Yesoiday Hatorah Boys Academy

Yesoiday Hatorah School Sedgley Park Road, Prestwich, Manchester, Lancashire M25 0JW

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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 Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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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

 This school is organised so that pupils are, from the outset, segregated by sex for their education. This is unlawful and contrary to the Equality Act 2010.  Boys and girls have a limited number of opportunities where they can mix if they choose to do so. These opportunities are not actively promoted by leaders. As a result, there is limited socialisation between boys and girls, beyond that which is impromptu, to prepare them for life in modern British society.  Provision in the early years is good. Nevertheless, teaching is not precise enough to close the gaps in children’s knowledge in Reception.  The school’s processes to reorganise and register as two separate single sex schools and therefore comply with the law are complete. Implementation is imminent. Nevertheless, leaders allowed unlawful segregation to continue during this planned structural change. Consequently, leadership and management require improvement.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teaching is good. On occasions some teachers do not make effective use of teaching assistants to support pupils’ learning. There is some variability in teachers’ expectations of the quality of presentation of pupils’ work.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and staff are passionate about promoting high-quality education. They care deeply for the welfare of their pupils. Parents and carers overwhelmingly support the school.  The school’s curriculum is rich and inclusive for all pupils. Careful planning ensures that the Kodesh and Chol elements enrich pupils’ learning well.  The school gives pupils many worthwhile opportunities to expand their experience of the world and build their life skills.  Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make at least good progress. They attain well, particularly in writing and mathematics.  Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. The teaching of phonics is especially strong. Improvements to the teaching of mathematics are having a very positive impact.  Pupils feel safe in the school. They have impeccable conduct and excellent rates of attendance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership and management of the school by: – eradicating any detriment to pupils brought about by the policy of segregation on the grounds of sex in the school – further promoting opportunities for pupils to socialise, irrespective of sex, during unstructured times of the school day.  Enhance the quality of teaching to improve outcomes for pupils further by: – ensuring that all teachers make the best use of the skills of support staff to promote pupils’ learning – making sure that teachers consistently promote high expectations of the presentation of pupils’ written work.  Enhance the quality of the early years provision by: – making certain that teachers in Reception refine the precision of their teaching to close gaps in children’s knowledge.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 At the Ofsted inspection of the school in December 2018, inspectors identified some priorities for improvement that leaders needed to address urgently. This included the unlawful segregation of pupils by sex. Inspectors also identified that leaders and governors had not put enough opportunities in place to allow boys and girls to mix during unstructured times.  At the time of this inspection, the segregation of pupils by sex continues. Boys and girls are educated separately. This segregation means that girls and boys have limited opportunities to socialise or work together. Consequently, pupils suffer some detriment as they are not prepared for life in British society compared to pupils in other mixed- sex schools.  Governors have acted to complete the required actions necessary to ensure that the planned structural change to the school takes place as soon as possible. The school will become two separate, single-sex schools on 1 August 2019, which will comply with the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

Equality Act 2010. However, at the time of this inspection, the school was still operating as a mixed-sex school and nearly all boys were segregated from nearly all girls for their education. This is unlawful. This is because leaders have taken insufficient action in the meantime to remedy the detriment arising from the inability of boys and girls to mix and socialise.  Governors and leaders have identified some opportunities whereby pupils mix in impromptu situations. These include the use of a single administration area in which boys and girls come to share and celebrate their work with senior members of staff. They have provided opportunities during the school day for boys and girls, alongside their families, to share their work, such as in a recent exhibition of pupils’ work on business planning and entrepreneurism.  Leaders ensure that staff are aware that pupils who choose to interact with those of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

the opposite sex during impromptu meetings should not face negative consequences for doing so. Leaders make sure that school buildings are not used exclusively by pupils of one sex. However, leaders do not actively encourage mixing or socialisation between boys and girls. Consequently, well-established traditions mean that girls and boys mix infrequently with each other. This continues to be a detriment to them.  Leaders have an insightful understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They work closely as a team with staff and governors and share their aspirational vision for the future development and improvement of the school. Leaders actively link with other schools to share good practice and to improve teaching and learning at Yesoiday Hatorah. Leaders are generous in the time that they give to guide and support other schools locally and further afield.  Leaders’ planning for improvement is detailed and contains appropriate priorities. Some

