Beis Yaakov Girls School

Inspection of Beis Yaakov Girls School 11 Amhurst Park, Stamford Hill, London N16 5DH

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents, carers and staff praise the ‘family feel’ at this school. Pupils are greeted in the morning by welcoming adults. This helps pupils to enjoy their learning. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and caring. Pupils are kind and respectful. They feel part of the school community. For example, they spoke enthusiastically about fundraising for the school’s ‘garden’ upgrade.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop into confident individuals. They are a delight to talk to. Pupils love to talk about their school and their many positive experiences. Staff place a high emphasis on all pupils achieving well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders oversee a careful balance between pupils’ learning in Jewish studies and secular subjects. This helps pupils to achieve strong outcomes in a range of subjects. Parents praise the school’s strong communication systems. They highly value the individual care and guidance that staff provide.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They listen to adults and follow instructions. Pupils are safe and happy. They know who to talk to should they have a concern. Bullying at the school is rare. Adults are quick to deal with any minor disagreements when they occur.

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better?

Reading is a high priority at this school. Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Leaders have a strong understanding of what phonics sounds pupils should know and by when. Pupils who need extra support receive strong guidance. This is because of staff’s strong subject knowledge. They build on pupils’ phonics knowledge and apply this to their reading. Leaders’ actions to increase the range of books available to pupils has been positive. As a result, pupils read high-quality texts and study these in depth. For example, Year 6 pupils have studied figurative language and compared different characters in the book ‘Midnight Fox’. Pupils read with fluency. Many shared that they ‘loved reading’.

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better?

Leaders’ subject plans in the secular subjects are well thought out. They are knowledgeable and know what pupils should learn and when. Leaders think carefully about the topics that pupils learn. For example, pupils in Year 4 shared their knowledge about the oesophagus and the function of different teeth with accuracy. Pupils build on their previous learning. In mathematics, pupils learn to build fluency in the topics that they learn. They have a strong ability to discuss different strategies they use to calculate.

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better?

Pupils’ knowledge is strong in other subjects, including history and geography. Pupils have opportunities to develop their experiences in art and technology. However, plans for these subjects are not as well developed as in other subjects. 4–6 February 2020

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Children in the early years learn well across all areas of learning. They enjoy making structures using the sandpit, growing their own plants and navigating across the tyres. All the while, adults provide high levels of motivation. Children enjoy themed learning opportunities. For example, they spoke with great excitement about the role of dentists and vets. Children learn to paint and use the work of artists as inspiration for their own paintings. For example, children used the painting ‘Stormy Night’ to create their own. In the Nursery, children develop their independence because of adults’ effective support.

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Leadership requires improvement because leaders do not enable pupils to learn about the range of different families in modern Britain. As a result, the school does not meet all the independent school standards. Pupils do not learn about homophobic bullying. Leaders are clear about how they would deal with homophobic bullying should it arise.

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The proprietor, governors and senior leaders are committed to pupils’ development. Policies and procedures are well understood by leaders at all levels. Leaders are knowledgeable and carry out their roles well. They review policies to include others, including the accessibility plan. Leaders have improved attendance since the previous inspection. Leaders’ knowledge and support for pupils with SEND is strong. These pupils are fully included in school life. External agencies are used positively to support the individual needs of these pupils.

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Pupils’ wider development is taken seriously. They collaborate with each other and discuss their work with maturity. Younger pupils value opportunities they have to participate in ‘Tuesday clubs’ that Year 6 pupils lead. Pupils enjoy visits to local museums. They reflect on the role of public institutions, including the fire brigade. Pupils have a clear understanding of democracy. They develop this through visits by the local Mayor and taking part in their own mock elections.

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Pupils’ physical and mental health are well supported. Pupils enjoy their physical education lessons and know about the importance of keeping fit. They learn about healthy eating and personal hygiene. For example, children in Nursery shared their knowledge of brushing teeth with excitement. Pupils learn to recognise and reflect on their own feelings. Year 6 pupils were highly articulate in describing what feelings individuals may have had in Anderson shelters during World War 2.

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Pupils learn about other cultures, including through project work. In Reception, children learn about differences, including other races, faiths and by learning about the Chinese New Year. Leaders’ work to actively make pupils aware of those different to themselves is positive. The governing body have clear plans to further improve pupils’ experiences of other beliefs and cultures.

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Staff morale is high. They feel well supported. Leaders take staff’s professional development seriously. This includes staff visiting other schools to develop their own practice. Staff have strong subject knowledge because of regular training opportunities. 4–6 February 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The proprietor, governors and leaders have a strong understanding of their statutory responsibilities. Staff follow these well to keep pupils safe. Leaders review policies that reflect potential risks to their own community. Leaders use external agencies proactively when required. They follow up with vulnerable families and direct them to additional support.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught about personal safety and how to recognise the signs of grooming. Although the use of the internet is not promoted in the school, pupils still learn about the potential dangers. For example, they learn about the importance of not sharing personal information.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The proprietor, governors and leaders do not make pupils aware of the range of different types of families in modern Britain. Furthermore, although pupils learn about bullying, they do not learn about homophobic bullying. Leaders should ensure that pupils’ understanding of these protected characteristics and of homophobia is developed.  Pupils benefit from well-thought-out plans in many subjects. However, in pupils’ learning of art and technology, plans are not as detailed as in other subjects. As a result, leaders are not as clear about how pupils can build on the prior learning in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that plans in these subjects identify the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and when.  The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in art and technology. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan other subjects, that they are in the process of bringing this

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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 . 4–6 February 2020

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School details

Unique reference number 136817 DfE registration number 204/6000

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School details

Inspection number 10122991 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £2,622 to £6,460

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School details

Website The school does not have a website

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25–27 April 2017

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Information about this school

 Beis Yaakov Girls’ School serves the local Jewish Orthodox community of Stamford Hill.  The school’s previous full standard inspection took place in April 2017, when it was judged to be good. Since then, the school had two additional inspections for material change and met the relevant independent school standards.  The school admits pupils from Nursery up to Year 6. The school follows the requirements of the early years foundation stage. Pupils study Jewish religious studies during the morning and secular subjects in the afternoons. Most teaching is in English.  The school uses no alternative provision. 4–6 February 2020

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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 completed deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, history and personal, social, health and economic education. We visited lessons and looked at subject planning documents and pupils’ work. We considered other subjects as part of this inspection.  We met with school leaders, the proprietor and chair of governors. We also met with members of staff.  We scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to safeguarding, pupils’ attendance and behaviour. We also checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.  We met with pupils across the school, formally and informally, to discuss their work and gather their views on behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Noeman Anwar, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Davies Ofsted Inspector 4–6 February 2020

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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)(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– – 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)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 4–6 February 2020

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