  Very few students speak English as an additional language and the vast majority are of White British heritage.  A very small number of students do work-related training in the Beis Yaakov crèche which provides childcare and early education for the children of staff at the school. The Beis Yaakov crèche was last

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Information about this school

inspected in 2009 and the report can be found on the Ofsted website. This provision is administered and funded by the Radford Educational Trust. This trust owns the premises in which the school operates.  The school offers sixth form provision for a very small number of students who attend Beis Yaakov in the morning to follow a course in Jewish studies. They attend Beis Soro Schneier School in the afternoon to pursue courses delivered by The Manchester College, a further education institution. Provision in the sixth form was not inspected during this inspection.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  When the academy’s predecessor school, Beis Yaakov High School, was last inspected, in May 2009, its overall effectiveness was judged to be good.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by: - urgently addressing all deficiencies in safeguarding practices to eliminate any potential risks to students - establishing transparent procedures for recording all expenditure so that governors and school leaders can readily account for how funding has been spent - tackling with urgency identified weaknesses at senior leadership level and ensuring that roles and responsibilities are clear - undertaking a full and comprehensive review of all roles and responsibilities across the school - ensuring all recruitment complies with recommended guidelines for ensuring equality of opportunity - ensuring all middle leaders are robustly held to account for performance in their area of responsibility - improving the quality of self-evaluation and development planning so that school leaders have an accurate picture regarding the overall effectiveness of the school and plans for improvement have

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the curriculum by: - ensuring students can choose from a wider range of academic qualifications - providing objective information, advice and guidance to students so that they can make informed choices about the next stages in their lives - reviewing the school’s current provision for students’ personal, social and health education so that students can assess risks they may meet in a variety of situations outside school.  Improve students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development so that they are better prepared for life in modern Britain.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the small proportion of weaker teaching that exists at present by ensuring all teachers adapt their lessons more effectively to meet the needs of the less able students so that they make better progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attendance by working more effectively with parents so that all parents comply with the school’s policy on attendance and do not withdraw their child from school other than for authorised reasons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate recommends that newly qualified teachers should not be appointed.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The school does not follow its own published policies on safeguarding. There are major weaknesses in practice and arrangements for safeguarding which do not meet statutory requirements. Such laxity in this regard has the potential to put students at risk. Therefore, procedures for safeguarding are inadequate.  Financial records lack transparency. As a result, at the time of inspection, school leaders, including governors, could not provide inspectors with a satisfactory account of how substantial amounts of public money had been spent.  Roles and responsibilities at senior leadership level are blurred, reducing the capacity of governors to hold key personnel to account for their performance. Governors recognise this as a weakness and early in 2014 they commissioned an external review of leadership. The review recommended that key roles in the school be re-defined, but this has so far not been implemented.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Recruitment procedures are not transparent, for example, not all posts are advertised, either externally or internally. As a result, in practice the school does not comply with its own policy or recommended guidelines regarding equality of opportunity.  The curriculum is too narrow; it does not adequately support the students’ aspirations or interests. The range of academic subjects that the students can take in Key Stage 4 is too restricted; as a result, not enough students who are capable of doing so achieve the qualifications that would help them to get into top universities later in life.  When inspectors spoke with students during the inspection, they told us of their ambitions, including professions such as the law, teaching and medicine, as well as careers in the arts or sports. Students say they would welcome advice from the school on how to achieve their goals. However, they actually receive

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The leadership and management are inadequate

very little objective information or guidance on career options and, therefore, are not equipped to make informed choices regarding their future lives.  There are some gaps in aspects of students’ personal, social and health education. As a result, the school limits students’ ability to assess risks in an informed way and keep themselves safe in a variety of situations they may encounter in the outside world.  There are serious weaknesses in the overall promotion of students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Students have little opportunity to reflect on spiritual issues from other perspectives and in this way understand people of different faiths to their own.  The school does not adequately promote tolerance and understanding of people who live their lives differently or live in different communities. As a result, students are not taught to reflect on or challenge prejeudices that they may encounter in wider society. In this respect, the school does not tackle

