TTD Gur School

TTD Gur School 17 Margaret Road, Stamford Hill, London N16 6UX

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leadership and management are inadequate. Leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Leaders have breached the school’s registration by increasing the number of pupils and extending the age range.  The curriculum is inadequate. Pupils’ learning in subjects other than English and mathematics is severely limited.  School leaders do not promote respect for other people, particularly with regard to those who have protected characteristics.  Attendance registers are not completed properly. Pupil absences are not logged using the correct codes.  Pupils have poor knowledge of British values or institutions.  Teaching, learning and assessment are inadequate, particularly in the secular subjects. Teachers do not plan activities to meet the differing needs of pupils.  Pupils’ outcomes are inadequate. Pupils’ poor command of the English language is a barrier to their learning and progress.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ behaviour requires improvement. Pupils sometimes struggle to self-manage their behaviour around the school.  The early years provision is inadequate. The statutory requirements for the early years foundation stage are not all met.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 There are strong relationships between staff and pupils. This has a positive impact on pupils’ well-being.  Pupils listen and concentrate well in class.  Teachers have strong questioning skills, particularly in the Kodesh curriculum. This promotes effective dialogue with pupils.  Parents and carers are very supportive of the school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school must take action to meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements. The details are listed in the annex to the full report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management to ensure that: – respect for all groups of people is encouraged and actively promoted, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Equalities Act – pupils understand British values, know about the public institutions of Britain, and are well prepared for life in modern Britain – attendance registers are kept using the correct codes for recording pupils as absent.  Improve the curriculum by: – providing pupils with opportunities to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in the full range of subjects, not just in English and mathematics.  Improve teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers: – follow the schemes of work so that there is continuity in pupils’ learning and they make more progress – use their questioning skills in the secular as well as the Kodesh curriculum to challenge pupils and check that they have understood the work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve outcomes for pupils by ensuring that: – teachers use assessment information about pupils’ starting points and progress, adapting work to meet pupils’ needs – pupils have opportunities for extended pieces of writing, and to apply their knowledge of English grammar – pupils practise their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in English.  Improve pupils’ behaviour by ensuring that: – pupils self-manage their behaviour in corridors in the same way that they do in classes.  Improve the provision for early years by ensuring that: – all the requirements of the early years statutory framework are met.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 School leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  The school is registered for up to 140 pupils between the ages of three and seven years old. However, at the time of the inspection there were 213 pupils on roll, up to the age of 13 years. This is a breach of the school’s registration.  Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum meets requirements. Pupils learn English and mathematics but do not study, make progress over time and learn skills in subjects other than these. This is because, although there are some examples of one-off activities in these areas, there are either no schemes of work or the schemes are not followed. Subjects such as geography and history, which leaders say are delivered through the Kodesh curriculum, are not mapped or planned to ensure sufficient coverage for pupils to make progress.  Leaders have not ensured that they encourage respect for other people, paying particular

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

regard to the protected characteristics. Other aspects of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are also weak. Pupils do not know about British values or the public institutions of Britain.  Attendance registers are kept in a timely manner and pupils’ absences from school are followed up. However, leaders have not ensured that pupils’ absence is always marked with the correct codes.  There is a programme for observing and evaluating teaching. Teachers are observed regularly and get feedback on their teaching from leaders. Teachers value this and want to improve; they say the feedback is helpful. However, this programme has not been effective in improving teachers’ skills rapidly enough.  Parents are very supportive of the school and value its ethos. Parents say that school leaders communicate well with them if they have any concerns about their child’s learning and welfare.  Two of the previously unmet standards in part 2, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

cultural development are now met. This is standard 5(b)(i) enabling pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence. Also standard 5(b)(v), enabling pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;. The other standards remain unmet.  The school is unlikely to meet the independent school standards if the material change is implemented.

