Shoshanim

School pre-registration inspection report

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Shoshanim 7 Gladstone Terrace, Gateshead NE8 4DY

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 2(1), 2(2), 3  The proprietors have ensured that they have a carefully planned curriculum that is intended to meet the needs of these young children. They have closely aligned the curriculum to the requirements of the early years foundation stage.  A daily timetable is organised by teaching staff to ensure that all areas of the curriculum are planned for.  Children are split into three different age groups so that resources and learning are appropriate to their needs.  The proprietors have ensured that teachers have the resources they need.  Teachers plan for children’s learning based on topics such as ‘Ourselves’. These topics are then divided into different areas of learning to ensure that learning is appropriate.  The Kodesh curriculum is at times woven into the non-religious curriculum and in some circumstances taught separately. The values and practices of the Jewish faith

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Main inspection findings

play an important part in the planning of the daily curriculum.  A member of staff has been designated as being responsible for meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Opportunities for children to learn in the outside area need further consideration. Children can access a range of outdoor equipment, but learning is not well planned for. The headteacher has included, in her school development plan, the need to enhance the resources and learning in the outside area. Paragraph 3(g), 4  A commercial scheme is used by all staff as a method of recording what children have achieved. The assessment programme follows children’s progress against the stages of the early learning goals. This information is shared with parents and used to plan teaching.  These standards are likely to be met. Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Paragraph 5

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Main inspection findings

 The proprietors have planned carefully to promote children’s personal development. They have ensured that fundamental British values, particularly mutual respect and tolerance, are promoted through the Kodesh and secular curriculum. The parent handbook states, ‘The teaching of empathy and tolerance is a strong focus of Keser Torah. We stress character development: teaching and developing middos (positive character traits), including respect, honesty, responsibility, caring for others’ needs and feelings – with a particular stress on the vulnerable – and appreciating others, understanding that everyone’s place in the world is valid and valued’.  Teachers’ planning demonstrates that children have the opportunity to talk about different kinds of families and people in an age-appropriate way. The school is inclusive. Children are familiar with, and welcoming and accepting of, those with different protected characteristics, such as those with disabilities.

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Main inspection findings

 Teachers plan for children’s developing knowledge of British institutions and the rule of law, including visits from police personnel.  Teachers regularly use role play to enable children to express their ideas and help them understand the moral aspect within a story, such as making guests feel welcome and how to cheer your friends up when they are sad.  The headteacher is keenly aware that as all staff and children are female, stereotyping must be avoided. She has promoted this through the inclusion of a sticker in all children’s reading books which states, ‘PLEASE NOTE. Dear Teachers, please avoid stereotyping and encourage children to speak about both genders when discussing different roles e.g. both parents can make supper or put children to bed etc.’  Children have the opportunity to meet with people and visit places so that they can begin to understand how they can contribute positively to and learn about society

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Main inspection findings

locally and more widely. Children have already visited a centre for contemporary art and further activities are intended.  The headteacher is aware that not all teachers plan as well as others for this aspect of the curriculum. She is also aware that, with age-appropriate opportunities, the new government religious and sex education curriculum requirements need to be planned for.  These standards are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7  The proprietors have a number of policies and procedures to promote children’s safety and well-being. A safeguarding policy takes account of recent government guidance. It gives staff contact details and clear guidance of the action they should take to keep children safe.  The proprietors and the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) work closely with a representative of the local safeguarding board to ensure they are kept abreast of all local and national safeguarding issues.  All staff receive regular and appropriate training.  The proprietors have ensured that a member of senior staff has taken on the role of the DSL so that possible conflicts due to family relationships are avoided. The proprietors were unable to confirm during the inspection that the DSL has up-to-date ‘Prevent’ duty training. The DSL is going to undertake this training as soon as

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Main inspection findings

possible. Paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16  The proprietors have written and implemented a range of policies to promote the welfare, health and safety of children. When necessary, they have employed specialists, for example to complete a fire risk assessment and fire safety check of the premises.  The proprietors have written policies on behaviour and bullying, giving staff very clear guidance on how to promote good behaviour, act as good role models and deal with and record any unwanted behaviours.  These standards are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 17, 18, 20 and 21  The proprietors have ensured that all the appropriate recruitment checks have been made on staff. This information is correctly recorded on a single central register.  The proprietors have not and do not intend to employ supply staff.  These standards are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 22, 23, 24,25, 26, 27 28, 29, 30 and 31  The proprietors have ensured that the building is well maintained. All three classrooms are large and spacious with ample space for the requested number of children.  Toilets are of an appropriate size for these young children and an adequate number are available. A separate cubicle is made available for the sole use of adults.  A medical room is available which is also used as a staff room. All the appropriate equipment is available. During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the proprietor has also made another room available should a child or member of staff need to be immediately isolated.  A small area has been separated by a curtain in case any of the younger children need a space to sleep or rest. A recording chart is available to monitor any child’s sleeping. Appropriate equipment so that children can sleep comfortably has not yet