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The leadership and management are inadequate

discrimination effectively and fails to prepare students for life in modern Britain.  Self-evaluation is inaccurate and not kept up-to-date. Therefore, it lacks sharp analysis of key areas of the school’s work, for example, as to why students who took public examinations in 2014 did not meet the targets the school had set for them. The school development plan is too vague and lacks specific, measurable success criteria. School leaders have been unsuccessful in improving major areas of weakness, such as poor attendance. As a result, school leaders do not demonstrate convincingly the capacity to improve this school quickly.  Teaching and learning are led well, with vision and ambition for further improvement. Regular lesson observations take place and staff are given clear advice as to how to develop further. Professional development is tailored to individual needs, with appropriate whole-school training when necessary.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Targets for improvement are set for teachers, and staff have been kept back from promotion on occasion if there have been concerns. School leaders say that staff respond positively to this process and the support they receive to improve their teaching.  Subject leadership is of variable quality. This is because subject leaders are not held to account with sufficient rigour for their performance. Not all subject leaders have a good grasp of current developments in their area of responsibility. This has occasionally led to underachievement on the part of some students, for example, in English. Not all subject leaders follow the school’s policy on checking up on the quality of the work of teachers in their department. As a result, there are wide discrepancies in the quality of marking.  The school works closely with other schools serving this community, and the link with The Manchester College has helped all students who left school last year to access further education or training.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The school’s programme of extra-curricular visits and activities is spoken of very highy by students. They enjoy a range of after-school clubs, including sports, music and art. The school is very proud of its choir and the musical productions that the students arrange themselves.  The school regularly consults parents on their views and school leaders believe they have the wholehearted backing of parents in the decisions they make regarding the strategic direction of the school. Responses to the online questionnaire, ‘Parent View’, were overwhelmingly supportive of the school, and the vast majority of parents say they would recommend the school to other parents.  The school engages well with the local authority. Support from the local authority has been effective in helping to improve the overall quality of teaching.  The governance of the school:  Governors have not acted swiftly enough to sort out identified weaknesses at leadership level. Despite

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The leadership and management are inadequate

the willingness of the governing body to challenge the school and hold senior leaders to account, the lack of clarity regarding roles and responsibilities has impeded governors in effectively managing the performance of key members of staff.  Governors have not been effective in ensuring that the school complies with statutory duties, for example, in safeguarding and recruitment of staff.  Governors are insufficiently diligent in holding the school to account for the effective deployment of resources.  The governing body has not been effective in ensuring the school prepares students positively for life in modern Britain by promoting tolerance and understanding of people from other faiths or communities.  Governors are aware of strengths and weaknesses regarding the quality of teaching and have a watchful eye over the performance management of teachers.  Governors are loyal and dedicated to the school. They are fervently committed to ensuring the school

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of students is good. They come well prepared for their lessons, set about tasks willingly and show a palpable interest in their studies. Students’ positive and enthusiastic attitudes to learning make a strong contribution to their good achievement.  In social spaces, such as the dining hall, and all around the school students mix well with one another. Students are impeccably polite and welcoming to visitors. They are friendly, helpful and approachable.  Students are universally of smart appearance and wear their uniform with pride. They enjoy most lessons and say that, for the most part, students behave well. On some occasions, a very small minority cause some low level disruption, but this rarely stands in the way of learning.  Students enjoy taking responsibility, for example, in organising drama productions and running the school council. Students also enthusiastically told inspectors about the funds they raise for people less fortunate

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

than themselves in the local community and students willingly volunteer to visit senior citizens who live nearby.  The school’s work to keep students safe and secure requires improvement. Students spoken with during the inspection were unanimous in their opinion that they feel safe and well cared for by staff in the school. This sentiment is echoed in the surveys that the school conducts of students’ views. The overwhelming majority of parents who responded to the online questionnaire, ‘Parent View’, say their child feels safe in school. However, the school does not always give the students the information they need to keep themselves safe in the wider world.  Exclusions are non-existent. This is because staff step in quickly if students are experiencing difficulties. Students express great confidence in the ability of staff to deal with issues such as bullying, although they are not always aware of all the different types of bullying to which people may be subjected. Students

