Talmud Torah Chinuch Norim School

Inspection of Talmud Torah Chinuch Norim Wellington Street East, Salford, Manchester M7 2AU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Requires improvement Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who spoke with us said that they enjoy coming to school. They feel safe knowing that staff will look after them if they have any worries. Parents and carers who gave us their opinion were very happy with the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, including the new headteacher, are trying to improve the quality of the education they provide for pupils. Some things have improved since the last inspection. Pupils now achieve well in reading. They are getting better at writing and mathematics, but they do not do as well as they should. Leaders do not organise some other subjects in a way that helps pupils to learn well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect pupils to show good behaviour. For the most part, pupils do so. Some can be a little boisterous. However, teachers usually manage pupils’ behaviour well. Pupils mainly show a positive attitude to their learning. There is little bullying. Staff deal effectively with any issues that do arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders broaden pupils’ experience by taking them hiking in the countryside or going to museums. The school’s Jewish faith encourages pupils to show respect to each other and to staff. However, they do not learn about the full range of different characteristics people have.

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better?

The proprietor sets a clear vision for the school, based firmly on the Jewish faith. Respect for others is an important value for everyone at Talmud Torah Chinuch Norim. However, leaders do not encourage pupils to respect all the protected characteristics that are in the Equality Act 2010. In particular, they do not help them to appreciate, in a way that matches their age, either gender reassignment or sexual orientation. The work that they provide for pupils’ personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) does not cover these characteristics. This means that leaders do not prepare pupils well enough for life in British society. It also means that there is a gap in pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Leaders have not ensured that they have met the independent school standards connected with these matters.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that all the other independent school standards are met. Leaders have a curriculum in place that contains the subjects that pupils are supposed to learn. They have ways of assessing how well pupils are doing in these subjects.

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better?

Leaders make sure that they take care of pupils’ safety and well-being. They have many policies to help them to do this. These include a health and safety policy and a first-aid policy. Parents know that they can get access to these policies and other documents by contacting the school. 28–30 January 2020

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Leaders have put arrangements in place to make sure that pupils with disabilities can access the school.

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The school building is quite new and is in good condition. There are lots of classrooms and plenty of space for pupils to learn. There is a room where pupils can go if they need medical help. There are enough toilets and places for pupils to wash their hands. Pupils can easily get drinks of water.

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The curriculum has improved since the last inspection. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) makes sure that there is support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps them to do as well as they can in their learning.

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There are some subjects, such as reading, writing and mathematics, where it is easy to see how one piece of learning builds on an earlier one. However, in subjects such as history, there is no logical order to the way pupils learn things.

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Pupils do well in reading. Leaders make sure that children learn phonics soon after they start in Reception. Teachers are well trained and there is support to help pupils who fall behind as they progress through Year 1. Teachers give pupils in key stage 1 books that match their knowledge of phonics. Pupils become more confident at reading as they progress through the school. Teachers give them opportunities to get better at understanding and answering questions about what they read. Older pupils enjoy reading and show fluency and understanding.

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The organisation of mathematics and writing has improved since the previous inspection. Pupils mostly learn things in a sensible order. In mathematics, they do more work on solving problems and reasoning about number. In writing, there are more opportunities to write at length. However, teachers do not set work that is demanding enough to help pupils to progress through the curriculum. They also do not check pupils’ understanding as thoroughly as they should. As a result, pupils do not remember enough of what they have learned in these subjects.

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The curriculum in history is not well organised. Pupils usually remember the facts they have learned. However, too much of the work is more like a test of pupils’ reading ability than a way of getting pupils to learn history skills. There is no clear picture of how knowledge builds on what pupils have learned before. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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In early years, leaders have made improvements since the last inspection. The curriculum is mainly well planned. Leaders have improved the way they use assessment to help them plan children’s learning. Teachers organise the classroom to support children’s learning in mathematics and literacy. However, the outdoor area does not support learning well enough. The work that teachers give children does not help as many as possible to do well. For example, children are moving through their phonics learning too slowly. Though improving, the proportion of children who achieved a good level of development in 2019 was considerably below the national average. 28–30 January 2020

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Pupils mainly behave well and have positive attitudes to their work. They have good attendance. There have not been any exclusions from the school. Pupils get on well with staff and with each other.

