T T T Y Y School

T T T Y Y School 14 Heathland Road, London N16 5NH

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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

 Pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science is inadequate. Their achievements are poor.  The school’s secular curriculum is too narrow. Not enough time is spent teaching pupils about English, mathematics, science and geography.  Teaching is weak. Teachers lack the expertise to teach the secular subjects effectively.  Assessment is limited. Teachers do not have enough information about pupils’ progress to plan lessons effectively.  Leaders do not monitor the quality of teaching in enough detail. Arrangements to tackle weak teaching are ineffective.  Despite improvements, leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met. There is no written programme for careers education in key stage 3. Newly introduced policies are not being implemented effectively.  The quality of education for children in the early years is poor. Low-level activities and teachers’ lack of professional expertise mean that

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 New policies, including those for the curriculum and safeguarding, meet requirements.  Pupils achieve well in their Jewish studies. This is because teachers are experts in this aspect of the school’s curriculum.  Safeguarding is effective.  Pupils’ attitudes to school are strong. They have good social skills and a firm understanding of right and wrong. Pupils are well behaved and polite.  Arrangements to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are strong.

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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 full report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that: – the breadth and depth of the curriculum enables all pupils, including the most able, to make progress in all areas of learning – the curriculum policy and schemes of work are implemented effectively so that pupils develop their knowledge and skills over time – there is sufficient time allocated to secular subjects, including English and mathematics, to enable pupils to achieve well – effective careers guidance and advice is provided for pupils in key stage 3 – leaders monitor the quality of teaching rigorously and provide teachers with the support necessary to improve their subject knowledge and expertise – provision in the early years enables children to develop their learning effectively so that they are prepared for the next stage of their education – the admissions register is fully up to date.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– ensuring that teachers have the necessary knowledge of the curriculum and the skills needed to teach the subjects effectively, including in the early years – improving the quality of planning so that tasks and activities challenge pupils and enable them to reach their potential – ensuring that teachers have appropriately high expectations to enable pupils to achieve the standards of which they are capable – improving arrangements for assessment so that teachers have reliable information to enable them to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils.  The school must meet the independent school standards, as set out in the annex of this report.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders and governors have established a range of new policies and procedures that meet the independent school standards. However, these have not been implemented effectively. The narrow Chol (secular) curriculum, weak teaching and outdated or redacted printed materials mean that pupils’ achievements are poor.  While some previously unmet independent school standards are now met, leaders have failed to meet others. For example, the revised safeguarding policy takes appropriate account of current guidance. However, the school still does not have a written programme for careers education in key stage 3 or physical education (PE). These failings were noted at the last standard inspection in June 2017.  Following the last inspection, leaders made some important improvements to the curriculum. For example, pupils in Years 4 to 7 get additional support with their reading. Science is now taught in key stage 2, although restrictions on content limits pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

understanding of the world. The secular curriculum does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge across the range of subjects. As a result, pupils do not achieve their full potential.  Leaders have established a planned programme for personal, social and health education (PSHE). Some aspects of this, such as citizenship, are taught through visits to local places of interest. For example, pupils visit the Hackney Museum where they learn about road safety and being good citizens. They visit the Houses of Parliament to learn how British democracy works. Pupils also visit places important in Jewish history, such as Clifford’s Tower in York. As a result, pupils gain a secure understanding of the fundamental British values of democracy, individual liberty, tolerance and the rule of law.  Leaders do not check the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress rigorously enough. While

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

leaders visit classrooms regularly to check standards, they do not use the information to manage teachers’ performance. As a result, weaknesses in teachers’ skills are not being tackled effectively.  The teaching of literacy is inadequate across the school. Numeracy teaching is better but still not good enough to enable pupils to make sufficient progress. Some aspects of the Kodesh curriculum make a contribution to pupils’ numeracy skills although this is not routinely planned.  The funding for pupils with SEND is used to support pupils who have specific needs. Staff have secured additional resources where necessary and use this to provide specialist support such as speech and language therapy. This has a positive impact on these pupils’ care and welfare.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is secure. The Kodesh (Jewish studies) curriculum plays an important role in teaching pupils how to respect their own

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

and others’ beliefs. Pupils’ understanding of other religious traditions, such as Christianity and Islam, has improved since the previous inspection. However, it remains basic and pupils’ development is limited. Nevertheless, the school meets its aim of ensuring that pupils develop into responsible citizens (become menschen).

