Beis Rochel d'Satmar Girls' School

Inspection of Beis Rochel d’Satmar Girls’ School 51-57 Amhurst Park, London N16 5DL

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Inspection dates: 15 to 17 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Sixth-form provision Requires improvement 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 are polite, respectful and welcoming. They enjoy coming to school because it is a kind community where their teachers help them to learn well. Pupils are settled in class and interact with each other positively. At breaktimes, they play games cheerfully together in the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff keep a watchful and caring eye on every pupil so that they recognise swiftly if there is anything the matter. Staff are alert to any rare instances of bullying or issues between friends. Staff help pupils to resolve any worries and support pupils’ emotional well-being. Safeguarding is effective.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excited about special events and activities, including the science fair for pupils in Year 6 and the gems-art club. They take pride in their achievements, including embroidery and fund-raising for various charities. Educational outings, including to historical locations and the local park, encourage pupils’ learning in history, geography and science.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils to develop skills and knowledge that will enable them to be successful in their chosen future career pathways.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders have increased the subjects that pupils and sixth-form students study and in which they gain qualifications. Leaders have thought carefully about the sequencing of what pupils in all phases learn so that there is clear progression in pupils’ knowledge and understanding across all subjects. Teachers know leaders’ expectations and ensure that pupils revisit prior learning and build on this over time. Subject leaders provide training and support that helps to boost teachers’ subject knowledge in areas in which they feel less confident.

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better?

Typically, pupils learn subject content that is as ambitious as the national curriculum. In the early years, leaders have designed a curriculum that covers all required areas of learning and links with Jewish studies. Staff routinely introduce key facts and vocabulary that help children to be well prepared for all the subjects that they learn in Year 1. Suitable provision is in place for two-year-old children.

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better?

Leaders measure pupils’ learning to check the content that has been covered. Teachers identify any gaps in pupils’ learning and pupils who need more support. In subjects where curriculum thinking is well established, leaders use assessment to inform further curriculum development. For example, in mathematics, leaders identify the concepts where pupils struggle the most and allocate more time so that pupils can become secure in their knowledge and understanding. Leaders in the primary and secondary phases collaborate effectively so that pupils build on their prior learning when they move from Year 6 to Year 7. 15 to 17 November 2022 Leaders are steadily developing the curriculum. This means that in some subjects, for example science and geography, curriculum thinking in Years 7 to 9 is more coherent and well thought through than in Year 10.

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better?

Leaders place much importance on pupils learning to read. Leaders have chosen a programme for the teaching of phonics and ensured that staff receive the necessary training to deliver the programme competently. Most pupils speak Yiddish as their first language and English as an additional language. From the earliest opportunity, teachers develop pupils’ use of phonics and build up their English. Teachers check how well pupils develop reading skills and those who fall behind receive extra help so they catch up quickly. Generally, reading books connect closely with the sounds pupils are learning.

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better?

Leaders make sure that the curriculum is appropriately adapted to be ambitious and meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND receive the support they need to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities with increasing independence and confidence.

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better?

Pupils in all phases of the school demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They are settled, focused and attentive to their teacher because they are interested in their studies and keen to do well.

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better?

Leaders ensure that themes such as respectful relationships, aspects of personal safety and different faiths and cultures are included in Jewish studies. These elements of pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) help pupils to be well-prepared to live and work in diverse communities. Pupils receive guidance on how they might recognise safe and unsafe social situations but are not introduced at appropriate ages to concepts of being safe, including sexual consent, harassment or abuse. Leaders have consulted parents and carers about the school’s relationships and sex education policy. All parents have expressed that they wish their child to be withdrawn from sex education. However, leaders do not ensure that the school’s relationships education covers all the required content by the end of secondary school. In planning the curriculum, leaders do not have regard to the Department for Education’s statutory guidance on relationships education and do not ensure that

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better?

pupils are taught all the relevant protected characteristics content at a timely point as part of the school’s relationships education. The school’s relationships and sex education policy does not set out the details of the sex education subject content and how it would be taught and by whom were any parents to choose not to withdraw their children from sex education, or should any pupils wish, from three terms before their sixteenth birthday, to receive sex education rather than be withdrawn.

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better?

Pupils are encouraged to develop an understanding of finance through budgeting for special events including running food stalls or producing a newsletter. Pupils are taught about healthy lifestyles in science and physical education. In the early years, staff encourage children to eat healthily and be kind to each other.

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better?

Pupils receive careers education, information and guidance. In Years 7 and 8, pupils 15 to 17 November 2022 learn about links between the subjects they study and different careers. Pupils in Years 9 to 11 develop their employability skills and learn about the qualifications and next steps needed to follow their career aspirations. They each have one-to-one support from a leader who is qualified to provide impartial advice. Students in the sixth form receive careers guidance across the curriculum. However, leaders do not ensure that careers guidance for students in the sixth form is impartial. Leaders offer students a range of work experience and volunteering opportunities to support the courses students are studying and the careers they wish to pursue.

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better?

Leaders do not enable pupils to work online at school. They rely on parents applying strict filters should pupils work online at home. Leaders provide information and support to pupils about reasons for not using online resources. Pupils receive one- to-one guidance on how to stay safe online if they go to staff with any concerns. Online safety is not taught to all pupils and the online relationships aspects of relationships education are not included as part of primary or secondary phase relationships education. Some pupils said that they would like more information about safe use of online resources.

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better?

Leaders, including the proprietor body represented by the governors, are knowledgeable about the work of the school. They provide strong oversight of the school’s curriculum offer and demonstrate capacity to further improve the school. They invest in resources and support ongoing improvements to the school’s sites. Governors ensure that implementation of policies relating to pupils’ welfare, health and safety is effective. Occasionally leaders’ monitoring and response to general maintenance needs are not as equally rigorous across all sites as on the main school site.

