Bnos Margulis Viznitz Girls' School

Inspection of Bnos Margulis Viznitz Girls’ School 33 Northumberland Street, Salford M7 4DQ

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Inspection dates: 29 June to 2 July 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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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 happy at school. They enjoy learning and are eager to know more. They are polite and respectful to one another. They help each other learn and cooperate well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave impeccably in lessons. They are eager to please. Pupils, parents and carers told inspectors that staff deal with rare incidents of bullying well so that these do not continue. Pupils feel safe in school because of the way staff look after them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are effusive in their praise for the way in which their children are cared for and educated. There are strong relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils are friendly with their classmates and play together well at breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) is strengthened by teachers weaving themes between the kodesh (Jewish faith) curriculum and English, as part of the chol (secular) curriculum. However, the expectations for pupils’ achievement in other areas of the curriculum are not as high as they could be. Pupils are not clear about what they are learning. They do not know and remember the curriculum as well as they could.

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better?

The headteacher has ensured that there is an appropriately planned curriculum in place to meet the independent school standards. However, in building on this, teachers do not clearly define the most important learning for pupils, including in the early years. In many subjects, teachers have not thought well enough about the best order to teach different ideas. As a result, pupils learn facts without an understanding of why these are important or fit together. Pupils do not have broad knowledge of the subjects that they learn.

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better?

In reading, children in the early years do not get off to a quick enough start with their phonics work. This is due, in part, to the fact that most pupils do not speak English when they first start at the school. In Year 1, pupils catch up quickly because of the structured phonics programme that is in place. By Year 3, pupils read with expression and fluency. However, pupils still need to build up their comprehension skills.

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better?

Pupils learn better in mathematics than many other subjects. In the subjects where pupils learn the most, the curriculum is set out well and supports them to build on things they have learned before. In addition, leaders have a clear framework for assessing pupils’ progress through the curriculum so that they know how well they are doing. Despite this, in most subjects, pupils’ work shows a lack of depth.

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better?

Leaders place a high priority on pupils’ PSHE education and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There is a strong thread of moral instruction running through the work of the school. This helps pupils to recognise how they can 29 June–2 July 2021 be better friends and develop their respect for, and understanding of, others. Leaders ensure that pupils have an appropriate understanding of equalities. That said, pupils do not have a strong recall of how people of different faiths have similar or different beliefs and opinions. Leaders have plans in place to show how this will be developed when pupils reach Year 4 onwards, to build on the otherwise strong work that is done to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

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better?

In subjects other than mathematics and English, the curriculum has less structure. Leaders’ curriculum plans cover the necessary areas of learning. However, these lack detail about the essential knowledge and skills that leaders and teachers want pupils to remember. This means that pupils are not challenged to make as much progress as possible by learning and remembering more. Pupils’ recall of the topics that they have covered before is limited. They do not use their prior learning well enough to help them in their current work.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive some effective support, such as by teachers adapting learning resources. However, sometimes, these pupils are expected to do the same work as their peers even when this is not well matched to the best next steps in their learning.

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better?

Pupils’ behaviour in class helps them to focus on their work and for lessons to proceed without interruption. Attendance levels are high and have been sustained throughout the last year.

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better?

Presently, only the headteacher oversees the quality of the curriculum and how well pupils learn in the different subjects. This means that her attention is spread too thinly. Quality assurance of the curriculum is not strong enough. This means that it is harder for leaders to monitor and, when needed, improve the curriculum. Subject leaders and other teachers lack expertise in developing the curriculum in the subjects they teach.

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better?