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

individual subject plans have limited detail about the actions that leaders intend to take.  The middle leadership of the school is effective. Leaders responsible for specific subjects or areas of learning share the passion and commitment of senior leaders to provide a high-quality education for all pupils in the school. Many demonstrate deep understanding of the aspects of their work because of the training that they have received.  There are very few pupils in the school who are identified as being disadvantaged. Nevertheless, leaders demonstrate a good understanding of barriers to learning that many pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, encounter in the community. These include limited access to technology and limited experiences of the wider world. Leaders take effective action, including the appropriate use of the small amount of pupil premium funding, to ensure that the school’s curriculum enables pupils to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

overcome these barriers and to thrive.  Leaders’ good use of the physical education (PE) and sport premium funding means that pupils receive specialist teaching in PE and sport from professional coaches. Additionally, teachers benefit from participation in coaching sessions to improve their own teaching techniques. The school has increased the number of sporting opportunities available to pupils during lunchtime clubs. Pupils’ participation rates have increased. Most pupils leave the school being able to swim.  Leaders place pupils’ welfare at the heart of this caring school. They make sure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is effectively nurtured. As a result, pupils who spoke with inspectors did so confidently and respectfully. They said that they feel valued. They demonstrated respect for each other and members of staff, including the security guards found at the school entrances. Leaders make good use of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

the wide range of diversity found in the staff team to help promote pupils’ understanding of different cultures and faiths. For example, leaders promote understanding and knowledge of Islam through opportunities for pupils to ask thoughtful questions of staff who are Muslim.  Leaders’ carefully considered plans ensure the effective promotion of tolerance of all protected characteristics in an age-appropriate manner. As a result, pupils who have protected characteristics are welcomed and treated with respect by staff and pupils alike. This is exemplified by the many pupils from a local school for pupils with SEND who regularly visit the school to participate in a range of activities.  Leaders make sure that the school’s curriculum is broad and balanced. The school’s curriculum complies with the requirements outlined in the school’s funding agreement as an academy. The school’s curriculum is made up of two distinct aspects, the Kodesh

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

curriculum and the secular or Chol curriculum from the national curriculum programmes of study. Both the Kodesh and Chol schemes of work are designed carefully to ensure that they mesh together to support pupils’ learning well. Leaders and staff ensure that pupils systematically develop their knowledge and skills in a wide range of subjects. British values and pupils’ personal development and resilience are promoted well throughout the work of the school.  Leaders supplement the funding that they receive for pupils with SEND to ensure that they receive high-quality support to flourish at the school. For example, leaders employ professionals with specialist skills, such as speech and language therapists and play therapists, to ensure that pupils receive the support that they require to fulfil their potential. The leaders who are responsible for SEND are very knowledgeable and skilled. Their records and plans for individual pupils are exemplary. Leaders ensure that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

pupils with SEND make strong progress.  Parents are well informed about life in the school because it is a hub of community life. Weddings and other community celebrations make frequent use of school facilities. High-quality displays celebrate pupils’ work and inform visitors about pupils’ studies. Additionally, parents frequently attend school events to hear about pupils’ learning. These include curriculum-focused celebrations in school times, such as a recent exhibition of work about a business project, as well as charitable events and concerts. School reports are detailed documents that ensure parents are well informed about their children’s academic and social achievements.  Responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, indicated that parents overwhelmingly support the school in its endeavours. This is illustrated by comments such as: ‘I would highly recommend this excellent school to another parent. From the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

top down there is an ethos of respect and positivity’ and ‘The school has a fabulous and dedicated staff going often well beyond their line of duty.’

