Bnos Yisroel School Manchester

Inspection of Bnos Yisroel School Manchester Leicester Road, Salford, Lancashire M7 4DA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good 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 describe life at Bnos Yisroel School as being part of one big family. The school has successfully created a highly positive culture, which encourages pupils to be happy, friendly and to grow spiritually.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the youngest to the oldest, pupils enjoy strong, affirming relationships with caring staff. Pupils know that there are trusted adults who they can speak to about any worries that they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff expect pupils to achieve well, and they are successful at making this happen. From children in the early years, through to the pupils in key stage 4, most are well prepared for their next steps in education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely respectful of others. They behave in an exemplary manner around school and are excellent role models for their peers. They are extremely kind and courteous to everyone. They value the rewards that they receive for positive behaviour and learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the full variety of people in modern Britain is limited. Staff do not teach about two of the protected characteristics, sexual orientation and gender reassignment, as set out in The Equality Act 2010.

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better?

The school has created a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum that meets most pupils’ learning needs. It has ensured that the overall curriculum is well designed. In the main, staff have thought carefully about the knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils need to learn to succeed academically. The curriculum is particularly strong in key stages 3 and 4 and is well developed for children in the early years. However, a small number of curriculum subjects in key stages 1 and 2 are less well developed than others.

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better?

In the subjects that are less well developed, the knowledge and order in which teachers want pupils to learn this is not as clear as it could be. This means that a few teachers are not certain what they need to teach and by when. As a result, in these subjects, some pupils do not learn as well as they should.

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better?

Nevertheless, most pupils achieve well at Bnos Yisroel School. This is because staff have created a curriculum which prepares pupils well to be successful in the future. At the end of key stage 4, pupils achieve GCSEs, often gaining the highest grades.

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better?

Most teachers are knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects. This motivates pupils to talk eagerly about their learning. Teachers typically explain things clearly to pupils. They provide pupils with suitable opportunities to revisit and 2 to 4 July 2024 recap important learning. They effectively use assessment information to check pupils’ understanding of topics and concepts, and to inform future learning.

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better?

Reading is a priority throughout the school. In the Nursery classes, staff use stories, rhymes, and songs to encourage a love of books and to begin to develop listening skills. In the Reception class and in Year 1, pupils learn about letters and the sounds that they represent and how to blend these sounds together to read words. Staff are knowledgeable about the teaching of phonics and early reading. Nearly all pupils can read with confidence and fluency by the time they leave key stage 1. Teachers are quick to identify pupils who find reading more difficult. These pupils are well supported by adults. This builds their confidence and quickly increases their fluency in reading.

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better?

Pupils’ reading development continues into key stages 2 and 3 with regular reading sessions. These encourage pupils’ fluency, expression and reading with increasing comprehension and critical analysis. Pupils told inspectors that they love the books that they read. They said that reading ‘helps their learning’, ‘improves their vocabulary’ and ‘is a great way to relax’.

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better?

Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND in an accurate and timely manner. They work well with parents, carers and external agencies. Their collaborative approach ensures that pupils with SEND are given the support that they need to access the curriculum and flourish. Pupils with SEND learn successfully alongside their peers and participate fully in school life.

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better?

Pupils are wonderfully talkative, animated and joyful outside of class. That said, in the moment that lessons start, the school is a calm, purposeful environment. Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable, particularly in lessons where they are highly motivated to learn. Pupils typically said that they ‘loved school’ and ‘cannot wait to come to learn and see their friends’. Their attendance at school is high and absence is rare.

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better?

Older pupils benefit from careers advice and guidance. Many pupils continue their next steps in education at a Jewish seminary. However, the school recognises the importance of preparing pupils for adulthood. An external careers provider and employment workshops support pupils to make informed choices about their future steps in education, employment or training.

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better?

