Bnos Zion of Bobov

Bnos Zion of Bobov 65–67 Ravensdale Road, London N16 6TJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietor has not ensured that all of the independent school standards are met. Pupils are not sufficiently well informed about all of the protected characteristics defined in the Equality Act 2010.  The proprietor continues to allow the school to operate beyond its registration criteria.  Teachers’ expectations, particularly when pupils write, are too variable. As a result, pupils do not have sufficient knowledge about how to use grammar and punctuation by the end of key stage 2.  Pupils make weaker progress when teachers do not explain new learning clearly enough or expect pupils to do new work before their misconceptions are addressed.  There is variability in the challenge that teachers offer the most able pupils over time.  The use of assessment in the early years is not consistently effective across all areas of learning.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The curriculum is well organised and understood.  Pupils behave well and understand the importance of learning. They know how to cooperate and treat one another with respect. They attend school well.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is enhanced by thoughtfully planned and well assessed activities. Visits help them learn about cultures other than their own.  Pupils sustain good progress from their starting points in key stage 3 because of teachers’ consistently strong subject knowledge.

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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?

 Tackle weaknesses in leadership and management which result both in some independent standards remaining unmet over time and the failure of the school to comply with its registration criteria.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, by: – ensuring consistently high expectations for what pupils can achieve when they write, particularly in key stage 2 – making sure that pupils understand what teachers demonstrate and explain and ensuring that teachers take effective action promptly when pupils do not – ensuring that teachers use assessment well, including in the early years, to support pupils’ good progress, particularly that of the most able – acting promptly and effectively to challenge pupils if they damage their books or the classroom environment.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The proprietor has not ensured that all of the independent school standards are met. Leaders have worked hard and taken some effective actions since the previous inspection, such as developing a more consistent approach to careers guidance. However, insufficient progress has been made to ensure that the school actively promotes respect for all of the protected characteristics. Leaders continue to deliberately omit mention or coverage of some of these characteristics in the curriculum. This was also a concern in the school’s previous inspections.  Leaders work systematically and collaboratively to check on the quality of teaching. They identify strengths and weaknesses accurately and model good practice to support teachers to improve. However, they do not ensure that consistently high expectations for pupils’ achievement are communicated clearly enough. As a result, weaknesses in teaching remain. Teaching is not improving rapidly enough, particularly in some aspects

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

of pupils’ writing.  The leader responsible for the Kodesh curriculum has an extensive understanding of the impact of teaching on pupils’ outcomes.  There is effective provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. Leaders are determined to sustain a strong focus on pupils’ learning about resilience, the power of debate and preparation for economic well-being in adulthood. Leaders make sure pupils find out about and deepen their understanding of different cultures.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. The order in which leaders expect pupils to acquire skills and deepen knowledge is clear and well understood by teachers. There have been improvements in the range and quality of opportunities for pupils to learn in some subjects since the last inspection. For example, pupils now benefit from a wider range of outdoor physical education, such as orienteering activities.

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Governance

 Governors say they are determined to work towards finding a way to meet all of the independent school standards. However, they have not challenged leaders effectively to accomplish this.  The school currently exceeds the number of pupils for which it is registered and occupies premises which are not part of its original registration. These decisions have not been effectively challenged or managed by governors.  Governors have improved the way they record their work and, as a result, can cite specific examples of how they have challenged leaders to improve the curriculum since last inspection. A wider range of governors have also been recruited, including new parent governors.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders ensure that staff are aware of and understand statutory safeguarding guidance. They make sure that checks are made on the premises and recommendations are acted upon to improve safety when necessary.  Leaders consider safeguarding matters when developing and reviewing the curriculum. For example, they have used their training on the ‘Prevent’ duty to reflect on how pupils can better learn how to be resilient to risks posed by extremist views.  Parents, staff and pupils who spoke with inspectors are very positive about safeguarding arrangements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 There are too many inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, particularly in the primary school, which have a negative impact on pupils’ progress. For example, teachers’ expectations for how pupils should develop their spelling, handwriting and presentation are weak, particularly in Year 3 and Year 4. Teachers do not consistently model effective handwriting themselves.  Assessment is used routinely by teachers to plan work for pupils to achieve the next steps in their learning. However, this is more effective in writing to help pupils sustain progress in the content of their work than in promoting progress in the use of grammar.  Some teachers do not demonstrate or explain new learning clearly enough. Their use of questioning and assessment in lessons to tease out misconceptions is variable. As a result, some pupils have a less secure understanding of important concepts which they need to make good progress.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge, which has a positive impact on pupils’ progress in the secondary school across a range of subjects. For example, teachers help pupils understand historical themes which help them gain a deeper understanding of poetry. In science, teachers are successful in helping pupils build on their ability to carry out investigations. However, teachers do not challenge the most able pupils consistently well across the whole school and range of subjects taught.  Teachers plan effective lessons which help pupils of all abilities learn to read and write in Hebrew. They assess pupils’ progress thoroughly and adapt activities to support and challenge learning.  Teachers recognise the power of encouraging pupils to collaborate and discuss ideas. This ensures that pupils enjoy learning. For example, in one lesson observed pupils were helping each other enrich the quality of vocabulary used in their writing. This contributes