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Governance of the school

 Governors have successfully completed the actions to enable the school to meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. However, at the time of this inspection, the school still segregates on the grounds of pupils’ sex. There are limited opportunities for pupils to mix or socialise. Consequently, pupils remain subject to detriment as a result of the unlawful segregation.  Governors share the aspirational vision for improvement held by leaders and staff and are proud of their school.  Governors have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses because of the information they receive from leaders. Governors routinely visit the school to talk with staff and pupils, allowing them to check the accuracy of the information that they receive. They use this information well to hold leaders closely to account.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders and governors make certain that safeguarding arrangements are of high quality and are fit for purpose. Leaders and staff follow safeguarding policies meticulously. Leaders complete all statutory checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils. Additionally, governors double-check that the required additional checks are completed on those who hold positions of management responsibility in school, including themselves.  Leaders take effective action to ensure that the school is a safe and secure place in which pupils can learn. Well-trained staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding and are vigilant about potential risks that pupils may face. Leaders’ records are fit for purpose and kept accurately. Leaders share information with parents and other authorities appropriately to ensure pupils’ safety and welfare.  Governors ensure that the school’s internet connection is subject to appropriate

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Safeguarding

monitoring and filtering to help protect pupils from harmful online content.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers exhibit good knowledge of the subjects they teach, particularly in English, mathematics and the Kodesh curriculum, because of the training that they have received. Pupils are inspired to learn by innovative and interesting activities, including the effective and culturally sensitive use of technology. For example, while studying ancient Rome, pupils walked in the footsteps of centurions around the city’s streets using virtual technology. Additionally, pupils deepen their understanding of scientific concepts such as forces or the difference between solids, liquids and gases through well-structured practical experiences in themed weeks.  Teachers make good use of high-quality resources to aid pupils to learn. However, occasionally, teachers do not make best use of the additional support from teaching assistants to promote pupils’ learning during whole-class activities.  Reading and writing are taught with increasing complexity across the school. Teachers

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

plan carefully across whole-year groups to ensure that teaching systematically develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Additionally, teachers make excellent use of links between subjects to promote pupils’ knowledge and effective application of phonics and writing skills. The school’s ‘writing journey’ provides pupils with many opportunities to apply their skills. This equips pupils with the confidence to write, often using adventurous vocabulary.  The way in which mathematics is taught at the school has changed over recent years. Pupils systematically develop their skills and mastery of the subject through a carefully planned programme of increasingly more complex and challenging work. Teachers frequently assess pupils’ understanding using high-quality questioning. They use this information to amend their planning to carefully match tasks to pupils’ abilities. Work in pupils’ books shows that this approach has a strong, positive impact on pupils’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

confidence to use different strategies to solve mathematical problems.  Teachers make good use of links between other subjects because of the design of the school curriculum. New themes start with a challenging question. Teachers carefully plan a range of activities to deepen pupils’ knowledge in a range of subjects that allow pupils to formulate appropriate ways of answering the question. For example, in Kodesh enrichment, younger pupils consolidated their knowledge of Hebrew numbers and work on the etymology of word families in English and Hebrew to solve interesting challenges around the family history of Noah.  Teachers demonstrate high expectations of pupils in all subjects and routinely pose interesting questions or challenges. The quality of teaching often results in pupils producing high-quality pieces of work. For example, studies of pencil drawing techniques in art in upper key stage 2 resulted in some high-quality self-portraits that

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

made effective use of light and shade. However, on occasions, teachers’ expectations relating to the quality of pupils’ presentation of work are not as high. As a result, in some books across the school the quality of pupils’ presentation of work does not reflect the high quality of tasks that they have completed.  Pupils with SEND benefit from strong support from committed and knowledgeable staff and so overcome their barriers to learning and thrive. Some pupils with acute needs work frequently in mixed-sex groups that are focused on meeting their particular needs.  High-quality specialist teaching in some subjects, such as music, ensures that pupils develop good subject-specific knowledge, including about tone and pitch.  Teachers make good use of homework tasks to consolidate and further extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding of topics that have been recently covered in school.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Although there are limited opportunities afforded for pupils to socialise in mixed-sex groups, pupils are otherwise well prepared for their next steps in education and life in British society.  Pupils know how to keep safe and look after themselves, including when they use technology to study online, because of the high-quality teaching they receive from staff. Some valuable opportunities arise from the school’s excellent relationships with the community and other appropriate authorities. For instance, the school’s strong links with local health providers enhances pupils’ understanding of dental health and hygiene, including the importance of cleaning their teeth.  Pupils who spoke with inspectors in groups and around the school were confident to have conversations with each other and adults. They are very proud of their school and

