Beis Ruchel Girls School

Inspection of Beis Ruchel Girls School 87 Devonshire Street, Salford, Manchester M7 4AE

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school gain a narrow understanding of the world. They are prevented from learning important information about how to stay safe in their lives beyond school. This curtails their personal development and leaves them vulnerable to some of the risks that they may face as they grow older.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are unaware of the shortcomings in the education that they receive to promote all aspects of their personal development. They are happy at school. Pupils feel safe and well looked after by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are highly attentive in class. They are delighted when staff reward them for their good manners and positive conduct. Pupils also try their hardest to meet the high expectations that staff have of their learning. These expectations are just as high for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Typically, pupils learn well. They develop a secure knowledge of the subjects that they study.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers choose this school because its ethos adheres firmly to the tenets of the Jewish faith. Pupils’ moral and spiritual understanding develops well. They are proud of, and knowledgable about, their religious heritage. However, a lack of opportunity to build their understanding and tolerance of different people and cultures leaves pupils wholly underprepared for life in modern Britain.

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better?

The school has designed a secular curriculum, which is academically ambitious for all pupils. This curriculum begins in the early years and builds up gradually so that children gain a solid foundation of knowledge in readiness for key stage 1. In most subjects, this careful curriculum thinking continues throughout key stages 1 and 2. The school has identified what pupils need to learn, and when they should learn it. However, in a minority of subjects the school has chosen to omit certain content on religious grounds.

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better?

Pupils typically achieve well. They remember what they have been taught and build on their prior knowledge successfully as they move through the curriculum. Teachers present ideas and concepts clearly. They check on pupils’ understanding before they move on to new learning. This helps to ensure that pupils develop a secure body of knowledge. However, despite a well-designed curriculum, staff sometimes do not teach as effectively as they could. In a few lessons, the knowledge that teachers emphasise does not match what is set out in the curriculum. This interrupts the intended order of learning and leads to some gaps in pupils’ understanding. Although teachers make effective use of assessment strategies to identify these gaps, in subjects other than reading and mathematics, there is often too little time devoted to revisiting this missed learning.

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better?

The school has developed thorough processes to identify any additional needs that pupils may have. For example, the additional needs of those pupils with SEND or of 12 to 14 March 2024 the large proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language are spotted quickly. These pupils receive effective support to learn alongside their classmates. If pupils need a greater degree of help, the school draws on additional expertise from outside agencies. This helps to ensure that pupils’ needs are catered for well.

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better?

Reading has a high priority in the school. Pupils enjoy selecting books from a range of carefully chosen texts. At all ages, they have frequent opportunities to read and be read to. Children in the Nursery classes quickly develop a love of stories that stay with them throughout their time in school. This equips them well to begin learning phonics in the Reception Year. Most pupils, including pupils with SEND, become confident, accurate readers by the end of Year 1. Pupils who are new to learning English benefit from the school’s emphasis on subject-specific vocabulary. They quickly develop their reading comprehension skills due to the help that they receive from staff.

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better?

Pupils are polite and courteous. They follow routines well, showing respect for each other and for staff. In the early years, children foster warm and nurturing relationships with their key workers. These staff instil a curiosity about their environment so that as children grow older, they are motivated to learn well. In all year groups, pupils demonstrate resilience and a determination to succeed. Disruptive behaviour is rare. If it should happen, staff deal with it quickly and effectively.

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better?

Most pupils attend school regularly. However, a small but increasing number of pupils are persistently absent. Sometimes, the school condones these pupils’ absences. Pupils’ reasons for missing learning are not challenged. This undermines the positive attitudes to education that the school encourages.

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better?

The school has thought carefully about how it extends some aspects of pupils’ learning beyond the curriculum. Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities to increase their spiritual and moral understanding, for instance by debating moral issues related to a scripture passage during circle time. Pupils also learn how to stay mentally and physically healthy. This helps them to recognise and regulate their own emotions.

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better?

Pupils enjoy opportunities to perform in the school show, visit local museums and serve their community by visiting residents of a care home for older people. Nevertheless, the school does not actively promote mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, as required by the independent school standards (‘the standards’). For example, pupils do not learn about different religions and values, nor about the rich cultural diversity of the city where they live. Also, pupils have a cursory understanding of fundamental British values, such as individual liberty. Furthermore, the school censors images of people wearing clothing that do not fit the orthodox Jewish principle of modesty. These decisions fail to adequately promote pupils’ understanding and tolerance of people different to themselves. 12 to 14 March 2024 The proprietor is passionate about the education that the school provides. However,

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better?

the lack of effective oversight by the proprietor and governors has led to the school failing to uphold several of its legal duties. For example, the school is not meeting its statutory obligations regarding relationships education, including the knowledge that pupils are taught, and the requirement for the school to consult with parents, about its relationships policy. In addition, several of the standards are not met. Some of these have a serious impact on pupils’ personal development, safety and welfare.

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better?