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

well to pupils’ development of spoken language.  Phonics is taught well in key stage 1. As a result, pupils develop an enjoyment of reading independently.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils develop a strong sense of responsibility for one another’s welfare. They regard all staff, including senior leaders, as very approachable if they need to discuss something they are worried about.  Pupils demonstrate a good awareness of British institutions. They can remember and explain the significance of activities and visits aimed at helping them learn about democratic processes and the rule of law. However, the restricted coverage of protected characteristics unnecessarily limits pupils’ knowledge of rights and equalities.  The careers guidance available to secondary-aged pupils has been strengthened. Pupils say they enjoy hearing at first hand from adults who represent different professions. This is widening pupils’ horizons and contributing well to their preparation for adulthood.  Pupils develop a secure understanding of healthy lifestyles. For example, in science they

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Personal development and welfare

reflect on the importance of avoiding sugary food and brushing their teeth properly.  Parents speak highly of the school’s impact on welfare and personal development.  Pupils can typically explain how they can take steps to stay safe in a number of contexts. However, there was some variability in the depth of knowledge of e-safety among primary-aged pupils spoken to during the inspection.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well in lessons. They are hardworking and committed to learning.  Pupils are respectful to each other and adults. They collaborate well in their learning. Disruption to lessons is rare. However, some pupils’ books and room walls are defaced with graffiti. This is tolerated too much by some staff.  There are strong working relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils say there is no bullying and they interact with each other positively.  Attendance is sustained at a good level. Pupils’ enjoyment of school and parents’ confidence in the school’s provision contributes well to this.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Current pupils’ work indicates that their progress over time is variable, particularly in writing at key stage 2. For example, by the end of Year 6 pupils typically do not know enough about how to use grammar and punctuation to write for different audiences and purposes. This leaves them at a disadvantage in progressing to the next stage of their education.  Pupils’ progress in mathematics is adversely affected when teachers give them new work to do before pupils understand new concepts securely enough.  The most able pupils do not benefit from consistently effective challenge, which limits the extent of progress some are making.  Pupils make good progress in learning to read and using phonics to read unfamiliar words. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected phonics standard by the end of Year 1 is above national averages.  Pupils sustain good progress in the Kodesh curriculum, particularly when learning to read

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

and write in Hebrew.  There has been improvement in the consistency with which pupils sustain progress across a range of subjects. Pupils typically sustain good progress from a range of starting points in learning skills specific to all areas of learning required by the independent school standards.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Children’s starting points are accurately assessed. However, leaders have not ensured that assessment information is used consistently well to plan opportunities for children to make progress across all areas of learning. This leads to variable progress over time.  Leaders have made improvements to the Nursery and outdoor areas since the last inspection. However, there are still limitations to the way teachers make the most of outdoor learning. There is also a rather limited range of and use of books in English in the Nursery.  Examples of writing development shown to inspectors by leaders do not consistently reflect effective practice. This is because teachers provide varied models of letter formation for children, which limits the progress of some.  Leaders’ self-evaluation document accurately identifies key areas of strength and areas for development. The school seeks and uses advice and challenge from the local authority

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Early years provision Requires improvement

to decide on staff training and priorities for improvement.  Teachers model actions and songs well, which children enjoy. The established routines are well understood by children, who respond enthusiastically to lessons and behave well.  Assessment involves parents, who routinely contribute to the emerging picture of children’s progress.  Safeguarding is effective in the early years. Supervision and the well-being of children are informed by regular training for staff.

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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

Annual fees (day pupils) Voluntary contributions

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School details

Email address administration@bobovschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9–11 January 2018

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Information about this school

 Bnos Zion of Bobov is an independent Jewish Orthodox day school for girls between the ages of three and 13.  The school serves the local Jewish Bobov community. Yiddish is the first language of most members of the community.  The school’s education is based on the principles of the Torah. The school aims for all pupils to develop their understanding of their Jewish identity and heritage, but also to be well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The school occupies two adjoining properties in the Stamford Hill area of North London. It does not use any other premises.  The school applied for a material change to increase the age range, admission number and extend the premises, which was considered as part of the last full inspection in January 2018. This inspection found unmet standards and so the material change was not recommended.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector joined the inspection on the third day, taking over from the original lead inspector, who could not attend the final day of the inspection.  Inspectors carried out a wide range of observations in lessons and around the school, often alongside school leaders.  A selection of pupils’ work was scrutinised, in books and on display.  Inspectors looked at documents related to curriculum planning, assessment and safeguarding. They scrutinised records of the work of the governing body.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for different aspects of school provision and with representatives of the governing body, including the proprietor.  One written response to the online Parent View survey was considered along with the school’s own parent survey outcomes. Two parents met with the lead inspector on the third day of the inspection. There were no responses to the staff or pupil survey available

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Information about this inspection

during the inspection.  Inspectors talked with pupils in formal groups and informally about their work and their views about the school.

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Inspection team

Andrew Wright, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(d) personal, social, health and economic education which–

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 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 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 ensures that principles are actively promoted which–

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

– 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–

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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