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Personal development and welfare

said that they feel safe. They are happy to come to school and strongly asserted that there was no bullying, but if any did occur, they were confident that teachers and other adults would swiftly deal with it to stop it.  Pupils relish the wide range of roles of responsibility to which they can aspire. These range from office assistant to club monitor, or card monitor whose role includes organising lunch passes. Following their election, pupils take on representative positions on the school forum where they work with school leaders to improve the school.  In classes, pupils are attentive and eager to learn. They willingly talk about what they are learning and share their experiences with one another and with adults. Pupils contribute confidently to a wide range of learning activities.  Leaders recognise that many pupils’ limited experiences of the wider world have an impact on their knowledge and skills, particularly in the development of a rich

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Personal development and welfare

vocabulary. Leaders’ well-considered provision of a wide range of cultural visits provide pupils with real experiences on which they can build their knowledge and understanding. Leaders select such visits to link closely to each area or theme of learning in the curriculum. Pupils visit an exciting range of interesting places to gain experiences. These include a local safari park, geographical locations such as Victorian seaside towns, local recycling centres and high-quality sporting venues where they can try out new sports activities. These visits also allow for pupils to experience wider British society at first hand. Additionally, staff run a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. These include drama, chess, choir, computing, a club for building with small plastic bricks, and mathematics. These clubs allow all pupils to develop their own interests and to support their success at school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils’ conduct is exemplary. Pupils from all year groups are polite and courteous to each other and to adults. They move around the school calmly and purposefully because of well-established routines and the high expectations of teachers and leaders.  Pupils rarely miss a day of school. Over time, the rates of attendance for all groups of pupils have been consistently above national averages. Persistent absence is rare and the rate of persistent absenteeism for all groups of pupils is routinely below the national average.  Leaders’ use of exclusion has, over time, remained below the national average. The number of exclusions is very low and such action is used only when necessary.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Over time, pupils’ academic and personal development is good. They make at least good progress in a wide range of subjects as they build up their knowledge and understanding of the world. They develop skills that will see them fit and ready for their next stages of education.  Over the past three years, pupils left Year 6 having made considerable progress in developing their skills and knowledge in writing and reading. Progress has been routinely above average and particularly strong in writing. Pupils’ attainment of the expected standard and the higher standard or greater depth has been consistently above the national average.  Progress in mathematics has been less strong. Over the past three years, progress by pupils leaving at the end of key stage 2 declined from well above average to average. However, leaders’ effective actions to change the way mathematics is taught have borne fruit and resulted in much improved progress and higher attainment. The

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Outcomes for pupils Good

proportion of pupils attaining at least the expected standards by the end of key stage 2 has been above average over the past four years. The proportion of pupils attaining at least the expected standard in the 2019 provisional results in the end of key stage 2 assessment has risen further to well above the provisional national figure.  By the end of key stage 1, pupils’ attainment has typically been in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. There is little difference between groups of pupils. Girls and boys attain similarly and in line with their peers nationally. Work in books shows that pupils make good progress.  Work in pupils’ books and on display around the school shows that pupils make good progress in a range of other subjects. For instance, in art, pupils understand and can apply a good range of artistic techniques, including those used by famous local artists

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Outcomes for pupils Good

such as L.S. Lowry, because they study them closely as part of the curriculum.  Pupils read widely and often in school and as part of homework. Books are celebrated in school and used well as part of the systematic development of pupils’ reading skills in English. Pupils are eager readers, they see themselves as ‘book worms’ and have a love of a wide range of literature.  The progress made by pupils in phonics is excellent because of the high-quality teaching that they receive. As a result, the proportions of pupils reaching the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is consistently well above the national average. A high proportion of the few pupils who do not reach the standard are successful at the end of Year 2.  Pupils with SEND make excellent progress because of the carefully tailored and closely monitored support they receive from dedicated staff.

