Beis Chinuch Lebonos Westcliff

Inspection of Beis Chinuch Lebonos Westcliff 121 - 127 North Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7AH

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Inspection dates: 27 to 29 February 2024

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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 Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in coming to school. For many, going to school is a new experience and one that they fully appreciate. They are keen to learn and try hard in their lessons. They hold staff in high regard and listen closely to their guidance. Respectful and caring working relationships are a key feature of the school. Pupils get on well with each other. They are sensitive to the impact their words can have on another’s feelings.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The strong routines for learning and respectful behaviour begin in Nursery. Children are ready to learn, for instance taking turns to use the trikes. They move confidently in and out of their classrooms, chatting happily to adults in both Yiddish and English. Older pupils enthusiastically participate in wider development activities such as sewing and dancing. They are proud of completing first-aid courses with the Red Cross.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambitions for pupils’ achievement. However, these ambitions are not yet fully realised. Teaching does not always support pupils well, particularly so for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The early years curriculum does not link closely to that of the wider curriculum in later years.

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better?

The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum based on the national curriculum. Curriculum plans provide helpful guidance to staff. They have an appropriate focus on the development of subject vocabulary. There are opportunities for pupils to revisit key content. This enables pupils to remember important information in the long term. The early years curriculum meets the requirements for this phase of education. However, as yet, staff have not considered how this curriculum ties into pupils’ future learning of the national curriculum. This hampers children’s readiness for learning in Year 1.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They are adept at explaining key concepts clearly so that pupils understand. They make sure that lessons revisit earlier work so that learning builds upon what pupils know and can do. This helps build pupils’ confidence and motivates them to learn more. Teachers look carefully at pupils’ starting points so that they complete work that is appropriate for them. They are less skilful at recognising when a pupil should move on to more complex work. Sometimes a pupil finishes their work and has to wait until their peers have too before moving on to new learning. This can be frustrating for pupils, as they are eager to learn.

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better?

The school places high value on reading. They have invested significantly in books that support pupils’ learning of the school’s chosen phonics programme. This is working well with the majority of pupils who are learning to read. However, this is not the case for a few children in Reception. Staff have unnecessarily delayed children’s access to phonics books. This limits children’s opportunity to use books to 27 to 29 February 2024 practise the sounds they know. Staff choose to do this because a good number are in the early stages of learning English as an additional language.

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better?

The school has put in place procedures for the identification of pupils with SEND. They are providing bespoke programmes for those with learning needs. Support for pupils with SEND in the classroom is in its early stages. As a result, the school has arranged for staff training to strengthen this. They are also working with external agencies, such as the local authority, to provide support.

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better?

Pupils have responded well to the school’s high expectations for behaviour. Staff skilfully encourage kind behaviour. For instance, if pupils have a squabble at lunchtime, staff immediately help pupils resolve the issue so they can focus on their learning in the next lesson. Pupils make full use of their social times, chatting, singing and playing ball games outside. Children in the early years enjoy their outdoor play. Their use of outdoor equipment helps to develop their coordination skills. Pupils and children in the early years want to come to school and so they attend regularly.

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better?

Pupils have a comprehensive understanding of respectful relationships, how to be a kind person and how to cope with change. This is because there is wide-ranging provision for this through the Kodesh (religious) curriculum and the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. While pupils do not use computers at school, the PSHE curriculum covers online safety. The school has consulted with parents regarding the school’s relationships and sex education policy. Their delivery of this follows the government’s statutory guidance. Enrichment activities are underway in this new school. For example, pupils went to the beach as part of their learning on the topic of water. Children went to visit the local pet shop as part of their learning to care for animals. The school has more activities planned as the academic year progresses.

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better?

Staff are highly positive about the support they receive for their professional development and for maintaining a work–life balance. Parents fully appreciate the efforts they go to, to keep them informed. Staff feel listened to and cared for. Morale is high at the school.

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better?

The proprietor ensures that general maintenance needs are promptly addressed. There has been significant investment in the site, so the school runs smoothly. Staff and the proprietor know and uphold their responsibilities under schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. The school complies with the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage.

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better?

The proprietor has not ensured that all the independent school standards are met. The proprietor has set up a governing body to help hold the school to account for the quality of education it provides. The work for this is in its infancy. For instance, they did not make sure that the admissions register contains emergency contact details and that the school codes attendance accurately. Some aspects of provision are difficult to monitor as there is no sufficient system to provide an overview. This hampers the school’s ability to make necessary improvements. 27 to 29 February 2024 During the first day of inspection, staff inconsistently applied the school’s risk assessment for school transportation. This was rectified for the second day of inspection.

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better?

The school does not have a website. Staff 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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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Sometimes staff do not readily spot when pupils have finished work or when they are secure in their understanding and ready to move on to more complex work. This includes determining when children are to start reading books as part of the school’s chosen phonics programme. As a result, pupils’ and children’s progression through the curriculum slows. The school should ensure that staff sharpen their formative assessment practice so they readily move pupils on in their learning.  The processes and procedures for supporting pupils with SEND are in the early stages of development. This means that support for pupils who have additional needs lacks precision. The school must push ahead with its plans to strengthen this area of provision so that pupils with SEND are promptly identified and supported and achieve well.  The early years curriculum does not pay enough heed to what pupils need to be able to know and do in Year 1. This means that staff are not sufficiently securing

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

children’s knowledge and understanding before they finish Reception. The school needs to review the early years curriculum, ensuring that progression to the wider curriculum is coherent so that pupils are ready to learn the national curriculum subjects in Year 1.  As yet, the school does not have sufficient systems to monitor pupils’ outcomes, such as attendance, over time. This limits leaders’ and the proprietor’s view of how well the school is performing. The school needs to develop its systems so leaders have helpful information to analyse, evaluate and use to inform strategic actions for improvement.

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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. 27 to 29 February 2024 The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 27 to 29 February 2024

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School details

Email address admin@bclw.co.uk 27 to 29 February 2024

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Information about this school

 Beis Chinuch Lebonos Westcliff is an Orthodox Jewish school. The school was registered on 6 September 2023. This is the school’s first standard inspection.  This provision is located at 121 - 127 North Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on- Sea, Essex, SS0 7AH. The school utilises the ground floor space of the building. The upstairs floor is used by an education activities provider who runs clubs called Opportuniteens and Kids Shine.  The school’s curriculum includes Kodesh studies as well as secular subjects. The school day includes the teaching of religious studies in the morning and secular subjects in the afternoon. There is a longer school day to ensure appropriate coverage of the secular subjects.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  This inspection was conducted without notice.  Inspectors met with the proprietor, the health and safety governor, the headteacher, senior staff, staff and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at the curriculum plans for other subjects, such as science and history.  Inspectors rang a sample of parents to understand their views of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 27 to 29 February 2024 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors toured the entirety of the premises to review the suitability of accommodation. They also scrutinised health and safety documentation, including maintenance checks.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. There were no responses to the Ofsted surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Liz Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear His Majesty’s Inspector 27 to 29 February 2024

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if- – 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 – 2(1)(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work- – 2(1)(b)(i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan; and  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 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 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 15 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006[13].  16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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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. 27 to 29 February 2024 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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