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Governance

 Governors have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Governors are fully committed to ensuring that the school cares for the pupils well.  Governors and leaders take, and act on, the advice of a number of consultants. However, although improvements have been made since the previous standard inspection, these do not go far enough, and the pace of change is too slow.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Pupils say they feel safe and parents agree. Staff are trained and can apply their safeguarding training in practice. They know what to do if they have concerns. Records are well kept.  All the required recruitment checks on the suitability of staff and leaders to work with children are recorded on the single central register. However, not everything is as joined up as it could be, and some administrative improvements would make the systems more effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate. The curriculum is too narrow, so pupils do not learn the range of skills and knowledge that they should. The independent school standards relating to the quality of education are not all met.  Schemes of work, where they exist, and learning activities are not planned or adapted to meet pupils’ different learning needs. They do not take account of pupils’ starting points. Teachers do not use assessment information effectively.  The level of challenge in pupils’ work does not enable them to make sustained progress. Some pupils find the work too easy and so do not make the progress of which they are capable. Others find the work too hard; consequently, their learning is not consolidated and their progress falters. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics class, some pupils worked swiftly and easily to complete questions on negative numbers, while others

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

struggled to understand the rule for using a number line.  There are weaknesses in the school’s support for pupils at different stages of learning English. This remains a barrier to learning for many pupils. The time is limited for the secular curriculum: an hour and a half a day in most year groups, and half an hour in Year 2. This does not enable pupils to develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills sufficiently well and does not prepare them for life in modern Britain.  There are strong relationships between teachers and pupils, which contribute to a positive learning environment in classes.  Teachers’ questioning of pupils is skilful, particularly in the Kodesh curriculum. Teachers allow pupils to give extended answers and self-correct. They also enable pupils to ask questions and then teachers use these as a basis for further teaching. Pupils participate well in these opportunities for dialogue.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be.  Pupils have generally positive attitudes to learning and get on well together. They are confident in talking to adults, and good relationships are apparent in the playground and around the school.  Pupils are clear that they feel safe from bullying. They talked confidently to inspectors about what to do if it occasionally happens. They feel secure in going to their teachers, using the ‘worry box’ or asking to speak to the school’s independent ‘listener’ if they have any concerns. School records confirm that bullying is rare. The site is secure.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils’ conduct around the building, during the transitions between classes and during social time requires improvement. At these times, pupils sometimes lack self-discipline and do not listen and respond as quickly to adults as they do in classes.  Pupils generally attend well and they enjoy coming to school. They behave well in classes.  Pupils respond positively to teachers’ expectations. They have positive attitudes to learning, and listen and concentrate well.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils’ outcomes are inadequate because the curriculum is limited and pupils do not have opportunities to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in all areas of learning.  Pupils’ attainment is at least two years below age-related expectations in English and mathematics. For example, work in books shows that 12-year-old pupils, equivalent to the first year of secondary schooling, are only working on simple addition, multiplication and division problems. In Year 2, pupils’ writing is just simple copying.  Pupils’ lack of English is a barrier to their progress in the secular subjects. Although a programme is in place, pupils do not make nearly enough progress in developing their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.  Pupils’ reading is limited. Although the school has appropriate resources for teaching phonics, these are not used. Pupils do not know the phonics sounds and so cannot apply

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

these in their reading and writing.  Pupils mainly focus on grammar exercises in English. Work in pupils’ books shows that there are no opportunities for them to complete pieces of extended writing. As a result, pupils do not learn how to apply grammatical knowledge in their own writing.  Secondary-age pupils have only scant experience and knowledge of science. Pupils can remember occasional science activities but cannot talk about what they have learned. Inspectors did not see any evidence of pupils’ written work in science.  Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities do not make the progress that they should. This is because teachers do not use pupils’ individual education plans to plan learning activities.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well in the Kodesh curriculum.  Teachers promote pupils’ mental mathematics systematically, and pupils greatly enjoy these activities.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 The provision for early years is inadequate because leaders have not ensured that all the statutory requirements for the early years are met. There are weaknesses in children’s learning and development because of lack of planning for the different areas of learning. Coverage of activities in the curriculum is not linked to the early learning goals. This is particularly the case with literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive art and design.  Assessment is not focused enough on what individual children can do. It is not used to plan activities. Leaders and teachers do not link children’s assessment with the development of their skills.  Leaders do not have an effective overview of children who have SEN and/or disabilities. Consequently, these pupils do not make the progress they should.  Adults speak very little English to the children, so children’s progress in speaking and understanding English is limited. All classes have a reading corner. However, although

