Yesodey Hatorah School

Inspection of Yesodey Hatorah School 2-4 Amhurst Park, Hackney, London N16 5AE

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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 Good 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 enjoy coming to school in the morning. They are happy, and they are keen to learn. Pupils described the school as a community. They enjoy being with their friends and are enthusiastic about their studies, both in the religious and secular curriculums.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want all pupils to do well. They make sure that all pupils can successfully access their learning in lessons, with support where necessary. In the early years, children get off to a strong start, including with learning to read. However, in Years 1 to 10, the secular curriculum is not as broad and ambitious as it could be. In some subjects, the curriculum is not planned to ensure that pupils learn concepts in suitable breadth and depth.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders plan a range of additional activities to enhance pupils’ learning. For example, pupils recently went on a school trip to Parliament and met their local MP. Pupils particularly look forward to the annual hike, which this year was in Devon.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are respectful of staff and one another. From the Reception Year onwards, pupils learn how to express their feelings and how their actions affect others around them. Pupils understand what bullying is and they said that it rarely happens. Staff act quickly to resolve any concerns, including those related to friendship issues and bullying.

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better?

In Years 1 to 10, the programme of study for the secular curriculum covers the areas of learning set out in the independent school standards. However, the planned curriculum is not as ambitious as it should be. This is because the range of subjects studied is not comparable to the breadth and richness of the national curriculum. In the secular subjects that are taught, the planned curriculum does not enable pupils to widen and deepen their knowledge of some essential subject concepts. In English, for example, learning about literature stops at the end of Year 9. In history, pupils’ understanding of significant local events and people is underdeveloped. This is because the history curriculum does not include these aspects.

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better?

Leaders’ planning for the Reception Year covers all seven areas of learning. Children learn a range of knowledge successfully and their language and communication skills are developed well. Children are skilfully supported to be curious about others and the wider world, for example from pollution and recycling to different ways of travelling.

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better?

In some secular subjects, leaders have given thought to the key knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. For example, in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, pupils revisit prior learning and then build on this to develop their knowledge of the subject. However, not all subjects are planned in this way. In some areas of the curriculum, leaders have not thought about the 14 to 16 June 2022 knowledge pupils will need to understand a new concept. This means pupils find it difficult to grasp new learning.

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better?

Leaders have made reading a priority from the very start of the Reception Year. Children are taught phonics as soon as they join the school. Leaders make sure that staff receive the training they need to teach the school’s chosen programme. This leads to a consistent approach from all staff. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know, and pupils really enjoy reading. If pupils fall behind in their reading, they benefit from bespoke additional help. This helps these pupils to catch up quickly.

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better?

Through purposeful assessment routines, teachers check what pupils know and remember from previous learning. For example, teachers assess pupils’ work to identify any gaps in learning, and they use this to plan for future lessons. In mathematics, for example, teachers select tasks which build up pupils’ recall of mathematical facts and procedures.

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better?

Leaders and staff have worked together to design and implement a new behaviour policy. This ‘good to be green’ policy is well understood by pupils, and it is consistently applied by staff. Staff said that they valued being involved in the policy’s design. They appreciate how the new policy is helping them to promote high standards of behaviour. In classrooms, behaviour rarely interrupts learning. Leaders make sure that if incidents do occur, they are recorded and responded to carefully. This includes looking for patterns of poor behaviour so that concerns can be picked up and addressed at an early stage.

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better?

Leaders are quick to identify any pupils who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders’ systems also enable them to spot any pupils who are not learning as well as they would expect. They look at the possible causes for this and put in place support plans for pupils when necessary. These plans are shared with teachers so that all are clear about the help and adaptations that pupils, including those with SEND, need. Leaders also work well with outside agencies to secure specialist support, for example speech and language therapy.

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better?

The PSHE programme teaches pupils to appreciate people from other religions, cultures and faiths. Pupils also learn about the meaning of democracy and important British institutions such as the monarchy and Parliament. Pupils enjoy celebrating religious festivals, such as Purim, and they like performing songs and speeches to their friends and family. Pupils are given the opportunity to take on leadership roles in whole-school team activities and religious observations. Pupils enjoy class trips and reward trips, for example climbing or cycling along the river Lea. Leaders make sure that all pupils participate in these activities.

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better?

Pupils learn about a wide range of careers available to them, as well as options for further study at college, university or through apprenticeship programmes. Leaders arrange for pupils to visit some providers before they make their final decisions about where to continue their education. 14 to 16 June 2022 The curriculum for PSHE does not sufficiently consider respect for some differences, including personal characteristics that are protected by discrimination law. This limits pupils’ preparation for life in modern Britain as they are unable to increase their understanding of what it means to live in a diverse and tolerant society.