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Governance

 Governors and trustees are highly supportive of the school and its aims. However, they do not ensure that all the independent school standards are met in full, particularly in relation to the quality of pupils’ secular education. They do not check whether pupils make enough progress and achieve standards that are appropriate for their abilities.  Governors have ensured that some basic information about the destinations of school leavers is now recorded in the admissions register. However, the information does not include enough detail about the schools to which pupils go at the age of 13. For example, the register records that pupils transfer to yeshivot but not the address of these.  Governors ensure that procedures for safeguarding, and for health and safety, meet requirements. The arrangements for vetting the suitability of staff are effective. The safety and welfare of pupils are promoted appropriately, including the procedures relating

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The newly revised safeguarding policy is comprehensive and includes information about radicalisation and extremism, mental health and female genital mutilation. There is a regular programme of updates on safeguarding.  Safeguarding training for staff is regular and up to date. The designated safeguarding leads (DSL) have received training at an appropriate level. Staff know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil and how to report these to the DSL.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teachers lack the expertise to teach the secular curriculum effectively. As a result, too much teaching in English, mathematics and science is weak. Too often, pupils are given work that is undemanding and lacks challenge. For example, pupils rarely write for different audiences and they frequently copy from worksheets. This means that pupils make too little progress and lack the knowledge and skills to use English effectively.  Teachers have a secure knowledge of the Kodesh curriculum. As a result, pupils make strong progress with their Jewish studies.  The teaching of reading in English is poor. Leaders have rightly introduced a phonics scheme, but this does not begin until pupils are in Year 2 (class 3). Teachers lack the expertise to teach the phonics scheme and have little or no training. This delays the development of pupils’ reading and few are skilled in decoding or blending the sounds made by letters. For example, Year 5 pupils do not have the phonics knowledge to read

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

unfamiliar words. Across the school, pupils’ vocabulary is limited.  Assessment arrangements are poor. There is no overall assessment policy to guide teachers. Senior leaders make frequent visits to classrooms to test pupils’ understanding but this information is not used to plan lessons or identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  Occasionally, teachers use questions to check pupils’ learning and extend their knowledge. Pupils enjoy the challenge and are keen to answer. However, this is not typical. As a result, teaching does not ensure that pupils build their knowledge over time.  Lesson planning is weak. Senior leaders have established an outline of what is to be taught but this is not reflected in everyday practice. For example, there are no timetables and the time allocated to secular subjects is limited. In most cases, pupils are given the same work despite their different starting points. This often results in a lack of challenge,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

especially for the most able pupils. In some cases, lower-ability pupils are left behind because teachers move the work on before they have a firm understanding.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. This is because pupils in key stage 3 do not get enough guidance about careers or gain an awareness of all the protected characteristics defined by the Equalities Act 2010.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They are appropriately supervised throughout the day, including at lunchtime and breaktime. Although computers and smart phones are not used by pupils, they know about online safety and cyber bullying.  Leaders say they are committed to ensuring that pupils become well-informed citizens. Personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons deal with a range of topics, such as democracy and British institutions. However, pupils are unaware that some people are different because of sexual orientation or gender reassignment. In Year 6, pupils learn about healthy lifestyles. The Kodesh curriculum contributes to pupils’ personal

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Personal development and welfare

development and their understanding of right and wrong, and upholding the law.  Procedures to identify pupils who may need support with their learning are a strength of the school. The staff responsible for pupils with SEND have good links with outside agencies. This enables them to provide a range of support for pupils. For example, the school regularly uses speech and language therapists and has a positive relationship with the local authority.  Pupils have positive attitudes and respond readily to teachers’ instructions. Relationships are good. These strong characteristics contribute significantly to their learning and keeps them focused, even where teaching is weak.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are clear that bullying is rare. They said that if it were to happen, teachers would deal with it quickly. This is supported by the school’s records, which, although somewhat informal, support pupils’ view that bullying is rare.  Pupils’ attendance at school is typically above the national average. Pupils said they enjoy coming to school and are very positive about their teachers. Punctuality to lessons is mostly good.  Pupils are polite and respectful of others. They behave well in classrooms and around the school and their learning is rarely, if ever, disrupted. This is because staff promote the importance of learning, especially through the Kodesh curriculum, from a very early age.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils make too little progress in the secular curriculum and achievement is inadequate. Teaching is not demanding enough and this limits the breadth and depth of pupils’ learning. Too often, pupils are not being challenged by the work they are given. As a result, outcomes are inadequate.  Pupils cover a range of topics in English, mathematics, science and geography. However, the lack of time, and teachers’ poor planning and reliance on worksheets, mean that pupils’ learning is limited.  The limitations of the curriculum mean that pupils’ literacy skills in English are weak. Standards of reading and writing are poor. Pupils do not read fluently enough and their knowledge of different types of writing is limited.  Pupils’ mathematical skills are limited, although slightly better than those in English. In Year 6 and Year 8, standards are not high enough. Although pupils can use calculation, they lack the depth and breadth of mathematical understanding. For example, work in

