Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School

Inspection of Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School Egerton Road, Stamford Hill, London N16 6UB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 8 and 9 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and kept safe at school. They feel leaders include them in discussions around safety and trust their teachers wholeheartedly, confident to raise any worries they may have. Pupils are confident that leaders will deal with any such concerns swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are highly respectful and polite. They greet visitors warmly and are generous and kind towards each other. There is an atmosphere of harmony and peace. Pupils move around the corridors safely and considerately while happily chatting with their friends. In classrooms, pupils are industrious, focused and hardworking, demonstrating exemplary attitudes towards their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an exceptionally ambitious curriculum. They consistently rise to meet the high expectations that are set for them, and they set for themselves. They are fully engaged, taking responsibility for their learning. As a result, they achieve highly in a broad range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through both the religious and secular curriculum, pupils learn about fundamental British values and different faiths and cultures. They strongly believe in, and demonstrate, respect for all, including those who have different beliefs.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, the school has broadened the secular curriculum so that it matches the breadth and ambition that is expected nationally. In each subject, the curriculum has been carefully designed to develop pupils’ understanding in a coherent way. The knowledge leaders expect pupils to learn is clearly identified and logically ordered. This helps to ensure that pupils secure the understanding they need to tackle the more complex and sophisticated concepts that follow. For example, in English, pupils are well prepared to compare and contrast complex poems. This is because they have already studied the forms and features of different types of poetry.

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better?

Teachers implement the curriculum with precision. They have very secure subject knowledge, provide clear explanations and use well-chosen resources and activities when introducing new ideas. Assessment is used effectively to check what pupils have learned and understood. This ensures that any errors or misconceptions are swiftly identified and addressed. Ample opportunities are provided for pupils to revisit and embed previous learning. This helps pupils to know and remember more.

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better?

As a result of the ambitious and well-taught curriculum, pupils secure a depth of knowledge and understanding in each subject. They produce work of exceptional quality and achieve highly, including in national examinations and qualifications. They are very well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment or training. 8 and 9 May 2024

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified and well supported. Staff have been extensively trained on how to meet different needs. They are adept at ensuring everyone is fully included and can access the same ambitious curriculum, wherever this is possible. Where pupils need additional support, the school works closely with external specialists to secure advice and guidance and to offer appropriate interventions. As a result, pupils with SEND also achieve highly.

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Behaviour in classrooms and around the school is excellent. Pupils display exceptionally positive attitudes to learning. Attendance is very strong. This is because it is managed well. Leaders have worked closely with families to support pupils who struggle to come to school. Bespoke, tailored and highly effective support ensure these pupils attend school more regularly.

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Pupils’ personal development is extensive. The curriculum is well designed to help pupils learn about important issues. These include different world faiths, values such as democracy and the rule of law, and how to maintain financial, physical and emotional health. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum has been recently updated to ensure pupils learn about different family structures and lifestyles. This element of the curriculum is more recent, meaning leaders’ work in this area is not fully realised.

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Pupils receive comprehensive advice and guidance and learn about a range of careers. For example, when they visit galleries and museums, they meet apprentices who work there and hear about their experiences. Pupils benefit from workshops and visiting speakers, including the local member of parliament and Rabbis from across the globe.

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The principal, leaders and those responsible for governance have worked closely with the local authority to bring about embedded and sustained improvements to the curriculum. Staff have benefited from visits to other schools to develop the curriculum and their own teaching practices. As a result, staff value the support they receive to develop professionally. They appreciate the high regard leaders demonstrate for their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Aspects of the PSHE curriculum are newly designed and implemented. While pupils demonstrate a developing awareness of the protected characteristics, some aspects lack depth and specificity. The school must ensure that its well-designed curriculum in this area is fully implemented. 8 and 9 May 2024

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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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 8 and 9 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Sonia Mossberg and Rachel Klein (Co- Headteachers) Website yesodeyhatorah.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 October 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller-than-average, Orthodox Jewish, voluntary-aided, girls’ secondary school for pupils aged from 11 to 16 years old.  The school’s intake is exclusively from the Charedi community in Stamford Hill, Hackney.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The majority of teachers work part time.  The principal is responsible for the school’s ethos and values. The co- headteachers have overall responsibility for the quality of education.  The school’s last section 48 inspection took place on 9 and 10 December 2019.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 8 and 9 May 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, history and computing. To do this, they met with subject leaders, held discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. Other subjects were considered as part of this inspection.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  The inspection team met with senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. They also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  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 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Una Buckley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Yvonne Chisholm Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 May 2024

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