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

spoken with during the inspection said they know who to go to when problems arise and that staff will act on their concerns. Parents are also of the opinion that the school deals effectively with bullying.  According to information provided by the school, racist incidents are extremely rare.  Attendance is low. School leaders have struggled to persuade parents that, by withdrawing their children from school to attend family celebrations, they are not supporting the school or their children’s education.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching, across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics, is well matched to the needs and abilities of students, leading to consistently good achievement over time.  Teachers have high expectations overall, for example, students know that when they miss lessons through absence, teachers expect all work to be made up immediately on return to school, so that students do not fall behind. Homework is set regularly and students are challenged if they do not complete the tasks they have been given.  Teaching is particularly effective in Key Stage 4, especially for the most able students and those of middle ability. As a result, a substantial proportion of these students make progress that is at least good, and sometimes outstanding, across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.  When teaching is at its best, teachers have good subject knowledge and use effective questioning to

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The quality of teaching is good

probe understanding, eliciting articulate and thoughtful responses from their students. There is a tangible sense of intellectual challenge and students make great strides in their learning.  Most teachers experience very little disruption to their lessons. This is because they create a positive, purposeful and vibrant climate for learning. On the whole, students respond accordingly: they treat their teachers with respect and show enthusiasm for learning.  Teaching is of more variable quality in Key Stage 3. On rare occasions, the most able students are not always stretched, which holds them back from making even better progress.  Sometimes a small minority of lower ability students and students with special educational needs do not make as strong progress in lessons as other students. This is because not all teachers adjust their teaching effectively to suit their needs and they do not always receive the help they need to get on with

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The quality of teaching is good

their work.  A review of teaching, conducted by the local authority, found marking to be of a high standard. However, inspectors found examples of weaker practice when they examined a sample of students’ books during the inspection. Some marking is cursory and gives very little indication to students as to how to improve their work. This is because not all subject leaders ensure that teachers follow the school’s marking policy correctly.  The presentation of work in students’ books is not always of a consistently high standard because teachers do not routinely pull students up if their work is careless or untidy.  Teaching assistants are, for the most part, deployed effectively, for example, in providing one-to-one support to individual students to improve their reading skills.  The overwhelming majority of parents who responded to the online questionnaire, ‘Parent View’ feel that their children are well taught in the school.

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is good

 In 2013, students who reached the end of Key Stage 4 made good, and sometimes outstanding, progress in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. In 2014, performance in public examinations dropped slightly, and students did not meet the targets the school had set for them. Nevertheless, according to information provided by the school during the inspection, overall students made at least good progress, given their starting points.  Most groups of students achieve well. The relatively small number of disadvantaged students generally make better progress than their peers nationally, and there is no gap between their achievement and that of other students in the school, including in English and mathematics.  The most able students make progress that is significantly above average in a number of subjects. However, not all of these students achieve the wide range of academic qualifications they would need,

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is good

should they wish to apply to the top universities in the future. This limits their potential.  A much smaller than average proportion of students than is found nationally are disabled or have special educational needs. The progress of these students has been variable from year to year and subject to subject. The attendance of some individuals included in this group of students has in the past been lower than that of other students in the school and this has sometimes had a detrimental impact on their achievement.  School leaders do not enter students early for public examinations, other than in both Modern and Biblical Hebrew. This policy has not had a limiting effect on students’ overall achievement.  According to the school’s assessment information, the progress students make in Key Stage 3 requires improvement. This is because teaching is not always of the same high quality in Key Stage 3 as it is

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is good

found in Key Stage 4.  The school has used funds available for the Year 7 catch-up effectively and these students have begun to make up lost ground. The Year 7 catch-up programme is intended to support students who have fallen behind in literacy and numeracy.  The very small number of students who attend work-related training in the Beis Yaakov crèche make reasonable progress and this training helps to prepare them for employment in the future.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing

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Grade Judgement Description

to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 138698 Local authority Salford Inspection number 440160

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Girls Number of pupils on the school roll 258 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Ziskind Headteacher Yochonon Goldblatt Date of previous school inspection 5 May 2009 Telephone number 0161 708 8220 Fax number 0161 708 9968 Email address admin@byhs.org guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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