Tiferes High School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Tiferes High School The Community Centre, 18 Raleigh Close, Hendon, London NW4 2TA

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7(a), 25, 28(1)(d) and 29(1)(b)  At the time of the June 2018 inspection, these standards were not met because the school building was not maintained well enough to assure pupils’ safety and welfare as effectively as it should. Inspectors reported that there were cracks in windows, broken floor tiles, poor standards of decoration, a lack of checks on electrical equipment and scalding hot water supplies. Inspectors also judged some of the outdoor spaces as unsuitable for pupils to socialise and relax in at breaktimes.  This inspection confirms that some progress has been made to rectify the health and safety issues, as per the progress identified in the school’s action plan. For example, broken windows have been replaced, portable appliance testing has been completed twice and the outdoor areas are now suitable for outdoor recreation. However, there is

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Main inspection findings

still much work to do to fix floors, decorate classrooms and corridors and to replace the boiler system. The headteacher plans to have all works completed by the end of the autumn term.  The standards 7(a) and 25 remain unmet. In addition, as no hot water was available during the inspection, paragraph 28(1)(b) is also judged as not met.  Standard 29(1)(b) is now met because leaders have ensured that the outdoor areas are suitable for the pupils to play outside. Paragraph 7(b)  This inspection found the school’s child protection policy to have been reviewed in September 2019 but not in line with the latest statutory guidance. The latest guidance issued by the Secretary of State, and in force from 2 September 2019, was not known to leaders until 9 September 2019, when they received an update email from the Department for Education (DfE).  As a result, the school’s child protection policy and practice do not pay regard to the

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Main inspection findings

required guidance, and this standard is now judged to be not met. Paragraph 10  At the time of the previous inspection, it was reported that almost all forms of bullying and the consequences of such behaviour were covered in the anti-bullying policy. However, there was no specific reference to homophobic bullying.  This inspection found the school’s anti-bullying policy now includes explicit reference to homophobic bullying and to any form of discriminatory bullying based on any of the protected characteristics, as identified in the Equality Act 2010.  Standard 10 is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34  Leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Since the previous inspection in June 2018, progress to remedy the identified concerns has been too slow.  However, all the required works to improve the premises have now been agreed with the building’s owners, and secure plans are in place to ensure that the premises are likely to be fully compliant with all the relevant standards by the end of the autumn term.  The standard in this part remains unmet.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection, as set out in the annex of this report. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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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

Type of school Secondary school for Orthodox Jewish girls

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School details

Website The school does not have a website

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 5–7 June 2018

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Information about this school

 Tiferes High School, formerly known as London Jewish Girls High School, is an independent day school for up to 125 girls aged 11 to 16 years. The school is located in a residential area in the London Borough of Barnet.  There are currently 128 girls on roll. No pupils have an education, health and care plan. As at the time of the last inspection, the school remains in breach of its registration agreement.  The school does not have a website. However, policies, including the child protection policy, are readily available in hard copy to parents and carers.  The school was last inspected in June 2018, when its overall effectiveness was judged to require improvement.  The school makes no use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  After the school’s full standard inspection in June 2018, leaders were asked to submit an action plan. In May 2019, Ofsted judged the school’s action plan to be not acceptable. It was subsequently rejected by the DfE.  The DfE requested that this first progress monitoring inspection consider whether particular independent school standards contained within Parts 3, 5 and 8 are now met.  The inspection was conducted without notice.  The inspector met the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. He toured the premises and reviewed key documents and policies in relation to the independent school

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Information about this inspection

standards that were checked.  There were no recent responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Parent View, to consider.

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Inspection team

James Waite, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain unmet at this inspection

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that-

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 25 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school premises and the accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 28(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that-

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

– 28(1)(d) the temperature of hot water at the point of use does not pose a scalding risk to users.

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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; and

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

Standards that were met at the previous inspection, but are now judged to not be met at this inspection

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 28(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that-

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

– 28(1)(b) toilets and urinals have an adequate supply of cold water and washing facilities have an adequate supply of hot and cold water.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 10 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that bullying at the school is prevented in so far as reasonably practicable, by the drawing up and implementation of an effective anti-bullying strategy.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 29(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable outdoor space is provided in order to enable-

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

– 29(1)(b) pupils to play outside. 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 5. Premises of and accommodation at 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 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visitwww.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 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

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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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

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

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