Beis Medrash Elyon

Inspection of Beis Medrash Elyon 233 West Hendon Broadway, West Hendon, London NW9 7DH

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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 Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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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 happy and proud to attend here. They wear their uniform with pride. Pupils are highly appreciative of the staff because they are kind and caring. Staff know the pupils well and provide effective pastoral support. They encourage pupils to have positive attitudes to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show high levels of respect. They get along with each other, whether in lessons, the corridors or during school social times. Older pupils show care and guidance for younger pupils. Daily routines are clear and help pupils to remain safe in school. Pupils know that staff listen to their concerns and help them overcome their problems.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to develop their responsibility, character and leadership roles. They proudly represent their school and local community, through a range of events. These include raising funds for charities and collecting, distributing eggs and other items to families in the locality. Pupils participate in several educational visits, including hikes and residentials.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the last inspection, the school has improved many aspects of the curriculum. Despite these efforts, the quality of education that pupils receive is not consistently strong.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, the school has identified what improvements are needed. This includes in the quality of education that pupils receive. Leaders have become more ambitious for what all pupils need to learn in the secular curriculum. Schemes of work are in place for all subjects offered. However, curricular thinking in these subjects is not fully developed and sequenced clearly. This means that pupils do not build their knowledge, skills and subject-specific vocabulary coherently over time.

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better?

The school is committed to investing in staff’s development. Staff are positive about the increasing opportunities for developing their expertise. Teachers have suitable subject knowledge. However, the curricular aims are not delivered securely across the curriculum. For instance, teaching does not routinely check what pupils know or can do before moving on to new learning or activities. This limits pupils’ readiness for new subject content. Staff value the supportive and approachable nature of leaders. The strong culture of teamwork helps staff in managing their workload.

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better?

Leaders have introduced more high-quality texts to widen pupils’ reading experiences. Pupils enjoyed reading books. They use appropriate strategies, such as ‘chunking’, to help decode unfamiliar words. Many pupils are confident, fluent readers. They read aloud expressively. The school provides regular opportunities for pupils to learn and practise grammar and spellings. 5 to 7 March 2024 Pupils learn in a caring and supportive environment. They behave well and concentrate on their learning. This is because adults have fostered strong working relationships with them. Improved systems enable staff to identify pupils who have additional needs or may struggle to keep up with the curricular aims. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported in school. Staff support pupils with SEND effectively. For instance, they adapt learning for pupils well when subject content may be more difficult to understand. Staff enable

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better?

pupils with SEND to reach their individual targets securely.

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better?

Pupils attend school regularly. Staff diligently check and monitor pupils’ attendance daily. Consequently, there are no persistent absentees. Pupils are motivated to learn. They like to earn the ‘BME’ reward points for doing the right things. Many pupils successfully complete GCSEs by the end of Year 10 in the subjects offered. They receive suitable, impartial careers information, advice and guidance. This inspires their positive attitudes to learning and determination for successful futures.

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better?

The school has placed a greater emphasis on promoting pupils’ wider development. The personal, social and health education programme is carefully sequenced. Content that pupils need to know and when is clearly defined. This helps pupils to develop their wider knowledge and skills well. For example, pupils in Year 10 learn about mental health and physical well-being. Pupils learn about fundamental British values, other religions and cultures. Staff encourage pupils to understand about people’s rights, including those with different beliefs. Pupils are taught to respect people’s choices and differences. The school supports pupils in being confident, articulate and organised.

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better?

The relationship and sex education (RSE) curriculum does not take full account of statutory guidance. The school does not ensure that pupils are taught about legal rights and responsibilities regarding all the protected characteristics. This means that some of the independent school standards continue to be unmet. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

The proprietor and those responsible for governance work together to ensure the school site is fit for purpose. Statutory requirements, including all health and safety duties, are consistently managed. The school has strengthened the capacity of the senior leadership team. Leaders have sought the help and advice from external professionals to support them in their drive for school improvement. This has led to positive developments since the last inspection. For example, the school ensures that the recruitment process and single central record vetting checks pay regard to the latest statutory guidance. Leaders share ambitions in ensuring that all pupils are prepared for the next stage of education and are valued members of society.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 to 7 March 2024

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, the school does not identify the precise knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. In these subjects, pupils do not gain the systematic and depth of understanding they should. The school must identify the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn so that they can deepen their subject-specific knowledge and skills.  Sometimes, systems to check pupils’ understanding are not secure. This means some pupils do not deepen their understanding before teachers move on to new content. The school should ensure that all staff check pupils’ understanding and address any misconceptions so that pupils are fully prepared for future learning.  The school does not make sure that all staff have the required pedagogical knowledge and confidence in the subjects that they teach. This limits the quality of implementation of the curriculum so that pupils learn subject aims securely. The school should ensure that all staff receive the development they need so that

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

they have the required expertise to teach subject content effectively.  The school does not ensure that all elements of the RSE programme follow statutory guidance. Pupils are not taught about all the protected characteristics. The school should ensure that all aspects of RSE statutory guidance are followed and that the school standards are fully 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. 5 to 7 March 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 140492 DfE registration number 302/6007

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School details

Inspection number 10286441 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 to 14 October 2021 5 to 7 March 2024

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Information about this school

 The school is an Orthodox Jewish School situated in West Hendon, Barnet. The school is registered for pupils aged 11 to 16, but currently caters for pupils from ages 11 to 15.  Pupils study GCSEs from as soon as Year 7. They study and complete them throughout their time at the school, and at the latest in Year 10, after which they leave to study at a Yeshiva.  The school’s sole proprietor is supported by a governing body. The substantive headteacher leads the secular curriculum, and the Menahal leads the religious curriculum.  The school is registered to admit up to 100 pupils.  The last standard inspection was conducted from 12 to 14 October 2021 and was judged as inadequate. Prior to this, a progress monitoring inspection was conducted in April 2021, which followed an emergency inspection in September 2020.  The school does not use any registered alternative provision.  Parents have been consulted in relation to the sex and relationship education. The

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Information about this school

school has an opt-in arrangement for those who wish to have their children study sex education.

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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.  The school does not meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.  This was the third 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.  Inspectors met with the proprietor, the headteacher, the Menahal, senior leaders and a range of staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work. 5 to 7 March 2024  Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, through discussions. There were no responses to the Ofsted Parent View and staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Rawlings His Majesty’s Inspector 5 to 7 March 2024

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school failed to meet the following independent school standards

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

 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(2) For the purposes of paragraph 2(1)(a), the matters are— – 2(2) For the purposes of paragraph 2(1)(a), the matters are— – 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.  2A(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor— – 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 paragraphs (a), (b) or (c), has

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

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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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

 5 The standard about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor- – 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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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

 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; – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils. 5 to 7 March 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 service

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

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