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better?

Staff spoke highly of the support they receive from leaders, including helping them to develop their subject knowledge and maintain a work–life balance. They did not have concerns about their workload. They felt well cared for. Leaders have strong and positive links with parents and carers.

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better?

Leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met.

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better?

Leaders know and uphold their responsibilities under schedule 10 of the Equality Act. The school complies with the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage.

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better?

The school does not have a website. Leaders ensure that copies of all policies, including the safeguarding policy, are available as paper copies to parents on request.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff’s and leaders’ training is up to date and reflects current guidance. Leaders ensure that staff regularly check on pupils’ well-being and report any concerns. 15 to 17 November 2022 Leaders work effectively with external agencies to provide appropriate support for pupils and their families when needed. Leaders ensure that all required pre- employment checks are made.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Leaders have not fully implemented their revised curriculum in Years 10 and 11. In a few subjects, pupils in these year groups do not study a curriculum that is as well organised as it is in younger year groups. Leaders should complete their rolling programme of curriculum change so that all pupils benefit from the revised approach in all subjects.  Leaders do not ensure students in the sixth form receive one-to-one impartial careers advice. This means that some students are not as well informed as they could be about all the possible career options available to them. Leaders should ensure that the impartial careers advice that pupils in Years 9 to 11 receive is extended to sixth-form students so that sixth-form students are able to make independently well-informed decisions about their future career pathways.  Leaders’ efficient identification and response to necessary repairs and maintenance at the main site is not consistently reflected across all sites. There is

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

some variation in the quality of maintenance and upkeep between the different school sites. Leaders should ensure that their monitoring and response to general maintenance requirements are consistent across all sites.  Leaders do not ensure that the PSHE and relationships education programmes comply with statutory guidance and equip pupils for life in British society. Pupils do not gain an awareness of a wide range of family structures and the legal rights and responsibilities regarding equality (particularly with reference to the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010) and that everyone is unique and equal. There are no arrangements to provide sex education were any parents to choose not to withdraw their children, or should any pupils wish, from three terms before their sixteenth birthday, to receive sex education rather than be withdrawn. Leaders should ensure that their provision of relationships and sex

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

education meets statutory requirements  Leaders do not provide all pupils with guidance on how to stay safe online. Some pupils who use online resources outside of school do not know enough about how to keep themselves safe online. Leaders should provide all pupils with a programme of online safety.  Leaders do not fulfil their statutory responsibility to pay due regard to all the protected characteristics. Leaders do not encourage pupils to develop knowledge of, and respect for, the protected characteristics of sexuality and transgender. Leaders should make provision to promote respect for all the protected characteristics as set out in the Equality Act 2010. 15 to 17 November 2022

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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. 15 to 17 November 2022

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Girls

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,311

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form

Proprietor Beis Rochel D’Satmar Charitable Trust

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form

Annual fees (day pupils) Fees are variable, depending on the ability of parents to pay Telephone number 0208 800 9060

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Email address admin@beisrochelschool.co.uk

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form

Date of previous inspection 6 November 2019 15 to 17 November 2022

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Information about this school

 Beis Rochel d’Satmar Girls’ School is an Independent Orthodox Jewish day school for girls.  The main school site is for pupils in Year 4 to Year 11 and is located at a purpose- built site in Amhurst Park, Hackney, N16 5DL. The other school sites are at Cazenove Road, Hackney, N16 6BB for the early years and Year 1; at Warwick Grove, Hackney, E5 9HX for Year 2 and Year 3; and at Rookwood Road, Hackney, N16 6SP for the sixth form.  The school’s last standard inspection took place in November 2018 when the school was judged as requires improvement. The school had a material change inspection in November 2019 when unmet standards in parts 1, 2 and 8 were found to be unmet.  The school is registered for pupils between the ages of two and 19 years. Boys are admitted only when they are aged between two and three years.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.  After Year 11, pupils proceed to local seminaries to continue their education. The

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Information about this school

school’s sixth form is one of these seminaries.

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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 and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with school leaders, members of the governing body representing the proprietor body, including the chair of governors, a representative of the local authority and members of staff.  Inspectors met with two groups of pupils whose parents had given permission for them to meet with inspectors unaccompanied by a member of staff. Inspectors agreed with leaders in advance the themes that would be discussed.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography, mathematics, PSHE and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also 15 to 17 November 2022 considered other subjects including art, history, physical education and aspects of PSHE delivered during Jewish studies (Kodesh).  The inspection of safeguarding included looking at records of leaders’ actions

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Information about this inspection

when they follow up on safeguarding concerns, staff training records, meeting with the leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and records of leaders’ pre- employment checks of staff.  Inspectors looked at the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys completed by parents. There were no responses to the surveys for staff and pupils. Inspectors also looked at surveys completed by parents organised by school leaders.  Inspectors visited all four sites on which the school is based, accompanied by school leaders.

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Inspection team

Amanda Carter-Fraser, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou His Majesty’s Inspector 15 to 17 November 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; and

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 (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 - – 2(2)(d)(ii) encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act.

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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) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor - – 2A(1)(a) ensures that every registered pupil who is provided with primary education at the school is provided with relationships education, – 2A(1)(b) ensures that every registered pupil who is provided with secondary education at the school is provided with relationships and sex education, except in so far as the pupil is excused as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2), – 2A(1)(d) in making arrangements for the purposes of paragraph (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- – 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 – 15 to 17 November 2022 – 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. 15 to 17 November 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

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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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