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better?

The curriculum for relationships and sex education (RSE) in the secondary phase does not comply with the statutory guidance on RSE. Leaders have not ensured that the statutory guidance is implemented effectively.

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better?

Leaders work well with staff and involve them in the decisions they make. Staff value this way of working. Leaders help staff to manage their workload successfully. Staff said that leaders do not make unreasonable demands of their time.

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better?

The proprietor and governors meet with leaders regularly and know the school well. Governors take responsibility for defined areas of school leadership, for example the curriculum, finance and safeguarding. They meet leaders to offer challenge and support in these areas. However, the proprietor has not challenged leaders enough about the breadth of the secular curriculum on offer.

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better?

The proprietor, governors and leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met consistently.

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better?

The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. The statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage are met.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a suitable safeguarding policy. This is up to date and in line with statutory guidance. The school does not have a website, but parents and carers may request a copy of the policy.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have relevant safeguarding training, and they make sure that all staff are appropriately trained about risks to pupils’ welfare. Staff are trained at the start of the school year, or when they join, and they receive updates throughout the year. Leaders train staff to be alert to all potential risks. Staff know how to identify signs of abuse or neglect and they report these promptly.

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Safeguarding

There are clear systems in place for staff to report safeguarding concerns, and staff know how to use these. Leaders work with outside agencies, including the local authority, to get the support pupils require.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 While the requirements of the independent school standards are met, the planned 14 to 16 June 2022 curriculum is not routinely ambitious. This means that, over time, pupils do not benefit from learning a sufficiently rich body of knowledge. Leaders should make sure all pupils have access to a curriculum that is of comparable breadth and ambition as the national curriculum.  Leaders have not made sure that the curriculum in all subject areas is sequenced in a way that helps pupils to build their knowledge step by step and apply what they know to more complex ideas. Sometimes, pupils find it hard to learn new concepts because they do not have the building blocks of knowledge needed to access this learning. Leaders should ensure that all subjects are planned and sequenced so that pupils learn the knowledge they require to successfully understand future learning.  The secondary programmes for PSHE and RSE do not give due regard to the

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

independent school standards and statutory guidance. These programmes do not promote respect for or provide pupils with information on some of the protected characteristics and different types of relationships. Leaders need to review the PHSE and RSE programmes in the secondary phase to ensure compliance with the standards and statutory guidance, and so that pupils receive all the information they need to show respect to others and for life in modern British society.  The proprietor and leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards have been met. Leaders must ensure that all the independent school standards are consistently met.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 . 14 to 16 June 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 to 7 November 2019 14 to 16 June 2022

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Information about this school

 Yesodey Hatorah School is a day school for boys of Orthodox Jewish faith in Hackney. The school caters for boys aged five to 16. At the time of the last inspection, the school also catered for girls aged five to 11. Subsequently, leaders arranged for the school’s registration to be amended to provide education for boys.  Pupils study the religious curriculum in the morning. The secular curriculum is taught in the afternoon.  The school is based at 2-4 Amhurst Park, Hackney, London, N16 5AE.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  The school’s last standard inspection took place in November 2019 when the school was judged to require improvement. Independent school standards in parts 1, 2 and 8 were unmet.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors 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

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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteachers, senior teachers and other staff. Inspectors met with the proprietor’s nominated representative and with the chair and other members of the local governing body.  Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, PSHE and history. Inspectors visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work, met with pupils to discuss their learning and met with subject leaders and teachers. Inspectors also considered pupils’ learning in other subjects, including art.  Through discussions with leaders, governors, pupils and staff, inspectors considered how effectively pupils are safeguarded. Inspectors also looked at records related to safeguarding, including records of employment checks carried out before staff are appointed.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from the early years, primary and secondary phases of the school. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at playtimes was observed.

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Information about this inspection

14 to 16 June 2022  Inspectors spoke to a range of staff about safeguarding, pupils’ behaviour and their workload. Inspectors looked at staff, parent and pupil responses to Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Mark Smith, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Rigby Ofsted Inspector 14 to 16 June 2022

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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[9];

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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 1. Quality of education provided

 2A(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2A(1)(d) in making arrangements for the purposes of paragraphs (a), (b) or (c), has regard to any guidance under section 80A of the Education Act 2002 that applies in relation to the provision of education by maintained schools.

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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; 14 to 16 June 2022 – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 14 to 16 June 2022 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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