The proprietor works effectively with the headteacher to maintain the premises and ensure that all of the required health and safety measures are up to date. Leaders engage well with staff, who are motivated and positive about the school. Teachers appreciate the effort that leaders take to minimise their workload. Both the proprietor and other governors have a strong awareness of what is going well in the curriculum, particularly in PSHE, English and mathematics. However, they do not question what needs to be improved well enough. This has led to a lack of focus on improving other subjects.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that there is an accessibility strategy in place to comply with the duties set out in the Equality Act 2010. This strategy aims to promote access to the curriculum for all pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29 June–2 July 2021 The proprietor has ensured that training for all staff has led to a consistent approach to safeguarding in the school. Staff are aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They are vigilant. Any concerns are dealt with thoroughly and sensitively. Leaders ensure that pupils and families get support where it is needed.

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Safeguarding

Pupils understand how to stay safe in different situations, for example through learning about stranger danger. They school is safe and secure.

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Safeguarding

The school does not have a website. The safeguarding policy is available to parents on request.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Curriculum and learning plans are not clear about the essential knowledge and skills that pupils should learn. In addition, some of these plans do not provide for topics to be taught in the best sequence. This means that it is harder for teachers to ensure that pupils remember some of what they need to know. Teachers, leaders and governors should ensure that the curriculum is designed to enable pupils, including those with SEND, to build a greater depth of knowledge in the subjects that they study.  Governors do not have a strong awareness of the areas of the curriculum that need to be improved. This means that they do not challenge other leaders well enough and they have a lack of focus on what needs to improve. Governors should ask more questions about the quality of education so that leaders and governors can prioritise improvements where these are needed most.  The quality assurance, and development, of the curriculum is not as sharp as it should

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

be. Teachers lack the knowledge they need to contribute to these. This means that the school’s capacity to improve the curriculum is limited. Leaders should develop the expertise of staff and subject leaders so that they have a better knowledge of the subjects that they teach and higher aspirations for pupils’ learning.  Children in the early years do not build up and use their phonics knowledge soon enough. This means that their ability to read with understanding is delayed. Leaders should provide a stronger basis for pupils’ future learning by strengthening the teaching of phonics in the early years.  Pupils do not have a strong enough understanding of different faiths. This means that they cannot draw on similarities and differences between their own and others’ beliefs to develop their understanding and respect for others. Leaders should ensure that they better equip pupils for life in modern Britain.

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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 . 29 June–2 July 2021

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School details

Headteacher Rivka Jung Annual fees (day pupils) The school relies on voluntary contributions Telephone number 01613580220

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School details

Email address bnosmargulis@gmail.com 29 June–2 July 2021

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Information about this school

 This was the school’s first standard inspection. The school was registered by the Department for Education on 9 October 2019.  The school does not have provision for two-year-olds.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The kodesh curriculum is taught in the morning in Hebrew and the chol curriculum is taught in the afternoon in English.  Currently, there are two nursery classes and one class each for pupils in the Reception Year and Years 1 to 3.

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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 meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, early years leader and teaching staff throughout the inspection about the areas that they lead.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and PSHE. As part of these, they spoke with the headteacher, met with teachers and pupils, undertook an analysis of pupils’ work and visited lessons. Inspectors heard pupils read. They also spoke to pupils in Years 2 and 3 about their work across the curriculum.  Inspectors met with pupils to ask them about safeguarding. They also discussed safeguarding with the headteacher, governors, the proprietor and staff. They reviewed documentation that included the school’s safeguarding policy, the register of checks carried out on employees and safeguarding records.  Inspectors looked at the school’s behaviour records, observed pupils at breaktimes and discussed behaviour and bullying with pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke with parents and carers at the start of the school day and took account of 43 written responses to Ofsted Parent View, the questionnaire for parents, as well as five letters from parents, 27 responses to the staff 29 June–2 July 2021 questionnaire and 13 responses to the pupil questionnaire. All of these responses were sent to inspectors as paper forms.  Leaders requested that inspectors did not ask certain questions about sex and relationships education. This has no bearing on the outcome of the inspection. Parents have been consulted about the content of this curriculum.

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Inspection team

Steve Bentham, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ahmed Marikar Her Majesty’s Inspector 29 June–2 July 2021 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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