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Main inspection findings

been obtained.  All storage facilities and areas such as the cellar have appropriate bolts to prevent children from accessing them. Children and staff do not have access to the second floor of the building. The proprietors are in the process of fitting a barrier to this final staircase.  The outside space, although needing enhancing, is large and secure.  These standards are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 6. Provision of information Paragraph 32  All new parents receive a parents’ handbook. This document contains a great deal of information about expectations, processes and procedures. It also gives parents the opportunity to obtain a wide range of documentation and policies, including the safeguarding policy.  These standards are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled Paragraph 33  The proprietors have written a clear and comprehensive complaints policy. It gives parents guidance on how to raise any concerns informally or formally. The policy details the process that the school will follow should parents need to raise a complaint.  These standards are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34  The proprietors have written and implemented a range of policies and procedures with the intention that the children will have their well-being promoted and that they will receive a good quality of education.  The headteacher regularly quality assures the care and education children are receiving and meets with staff to promote the best possible outcomes.  Both proprietors have made use of outside professionals, including the fire safety officer, the local authority and a member of the local safeguarding board, to help them quality assure their work.

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Main inspection findings

Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010  The proprietors have an accessibility plan and a disability discrimination policy to ensure that they have an awareness of meeting their responsibilities regarding schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Main inspection findings

Statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage  The proprietors were registered in 2018 as an early years provider, having been judged by an Ofsted inspector at that time to be meeting all the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage. The policies and procedures have been developed further and still meet these requirements.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school is likely to meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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Proposed school details

This inspection was carried out under section 99 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s likely compliance with the independent school standards that are required for registration as an independent school.

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Proposed school details

Type of school Jewish girls nursery school

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Proposed school details

Annual fees (day pupils) £1,092 - £5,460

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Proposed school details

Email address shoshanimgateshead@gmail.com

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Proposed school details

Date of previous standard inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider already operating

Number of pupils of compulsory school age 6 Number of pupils of compulsory school age who have an education, health and care plan, or who are looked after by a local authority Total hours operating as a school per week 23

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Provider already operating

Total hours of teaching provided per week 21

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n

Age range of pupils 2 to 5 2 to 5 2 to 5 Number of pupils on the school roll 43 48 50

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Reason for inspector’s recommendations  The proprietors are intending that each of the three classrooms will have a maximum of 16 children. The inspector has recommended 50 children as maximum capacity so that the school has the flexibility to take on an extra two children should they need to. The school has ample space to do so.

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Gender of pupils Girls Girls Number of full-time pupils of compulsory school age 6 16

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities 0 10

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils with an education, health and care plan 0 10

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils paid for by a local authority with an education, health and care plan 0 10

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of full-time equivalent teaching staff 1 1

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of part-time teaching staff 26 26

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of staff in the welfare provision 1 1

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Information about this proposed school

 Shoshanim is a nursery school for girls aged two to five years, which is currently operational with 43 children on roll. Some of the younger children attend on a part- time basis.  Shoshanim has been opened to serve the Orthodox Jewish community in Gateshead.  The children are split into three classes: Playgroup, Nursery and Reception, according to their age.  The school is located in a residential area of Gateshead in a large terraced property.  The proprietors are Daniel and Esther Begal, who are the sole directors of Shoshanim Limited.  It was initially opened and registered as an early years setting, EY560823, in 2018. It has not been inspected. It is now seeking registration as an independent school.  The proprietors intend to resign their early years registration status when they gain their registration status as an independent school.  The proprietors aim is ‘to provide a rich and solid education for Jewish girls during their

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Information about this proposed school

vital early years’. The school intends to ‘put a strong focus on creating a warm and positive environment where each child can receive the individual attention they need’ so that ‘emotional needs are tended to’ and that they ‘will blossom and grow’. They ‘expect all parents to work together with us to achieve our common goal’.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The inspector therefore did not visit the premises while children and staff were on the premises. The inspector met with one of the proprietors to consider the standards in Part 5, relating to the premises. All other evidence was gathered remotely.  The inspection was commissioned by the DfE to consider if the school is likely to meet all the independent school standards.  This is the school’s first pre-registration inspection.  The school is currently operating with 43 children on roll; none have an education, health and care plan. Due to COVID-19, I did not observe any learning.  I studied a number of documents, including a range of policies and risk assessments, the parents’ handbook, assessment information, schemes of work and photographic evidence.  I also viewed a video of activities the children had completed.

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Information about this inspection

 I had several telephone conversations with the proprietors, one of whom is the headteacher.

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Inspection team

Jo Sharpe, lead inspector Her Majesty’s 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

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Inspection team

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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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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