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Early years provision Good

 The leadership and management of the early years is good and particularly strong in the school’s Nursery department. Leaders monitor the quality of teaching and learning to inform their actions. In Reception, opportunities to do this and leaders’ confidence and skills are more limited. Despite this, leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the early years and a clear vision of the priorities by which they can further improve.  Leaders share a passion to provide the best learning opportunities for all children and work well together with staff to achieve this aspiration. Leaders in Nursery and Reception work closely together with staff and make effective use of weekly planning meetings. For instance, these meetings ensure consistency of planning across year groups and identify ambitious and precise expectations for children’s learning.  Children are kept safe because well-trained staff are vigilant to the risks that children

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Early years provision Good

may face. Leaders’ records of concerns are detailed, and any concerns swiftly and appropriately shared with senior leaders, parents and appropriate authorities.  Leaders ensure that all statutory welfare requirements for the early years are met.  The quality of teaching is good and particularly strong in Nursery. Children relish their time in school because of the interesting and engaging curriculum taught by committed and well-trained staff. Phonics teaching is strong and makes sure that children have solid foundations for phonics work in key stage 1. Work in children’s books shows the positive impact of leaders’ actions to improve the quality of teaching. This is particularly evident in mathematics where children systematically develop mastery of basic skills. However, in Reception, there is some variability in teachers’ expectations and the precision of their teaching to close gaps in children’s knowledge and understanding.

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Early years provision Good

 The curriculum in the early years is broad and rich. It is structured in a similar way to pupils’ studies in the rest of the school.  A high proportion of children enter the early years with skills and knowledge that are below those typical for their age. Specific areas of weakness often relate to children’s communication, language, numeracy and personal development skills. Children make strong progress in Nursery because of the strong quality of teaching that they receive. In Reception, children continue to build on their development from Nursery. Even though children make good progress, some children do not fully develop their language, communication and mathematics skills sufficiently well.  Staff’s engagement with parents in their children’s learning and development is a strength of the early years. Parents say that they are overwhelmingly satisfied with the quality of teaching, care and guidance that their children receive. Those that spoke

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Early years provision Good

with inspectors highlighted the ‘warm atmosphere’ found in the early years and the high levels of care provided by staff.

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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

Date of previous inspection 8–9 July 2014

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Information about this school

 Yesoiday Hatorah School is considerably larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school serves a growing Jewish community in Salford and Bury local authorities. Pupils are predominantly White British, and all have an Orthodox Jewish background. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is small.  The school operates a policy of segregation by sex for the teaching of pupils in every year group, including the early years. The policy causes the following detriment to pupils. The policy inhibits the opportunities for pupils to socialise and work together in mixed-sex groups. The policy constitutes direct discrimination contrary to the Equality Act 2010.  The number of disadvantaged pupils attending the school is very small. The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average. The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is below average.  The school uses no alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of learning and recreational activities, including parts of lessons, and looked at pupils’ work. They listened to some pupils read and talked with pupils about their lessons and school life. They observed pupils as they moved around the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the principal and a range of senior and middle leaders, including those responsible for SEND. Inspectors spoke with members of the school’s governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors met with visitors to the school, including an officer from the government’s Department for Education and a local health professional.  Inspectors scrutinised documentation relating to pupils’ progress and to school leadership, including the arrangements to ensure that pupils are kept safe.  Inspectors spoke with parents and staff and took account of the 97 responses to the online parent questionnaire, Parent View, including 25 free-text responses. The

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Information about this inspection

inspectors also took account of the 36 responses to the online staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the online pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

John Nixon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Maureen Hints Ofsted Inspector 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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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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, 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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