Beis Rochel D'satmar School

Inspection of Beis Rochel d’Satmar School 180 Bethune Road, London N16 5DS

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Inspection dates: 13 to 15 September 2022

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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 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?

Leaders have created a kind and caring school. Strong professional relationships exist between adults and pupils. Adults and pupils get along well. Staff are positive role models who show pupils how to behave towards each other. Pupils are happy here and proud of their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. However, these ambitions are not fully realised. This is because leaders have not done enough thinking about the curriculum. Leaders’ actions to embed wider opportunities to support pupils’ personal development are not fully secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe. Any bullying is dealt with quickly. Pupils have confidence in adults and trust them to take action. Pupils behave well and are self-aware. Pupils of different age-groups get on well with each other in the outdoor space. Older pupils look after younger pupils. Pupils like gaining rewards and acknowledgement for their behaviour, attitudes and learning, such as ‘star of the week’.

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better?

The curriculum is broad and covers all the areas of learning. Plans and schemes of work are in place for different subjects. However, there is some inconsistency between subjects. Sometimes, pupils’ learning is superficial and lacks depth. This is because the leadership team lacks the capacity to secure curriculum improvement. Leaders’ curricular thinking is not fully developed. Leaders are not routinely clear about all the content that they want pupils to learn and when across all subjects.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about their approach to early reading. It is well planned and delivered effectively. In early years and Year 1, children are introduced to phonics sounds and simple vocabulary. Adults model pronunciation of English sounds well for pupils. Teachers support the development of pupils’ early vocabulary development. In the early years phase, learning is well planned and delivered effectively. Adults ensure that children build on and consolidate their learning. They develop children’s communication and social skills effectively. They use a wide range of resources to stimulate children’s interests.

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better?

The main phonics programme starts in Year 2 and continues into Year 3. Staff have expert knowledge and are strong advocates for phonics across the school. Pupils blend sounds to make words. Staff support pupils to recall previously taught sounds. Pupils use their phonics knowledge accurately in spelling and writing. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the right support, as do any pupils who fall behind. Pupils read books which match the sounds they know. However, older pupils’ reading is limited because they do not have access to an ambitiously wide range of books to read, particularly fiction.

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better?

Some other subjects are not as well planned. Leaders have not thought deeply about what they want pupils to know, understand and do. Some subjects are taught 13–15 September 2022 as part of ‘topic of the week’ but leaders have not identified clearly what pupils should learn over time and in what order. As a result, pupils are not taught to remember subject content as well as they should. In these subjects, pupils struggle to develop an understanding of important ideas. For example, pupils could recall some details about the Wright brothers’ contribution to aviation but lacked secure knowledge about the history of transport.

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better?

Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are identified and supported by skilled adults across the school. Leaders communicate regularly with parents and carers of children with SEND.

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better?

Leaders have made a positive start in developing the school’s assessment procedures. In class, teachers check pupils’ understanding well and adapt their teaching in response. Pupils behave well in lessons and learning is not disrupted.

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better?

Provision for pupils’ personal development is variable. The school develops pupils’ character well, particularly through the Kodesh curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to develop a strong sense of right and wrong. Pupils know about the rule of law, democracy and voting. They can explain about the different houses of parliament. However, other aspects are weaker. Pupils are not taught enough about other faiths and cultures. The school does not extend pupils’ experiences with visits or wider enrichment opportunities. Activities which were running prior to the pandemic have not been restored.

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better?

The proprietor body meets regularly. Members challenge and support the senior leadership team. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Leaders have implemented the statutory guidance on relationships education effectively. The school’s work to ensure the maintenance and safety of the building is strong. The school meets the requirements of the early years foundation stage. However, the proprietor body has not ensured that the school complies with all the independent school standards. Staff feel well supported and said that their workload is managed well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including the governing body, are knowledgeable about safeguarding matters. They have created a strong culture of safeguarding. The school has a suitable safeguarding policy, which is available for parents.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff have up-to-date safeguarding training. Staff receive regular safeguarding updates. They know how to report any concerns they may have. Leaders take timely action to support vulnerable families. They work, with external agencies, if necessary, to make sure pupils get the required help. 13–15 September 2022 Pupils feel safe in school and have a member of staff they can go to if they need help. They know about staying safe around the school site and online. They learn about safe and respectful relationships in an age-appropriate way.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Leaders have not made sure that the curriculum is well thought through and sequenced in all subjects. This limits pupils’ achievement across the curriculum. The proprietor body should ensure that it develops leaders’ ability to think deeply about subjects, and decide on the important content that they want pupils to know across the curriculum so that pupils learn a deep body of knowledge.  Older pupils do not have access to a variety of high-quality reading texts. This limits their exposure to a range of different books. Leaders must ensure that older pupils have opportunities to read a wide range of books, particularly fiction.  The provision for pupils’ personal development is narrow. Pupils do not have wide-ranging experiences to foster their wider interests, and their knowledge of other faiths, beliefs and cultures is limited. Leaders should ensure that they plan activities to enrich pupils’ learning, and nurture their talents and interests. They

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

should also ensure that pupils acquire an appreciation of and respect for other cultures and those with different faiths and beliefs.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents 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. 13–15 September 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 147296 DfE registration number 204/6021

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School details

Inspection number 10204259 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Proprietor Talmud Torah Torah Veyirah D’Satmar London Limited Chair Aaron Langberg

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) Fees are variable, depending on the ability of parents to pay Telephone number 020 8800 8070

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 13–15 September 2022

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Information about this school

 Beis Rochel d’Satmar School is an independent school for boys. The school has an Orthodox Jewish character and ethos.  Beis Rochel d’Satmar School had previously included girls. The school separated into separate schools and the present school for boys opened in January 2020. This was the first inspection of the new school.  The headteacher took up his post in September 2020. Current members of the governing body, including the chair, were members of the governing body of the previous school.  The school is housed in purpose-built premises in Bethune Road, N16 5DS, which is the registered address. The school has two other sites at postal addresses on 105 Cranwich Road, N16 5AJ and 91 Amhurst Park, N16 5DR. All the sites make up part of the same campus.  The school’s curriculum includes Kodesh (Jewish studies) as well as Chol (secular subjects). Most of the teaching in early years and Year 1 is in Yiddish. The

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Information about this school

majority of the school day is allocated to the teaching of the Kodesh curriculum. The school delivers some aspects of the secular subjects within the Kodesh curriculum.

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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 of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the executive director and other members of staff.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the governing body, who also represented the proprietor, and looked at documentary evidence of their work.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, and history. Inspectors met with subject leaders to consider the curriculum, visited classes in both the Kodesh and the Chol curriculum, considered pupils’ work, and met with pupils and staff. 13–15 September 2022  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects. Inspectors talked to pupils about their views and experiences at the school.  The lead inspector met with leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and inspectors reviewed the record of pre-employment checks. The lead inspector talked with staff about the impact of their safeguarding training and to pupils

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Inspection team

Janet Hallett, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Newby Ofsted Inspector 13–15 September 2022

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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(a) actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs – 5(b) ensures that principles are actively promoted which– – 5(b)(v) further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures.

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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)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 13–15 September 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

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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