Wiznitz Cheder School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Wiznitz Cheder School 126b Stamford Hill, Hackney N16 6QT

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(2), 2(2)(b), 2(2)(h), 2(2)(i), 2A(1), 2A(1)(a), 3, 3(a), 3(c), 3(d), 3(e), 3(g)  The previous progress monitoring inspection in May 2022 reported that leaders had made some progress in improving the curriculum, but weaknesses remained. Inspectors reported that English language was not used or modelled frequently enough. Pupils’ reading and speaking skills continued to be weak. Leaders were developing a personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme to continue to improve the way they encouraged respect for other people. However, these plans were not being applied effectively in the classroom. Leaders had not ensured that pupils were receiving relationships education. Teachers lacked the knowledge and expertise to teach the secular curriculum effectively, and too little time was allocated to teaching secular subjects. As a result, pupils were not learning more or remembering more of the

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Main inspection findings

curriculum.  This inspection found that the leaders have made no changes to timetabling arrangements and leaders and teachers continue to deliver 90 minutes of teaching of secular subjects in English each day. It is not enough. English is not modelled sufficiently frequently. English language continues to be not used by staff, leaders or pupils regularly enough. Pupils’ reading and speaking skills in English continue to develop too slowly.  The school’s PSHE education and relationships education policies and overviews appear to be suitable. However, leaders and the proprietor are still not ensuring that these policies and plans are being implemented. Leaders and the proprietor have not ensured that these documents are followed and reflected in curriculum and teaching plans. Pupils are still not receiving suitable PSHE or relationships education.  Since the previous inspection, training for teachers has included sessions on science

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Main inspection findings

education and classroom management. Leaders have a lot more to do to ensure that teachers are provided with further relevant, specific training that develops their expertise to teach the secular curriculum and enables them to model English effectively.  The standards checked in this part continue to be not met. Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Paragraphs 5, 5(a), 5(b), 5(b)(v)  The previous inspection reported that pupils were still not taught enough about other religions and cultures.  This inspection found the school’s lack of curriculum planning for PSHE education and lack of specific training for teachers continues to limit pupils’ understanding of other faiths and cultures. All this restricts pupils’ preparedness for life in modern British society.  The standards checked in this part continue to be not met. Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7–7(b), 32(1)(c)

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Main inspection findings

 The school’s safeguarding arrangements remain suitable. Leaders and staff attend regular, suitable training. The safeguarding policy reflects the latest government guidance and is readily available to parents in hard copy. Pupils have trusted adults they can go to for support. They feel safe in school.  The standards checked in this part continue to be met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)  Leaders are eager to move the school forward but lack the capacity to do so with speed and rigour.  The secular curriculum remains too limited and weak. Leaders demonstrate limited ambition to increase the amount of secular education and use of the English language. New literacy leaders are planning to replace the current phonics programme with an alternative. The early years provision is currently without a leader.  The proprietor maintains the school’s accommodation and facilities provided to ensure

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Main inspection findings

the health, safety and welfare of pupils. However, reading corners have few books and furniture is dirty.  The school’s registration is subject to a condition imposed by the Department for Education. The condition, imposed on 22 November 2021, prohibited the admission of any new pupils from 12 September 2022 onwards. At the inspection, there was no evidence that the school had admitted any new pupils since 12 September 2022.  The standard checked in this part continues to be not met. Statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Paragraph 2(2)(f) and EYFS requirements 1.6 and 1.7  Previous inspections found that children in the early years were not well prepared for Year 1. This was because children’s language and communication skills were weak. The curriculum did not cover all the early learning goals.  This inspection found the early years provision to be in a state of flux. Leaders have not

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Main inspection findings

recruited early years leaders, leaving nobody responsible for the early years curriculum. Leaders’ plans to develop early years provision, ensuring that it covers all the early learning goals, are therefore unclear. The current phonics programme, being taught from the start of Reception, is beginning to develop children’s English language skills. New literacy leaders have recently joined the school. They intend to replace the current phonics programme with a different scheme. Children’s starting points have been assessed using a new programme. Leaders are now planning to buy books and resources, to train staff, and implement the new scheme from January 2023.  As the proprietors have not recruited new early years leaders and literacy leaders are at the early stages of changing the school’s approach to teaching phonics, it is too early to measure the impact on the quality of early years provision, including children’s reading

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Main inspection findings

and preparedness for Year 1.  The standard and EYFS requirements checked in this part remain not met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection, as set out in the annex of this report. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

Type of school Orthodox Jewish primary day school for boys

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School details

Dates of previous standard inspection 12 to 14 October 2021

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Information about this school

 Wiznitz Cheder is a strictly Orthodox Jewish primary day school for boys. The school was previously registered for pupils aged up to 13.  The Secretary of State for Education imposed a restriction on the school on 22 November 2021. The restriction is now in force. The restriction means that the proprietor must not admit any new pupils to the school from 12 September 2022 onwards.  The school’s most recent inspection was a progress monitoring inspection in May 2022. Before this, the most recent standard inspection was in October 2021, when the school’s overall effectiveness was judged to be inadequate.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This was the second progress monitoring inspection since the school’s previous standard inspection in October 2021. It was conducted without notice.  The focus of the inspection was to check whether the school complied with particular requirements within Parts 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8 of the independent school standards, and some of the early years requirements.  Inspectors were also asked to check whether the proprietors were complying with the restriction order imposed by the DfE.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders. They had meetings to discuss safeguarding and toured the premises. Inspectors visited lessons, heard pupils read, and

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Information about this inspection

met with a group of pupils. In line with leaders’ request, inspectors did not ask pupils anything about matters relating to relationships education.  Inspectors reviewed the admission and attendance registers as well as a range of other evidence to check compliance with the independent school standards and the restriction order.  There were too few recent responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, to consider as part of this inspection.

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Inspection team

James Waite, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain unmet at this inspection

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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; and

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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)(b) that pupils acquire speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy skills;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(f) where the school has pupils below compulsory school age, a programme of activities which is appropriate to their educational needs in relation to personal, social, emotional and physical development and communication and language skills;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(h) that all pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress; and

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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)(a) ensures that every registered pupil who is provided with primary education at the school is provided with relationships education.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; and – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress.

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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-

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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; and

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently.

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Foundation Stage statutory framework

Requirements that were not met at the previous inspection and remain unmet at this inspection

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Foundation Stage statutory framework

1.6: Educational programmes must involve activities and experiences for children, as set out under each of the areas of learning, including communication and language.

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Foundation Stage statutory framework

1.7: The level of development children should be expected to have attained by the end of the EYFS is defined by the early learning goals. 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 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Foundation Stage statutory framework

Parent View You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Foundation Stage statutory framework

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/ofsted .

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Foundation Stage statutory framework

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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Foundation Stage statutory framework

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Foundation Stage statutory framework

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Foundation Stage statutory framework

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