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Early years provision Inadequate

there are English reading books, children do not make progress in early reading skills. There is no evidence to suggest that the phonics resources are used.  There is variability in learning across and within classes; some activities are far more purposeful than others. For example, children play well with construction toys, develop their motor skills and show creativity. Other activities have less purpose, such as cutting and sticking wrapping paper.  As in the main school, there are good relationships between staff and children, and dialogue is well promoted. Children are happy and settle well to the range of activities. They behave and generally play well together; when there are disputes over toys, adults intervene appropriately. Group activities are well organised and all children participate, for example, in group songs.  Leaders are starting to broaden children’s horizons and develop learning activities using

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Early years provision Inadequate

resources in the local community. For example, children have made visits to local shops to find out about different produce, measuring and money.  Safeguarding is effective. Pupils are well cared for.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, 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.

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School details

Proprietor Talmud Torah D’chasidei Gur Ltd

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) Variable, depending on the ability of parents and carers to pay

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School details

Website The school does not have a website

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1–3 December 2015

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Information about this school

 TTD Gur School is an independent orthodox Jewish day school for boys in the London Borough of Hackney.  The school occupies a purpose-built site in Margaret Road. The second floor of the building is currently empty and being refurbished to become part of the school premises.  The school’s previous full standard inspection took place in December 2015, when the school was judged to be inadequate. The school has had two progress monitoring inspections to check on its progress towards meeting all the independent school standards.  The school does not use any off-site educational provision for pupils.  The school has 30 pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. A small number of pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan.  Pupils study Jewish religious studies for the majority of their time in school. This is taught in Yiddish. The secular curriculum is taught in English.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited classes in almost all year groups. Most of these visits were made jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in books.  Two groups of pupils talked to inspectors about their views of the school. Inspectors also talked informally with pupils at breaktime and lunchtime.  The lead inspector undertook a tour of the premises.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior staff and external consultants employed by the school, to discuss the impact of their work. The lead inspector met with two governors, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, including the one response to the Ofsted online survey (Parent View), a letter received from a parent, a meeting with a parent at their request, and talking informally to parents at the start of the school day. There were no responses to the staff survey.  Inspectors scrutinised documentation, including records of attendance, safeguarding, the

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Information about this inspection

curriculum, teaching and pupils’ progress.  As part of this inspection, the DfE commissioned Ofsted to consider the school’s progress in meeting the independent school standards that were judged to be unmet at the previous inspection.  As part of this inspection, the DfE commissioned Ofsted to consider the school’s application to make a material change to its registration. The material change was to increase the age range from 3-7 years to 3-10 years and the maximum capacity from 140 to 220.

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Inspection team

Janet Hallett, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if: – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and – 2(1)(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work: – 2(1)(b)(i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan.  2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are: – 2(2)(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education; – 2(2)(d) personal, social, health and economic education which: – 2(2)(d)(ii) encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act; – 2(2)(f) where the school has pupils below compulsory school age, a programme of activities which is appropriate to their educational needs in relation to personal, social, emotional and physical development and communication and language skills; – 2(2)(i) effective preparation of pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in British society.  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school: – 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; – 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons.

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

 5 The standard about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor: – 5(a) actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; – 5(b) ensures that principles are actively promoted which: – 5(b)(iv) enable pupils to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England; – 5(b)(vi) encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 15 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school: – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently.

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requirements

 1.3 Deliver a programme that is shaped by the three prime areas of learning, communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development.  1.4 Support children in their learning and development in literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.  1.12 Use the early learning goals to measure children’s progress.  2.1 Assess children’s learning and development through observation.

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requirements

 3.67 Ensure that appropriate support is provided for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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requirements

Parent View 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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requirements

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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requirements

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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requirements

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requirements

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

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