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Leaders provide some activities outside the classroom. They organise trips to places such as a museum or a car factory. They give pupils the chance to put on dramatic performances to audiences of parents. There are a few jobs in school that involve pupils taking responsibility, such as helping staff in the school’s office. Pupils in key stage 3 receive advice about possible careers. Pupils who spoke with us had a good grasp of British values. Pupils raise money for their own school or local good causes within their community, but not beyond these.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils who spoke with us said that they feel safe in school. They are confident that members of staff know what to do to help them if they have any worries. Pupils use the school’s ‘worry box’ or go directly to a member of staff to share their concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders train staff well to look after pupils. For example, staff understand about the dangers of radicalisation and extremism.

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Safeguarding

Leaders keep suitable records of any reports of concerns that staff make about pupils. These do not happen often, but leaders respond without delay when they need to do so.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The proprietor has not made sure that all the independent school standards are met. This means that leaders are not fulfilling their statutory responsibilities. They must take action to ensure that all the independent school standards are met.  Leaders do not encourage pupils to have respect for all the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010. This means that pupils have a gap in their personal development. They are not properly prepared for experiences of life in British society. Leaders need to include activities in the curriculum that encourage respect for other people, paying attention to all the protected characteristics.  In some subjects, such as history, leaders have not designed the curriculum so that there is a rational sequence to the learning. Because of this, pupils do not acquire the knowledge and skills they need to achieve well. Leaders must make sure that the design of the curriculum across all subjects enables pupils to build

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

on previous knowledge in a logical way. 28–30 January 2020

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 Teachers do not provide work that is demanding enough in some subjects, including mathematics and writing. They also do not have effective enough ways of enabling pupils to retain what they learn. As a result, pupils do not know and remember as much as they should. Leaders need to ensure that teachers provide work that is demanding enough to develop the knowledge that pupils need. They must also ensure that teachers enable pupils to remember what they learn.  In early years, staff do not give work that ensures that enough children achieve as well as they should. For example, teachers do not follow the phonics curriculum closely enough to ensure that children learn new phonemes when they are supposed to. As a result, not enough children are ready for Year 1 by the time they finish their Reception Year. Leaders need to ensure that teachers provide work that gives the large majority of children the knowledge they need to achieve

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a good level of development by the end of Reception Year.

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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 are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 28–30 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10128769 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 12–14 June 2018 28–30 January 2020

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Information about this school

 Talmud Torah Chinuch Norim is a Jewish school serving several orthodox traditions.  The school received its last standard inspection in June 2018. It received a material change inspection in November 2018.  The proprietor has admitted more pupils than the maximum registered number of 340.  The new headteacher took up his post in December 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 proprietor, the headteacher, the early years leader and the SENCo.  We focused deeply on reading, writing, mathematics and history during the inspection. In each subject, we met with the subject leader and teachers. We visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils about their learning.  We took account of nine letters from parents received during the inspection. We also spoke with parents informally.  We met with teachers and other staff. We talked about safeguarding matters, pupils’ personal development and their behaviour and attitudes. We looked at pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school. We checked the school’s records of the suitability of staff to work with children. We scrutinised the school’s safeguarding policy and related policies and documentation. We looked at a range of other policies connected with pupils’ welfare and their education.  I met with a group of pupils from Year 3 to Year 7 to get their views about their

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Information about this inspection

experience in school and about matters connected to safeguarding. The headteacher was present at this meeting but did not contribute to the discussion. At the insistence of leaders, I was unable to talk about the full range of protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010.

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Inspection team

Mark Quinn, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 28–30 January 2020

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John Shutt Ofsted Inspector 28–30 January 2020

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if–

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 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;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are–

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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 1. Quality of education provided

– 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–

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

– 5(b) 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. 28–30 January 2020

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