Many aspects of pupils’ personal development are successfully woven throughout school life and are taught formally through the Kodesh (Jewish faith) curriculum. Pupils have a thorough knowledge of fundamental British values, such as democracy and tolerance. There are numerous opportunities for pupils of all ages to develop as citizens through charity work. Older pupils relish the opportunity to organise special events. For example, a group of Year 9 pupils coordinated and led a recent evening of celebration, fun and activities for local children and young people with SEND. Pupils demonstrate deep levels of respect toward each other, to adults and the wider community. 2 to 4 July 2024 However, pupils are limited in their knowledge and understanding of diversity and the differences that exist among some people. In this respect, the proprietor has not ensured that all the independent school standards (the standards) are met. In

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better?

particular, the school does not teach about the full range of protected characteristics as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Therefore, pupils are not as prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be.

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better?

Apart from the standards related to the Equality Act 2010, there were a few other requirements of the standards that were not met at the start of the inspection. The proprietor ensured that these issues were rectified quickly so that all of these standards were met by the end of the inspection. The school’s building was well maintained, clean and well resourced. The proprietor has ensured that it adheres to health and safety requirements, including complying with fire regulations.

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better?

The school has an accessibility plan that sets out its plans to ensure that pupils with disabilities can participate fully in the school’s curriculum.

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better?

The governing body, which includes the proprietor, holds leaders to account appropriately for their work to improve the curriculum. It understands the school’s strengths and the areas that require improvement.

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better?

Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel well supported by the school, which takes account of staff’s workload and well-being when making decisions. For example, the school supports staff to access training so that they can do their jobs well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a small number of subjects, in key stages 1 and 2, the school has not considered exactly what pupils should learn and in what order. This hinders some pupils from achieving as highly as they could. Leaders should finalise the curriculum content in these remaining few subjects to ensure that teachers know exactly what knowledge pupils must learn and when they should learn it.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school does not ensure that pupils learn about the diverse characteristics of people in modern Britain. The protected characteristics that relate to sexual orientation and gender reassignment are not taught. Consequently, this limits pupils’ knowledge of British society. Leaders must ensure that pupils are better prepared for their lives in modern Britain. 2 to 4 July 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. 2 to 4 July 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 105996 DfE registration number 355/6011

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School details

Inspection number 10322489 Type of school Other independent faith school

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School details

Proprietor Bnos Yisroel School Manchester

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) By donation only

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 to 23 June 2022 2 to 4 July 2024

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Information about this school

 The previous standard inspection took place from 21 to 23 June 2022.  This large orthodox Jewish girls’ school operates from one site. The school is located at Leicester Road, Salford, Lancashire M7 4DA.  On the same site as the school, there is a separately registered creche facility for 0- to 2-year-olds. This provision, Fayge Surfin Kindergarten, caters for children of the staff of the school.  The proprietor is Bnos Yisroel School Manchester. The chair of the proprietor body is Morris Brunner. This is his legal name, however, on the government’s ‘Get information about schools’ (GIAS) website, his name is recorded as Maurice Brunner. This is incorrect. The chair of the proprietor body and headteacher agreed to correct the information recorded.  The chair of the proprietor body is also the chair of governors. There is a small group of governors who provide governance for the school.  The school is registered to admit up to 650 pupils.

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Information about this school

 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

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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their learning. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, inspectors spoke with the headteacher of the secondary school and head of primary. They also spoke to the leaders of the Chol 2 to 4 July 2024 curriculum, other senior leaders and staff. This included those responsible for careers education in school, early years, the designated safeguarding leaders and SEND coordinators.  Inspectors held discussions with members of staff about their workload and well- being.  An inspector met with the chair of the proprietor body, who is also the chair of governors. She met with a representative group of governors who provide governance for the school. She also contacted a representative of Salford local authority.  The lead inspector made a tour of the premises. Inspectors also reviewed documentation and other information to check the school’s compliance with the standards and relating to school improvement.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and Ofsted’s staff

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Information about this inspection

survey.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey. However, inspectors spoke with pupils about their work and school life. Conversations with some key stage 2 pupils were held in the presence of a member of staff to support and reassure these pupils. This person sat at the back of the room, behind pupils and had a minimal influence on pupils’ responses.

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Inspection team

Sue Eastwood, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Cunningham Ofsted Inspector 2 to 4 July 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.  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[9].  2A(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor- – 2A(1)(d) in making arrangements for the purposes of paragraphs (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- – 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- – 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. 2 to 4 July 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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