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

pupils’ books is almost exclusively number work. There is little evidence of work that develops their knowledge of areas such as algebra, space and shape. In addition, there is little emphasis on mental mathematics.  Achievement is also weak in other areas, such as technology and creative subjects, despite the work of leaders to draw up a scheme of work. This is because the tasks are low level and require little thought or understanding. For example, work in technology often requires pupils to follow simple instructions and teachers’ expectations are low.  Pupils with SEND receive specialist support that helps them to access the Kodesh curriculum more effectively.  Outcomes for the Kodesh subjects are strong. For example, pupils enjoy discussions about the Gomora and learn to read Biblical Hebrew fluently. They learn how to debate the traditional Rabbinic commentaries in a way that shows their understanding of

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Early years provision Inadequate

 Leadership of the early years provision is inadequate. The provision does not meet requirements. Changes of staff have resulted in a lack of capacity and expertise. Teachers have little specialist training in the early years. This is recognised by senior leaders, who have rightly identified the need to recruit a new Nursery manager. However, leaders have yet to draw up a clear plan to show how they intend to improve provision.  Children start with little, if any, English. Most speak Yiddish as their first language. Despite this, the school has no strategy for ensuring that pupils learn English. Nor have leaders drawn up a teaching programme that takes account of the early learning goals. There is little evidence of assessment. Children currently in the early years make very limited progress.  The Nursery and Reception classrooms, and the outside space, do not provide stimulating environments to make learning exciting. Resources are limited. The purpose of tasks is

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Early years provision Inadequate

unclear and they are insufficiently focused on children’s learning. Too little thought is given to what teachers want children to achieve and low-level work does little to develop their language or mathematical skills, including emerging writing. As a result, children’s knowledge and skills are not being developed effectively, especially their speaking and writing.  Children in the early years generally have positive attitudes and behave well. Relationships are positive. However, the lack of demand and low expectations mean that they quickly become bored. Adults do their best to maintain interest but lack the expertise to provide suitable activities.

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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

Date of previous inspection 13–15 June 2017

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Information about this school

 Talmud Torah Toldos Yakov Yosef (TTTYY) is an independent school for boys aged 2 to 13 with a strictly orthodox Jewish religious character. It has two premises about half a mile apart in Hackney, north east London.  The school was previously inspected in November 2014, at which time it was judged to be inadequate. A standard inspection in June 2017 judged that the school did not meet all of The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements.  There are currently 164 pupils on roll, including 32 in the early years, all of whom attend full time.  All pupils are members of the local strictly orthodox Jewish Charadi community and speak Yiddish as their first language.  Pupils attend school six days a week. The majority of the school day is taken up with Jewish religious studies. Secular studies, which include English, mathematics and science in the afternoons, are taught in English. Some pupils receive support for reading English

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Information about this school

in the mornings.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils of secondary school age.  The school does not have a website, but hard copies of policies and other documents, such as inspection reports, are made available to parents and carers on request.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in each year group, including the Nursery and Reception classes.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work across the range of subjects.  Inspectors listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors looked at behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.  Discussions were held with senior leaders, governors, middle leaders, teachers and pupils.  A range of documentation and policies were scrutinised, including records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance, complaints procedures, schemes of work and the vetting checks the school makes to ensure that staff are suitable.  Inspectors reviewed records, policies and procedures relating to safeguarding.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Brian Oppenheim, 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 with an EHC plan; – 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 protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(e) for pupils receiving secondary education, access to accurate, up-to-date careers guidance that: – 2(2)(e)(i) is presented in an impartial manner; – 2(2)(e)(ii) enables them to make informed choices about a broad range of career options; and – 2(2)(e)(iii) helps to encourage them to fulfil their potential; – 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)(h) that all pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress.  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;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 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; – 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; – 3(f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range; – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress.

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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(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 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;

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Statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage

 Learning and development requirements. 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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Statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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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Statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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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Statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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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Statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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

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