Ateres Girls High School

Inspection of Ateres Girls High School Willow Grove, Felling, Gateshead NE10 9PQ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. Most pupils enjoy school and attend well. Pupils feel safe and happy. They are respectful to each other and staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Most pupils behave well. They understand the importance of working hard. Pupils show positive attitudes towards their learning. They are confident to contribute to discussions and debates.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. If it does happen, it is dealt with quickly by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy listening to a wide range of visiting speakers. Pupils receive effective careers advice. Pupils are clear about where they can get unbiased advice about different careers. Pupils take on responsibility. They contribute to their local community through planting trees and litter picking in the local park.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders do not fully prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils do not learn about all the protected characteristics that are defined by law in the Equality Act 2010. Leaders refuse to discuss, or teach pupils about, the protected characteristics relating to sexual orientation, gender reassignment and civil partnerships.

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better?

Leaders and governors ensure that pupils enjoy a broad and rich curriculum. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use day-to-day assessment well to check on pupils’ learning. Teachers adapt their planning to ensure that they address pupils’ misconceptions. There are regular opportunities for pupils to review and revisit previous learning. This enables pupils to know more and remember more over time. Pupils’ outcomes in English and mathematics are above the national average. Pupils achieve well in their GCSE examinations.

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better?

There is a strong focus on developing pupils’ subject-specific vocabulary. For example, in history lessons Year 8 pupils spoke confidently about the historical terms they had learned when studying the English Civil War.

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better?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of all pupils. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Teaching assistants and the special educational needs coordinator support pupils well. Targets set for pupils with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) are specific. The provision is well matched to these pupils’ needs. Not all teachers are clear about how to support pupils with SEND as well as they could. This is because the targets for pupils with SEND who do not have EHCPs are not always precise enough.

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better?

Curriculum plans are in place for all subjects. However, some long-term plans, such as geography and mathematics, are not coherently planned and sequenced. Some plans do not identify the crucial knowledge, understanding and skills that pupils will learn. Leaders are aware of this and they are taking action to address this. 12–14 November 2019

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Pupils read widely and often. Pupils enjoy reading. They read a lot in their own time. Pupils are confident to read aloud in class. They enjoy the poems and novels they study in English. The headteacher has plans in place to develop a school library so that pupils have more access to books in school.

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Pupils have a good understanding of the importance of healthy eating and exercise. They have a limited understanding of how to keep mentally healthy. There is variability across year groups in pupils’ understanding of different faiths and religions. Younger pupils do not have a good understanding of the different religions and faiths in modern Britain. Pupils do not have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships because this is not covered within the curriculum. The personal and social curriculum needs further development.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders. Governors are considerate of staff well-being and workload. Governors and the proprietor hold leaders to account for the quality of education. However, governors do not ensure that the independent school standards are always met. The school’s policy prohibits discussion of some of the protected characteristic groups. Governors have no plans in place to ensure that pupils develop an understanding of all the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010.

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Leaders ensure that the majority of the independent school standards are met. For example, they have made sure that the health and safety standards are met and the premises is well maintained.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular safeguarding training. They understand the important role they play in keeping pupils safe. Pupils are confident to talk to their form tutor if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school. Although pupils do not use the internet in school they do understand how to keep themselves safe online. They also learn about keeping themselves safe outside of school. For instance, they learn about road safety and ‘stranger danger’. The school’s safeguarding policy reflects current government guidance and requirements. As the school does not have a website, parents can request a copy of the safeguarding policy.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Well-sequenced and coherent curriculum plans are in place for some subjects, but not all. Leaders need to ensure that long-term plans are developed for all subjects. Leaders should ensure that these plans clearly identify the crucial 12–14 November 2019

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knowledge, understanding and skills that pupils should acquire in each subject.  Pupils with SEND achieve well. However, not all teachers are clear about the specific support that pupils with SEND need in each subject. Targets on support plans are not specific enough and not communicated clearly to staff. Leaders should ensure that targets on support plans are more specific and shared with staff.  Leaders refuse to allow pupils to be taught about all of the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010, for instance those relating to sexual orientation and gender reassignment. Leaders should ensure that pupils develop an understanding of, and respect for, all of the protected characteristics groups so that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils understand how to keep physically healthy and to eat well. However, there is less support for pupils’ mental health. Pupils do not have a well-developed

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understanding of keeping themselves mentally healthy. Leaders should ensure that pastoral care is strengthened so that there is a focus on supporting pupils’ mental health and well-being as well as their physical health. Leaders should also ensure that the curriculum enables pupils to develop an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 12–14 November 2019

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School details

Unique reference number 138118 DfE registration number 390/6000

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School details

Inspection number 10110722 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) Voluntary contributions

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15–17 May 2018

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Information about this school

 Ateres Girls High School is an orthodox Jewish school, with a Jewish ethos, providing education for Jewish girls between the ages of 11 and 16 years.  Pupils study the Kodesh curriculum as well as studying a non-specialist curriculum, which includes accredited GCSE examinations.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The number of pupils with SEND is broadly in line with the national average.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place in May 2018. 12–14 November 2019

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection 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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Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and curriculum leaders. We also met with leaders responsible for safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and personal development. The lead inspector held a discussion with representatives of the governing body and the proprietor. An inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator.  We scrutinised a wide range of documentation relating to the school’s work to safeguard pupils. This included pupils’ welfare records, behaviour records and pupils’ attendance records. We spoke to staff about the training they receive to keep pupils safe. An inspector checked the school’s central record, which includes the checks made on staff to ensure that they are safe to work with children.  An inspector toured the school premises to check compliance with the independent school premises standards.  We took account of the views of members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s

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Information about this inspection

staff survey. We took into account the views of parents and pupils who responded to Ofsted’s surveys. We spoke to pupils both formally and informally to get their views about the school.  The inspection focused particularly on mathematics, English, information and communications technology (ICT), and history. Other subjects were also considered as part of the inspection such as geography, science and art. We visited lessons, scrutinised pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and teachers.  During this inspection, the headteacher told inspectors that there were a number of parents who did not wish inspectors to talk to their child.

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Inspection team

Michele Costello, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Karine Hendley Her Majesty’s Inspector 12–14 November 2019

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensure 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(2)(d)(ii) encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act; – 2(2)(i) effective preparation of pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in British society.

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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; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 12–14 November 2019

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to 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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