The school complies with the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

The school is held in high regard by parents. The school keeps parents up to date about how their children are getting on in school. Staff are typically very positive about how the school supports them, for example by providing subject-specific training. Many staff told inspectors about the steps that the school has taken to reduce their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Although staff are appropriately trained and follow suitable procedures to report and record any safeguarding concerns, the school’s limited view of potential dangers places pupils at risk. Pupils are not taught about how to keep themselves safe online, nor about the harmful information that they could be exposed to on the internet. This leaves them ill-equipped to protect themselves in modern society. Added to this, the school’s safeguarding policy refers to outdated statutory guidance. This compounds the poor awareness that many staff have of these dangers themselves. As a result, pupils are unaware of the potential risks that they may encounter in their everyday lives. This places them at risk of harm.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 At times, some staff do not deliver the secular curriculum as effectively as the school intends. This sometimes hinders how well pupils build their knowledge. The school should ensure that staff receive the training and support that they need to deliver subject curriculums well.  In subjects other than reading and mathematics, some staff do not use assessment information well enough to inform future teaching. From time to time, pupils’ misconceptions are, therefore, not addressed in a timely way. This creates gaps in some pupils’ knowledge, which make subsequent learning more difficult. The school should ensure that assessment information is used to ensure that any missed or forgotten learning can be revisited effectively.  A small minority of pupils are persistently absent from school. This means that they miss out on important learning. This makes it harder for them to achieve well. The school should maximise its efforts to ensure that all pupils are helped to

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

attend school regularly. 12 to 14 March 2024  Pupils’ opportunity to learn about the differences between people, including people from religions and cultures different to their own, is insufficient. Furthermore, the school’s censorship of some teaching materials contributes to pupils’ restricted view of the world outside their own community. The proprietor must ensure that pupils learn in depth about different world religions and cultures so that they develop tolerance and respect that is built on understanding of the world in which they live.  The proprietor has failed to ensure that the standards are met. In addition, some of the school’s policies and practices have not been developed and are not delivered with due regard to statutory guidance. This represents a breach in the proprietor’s statutory responsibilities. The proprietor must ensure that all of the standards are consistently met and that other legal duties including those under

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

the Equality Act 2010 are upheld.  Pupils are prevented from learning important information that they need to stay safe as they grow into adulthood. This puts them at risk of potential harm. The proprietor must ensure that the school complies fully with the most recent safeguarding legislation, and also the requirements for statutory relationships education.

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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. 12 to 14 March 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 130286 DfE registration number 355/6040

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School details

Inspection number 10303420 Type of school Jewish faith school

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 to 14 July 2022 12 to 14 March 2024

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Information about this school

 Beis Ruchel Girls School is an Orthodox Jewish faith school. Most pupils are members of the Satmar community. The school provides a religious (Kodesh) and a secular (Chol) curriculum.  The school operates from premises at 87 Devonshire Street, Salford, Manchester M7 4BE. The school’s early years provision occupies a separate building on the same site.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place from 12 to 14 July 2022. The school received an unannounced progress monitoring inspection on 20 June 2023.  The school is registered to admit up to 370 pupils aged from 2 to 11. At the time of the inspection, there were no two-year-old children on roll.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  At the same location, the proprietor also operates a secondary school which is registered separately with the Department for Education. That school is also called Beis Ruchel Girls School. It has a separate entrance at 11 Norton Street,

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued 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, senior leaders and staff.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including that relating to the standards and the curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the checks that had been carried out on staff to ensure their suitability, 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. 12 to 14 March 2024  Inspectors were prevented from speaking to pupils without an adult present. In

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Information about this inspection

addition, inspectors were requested not to ask questions about some aspects of personal development. As a result, inspectors were not able to establish whether pupils were expressing their views freely. The inspection team took this into account when determining the judgement about safeguarding.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s surveys for parents, staff or pupils. However, inspectors considered the views of some parents and staff that were expressed through letters received during the inspection.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at social times, in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and science. They met leaders and teachers and visited a sample of lessons. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects. They also considered the curriculum across some other subject areas and looked at examples of pupils’ work. An

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Information about this inspection

inspector also listened to some pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The lead inspector made a tour of the school premises.

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Inspection team

Ben Hill, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Maria McGarry Ofsted Inspector 12 to 14 March 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(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. – 2(2)(i) effective preparation of pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in British society.  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)(d) in making arrangements for the purposes of paragraphs (a), (b) or (c),

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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, – 2A(1)(e) makes and keeps up to date a separate written statement of its policy with regard to the provision of education as required by each of paragraphs (a) and (b), – 2A(1)(f) consults parents of registered pupils at the school before making or revising a statement under sub-paragraph (e). – 2A(1)(g) publishes a copy of the statement on a website and provides a copy of the statement free of charge to anyone who asks for one.  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 3(f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range.

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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)(iii) encourage pupils to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative and understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality in which the school is situated and to society more widely; – 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; 12 to 14 March 2024 – 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 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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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; and – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils. 12 to 14 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 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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