Beis Chinuch Lebonos Westcliff

School progress monitoring inspection report

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

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 2(1)(a) to 2(1)(b)(i)  At the time of the previous standard inspection in February 2024, teaching did not support pupils well to learn the intended curriculum. Staff did not readily spot when pupils were secure in their understanding and ready to move on to more complex work. In Reception, a few children did not readily access phonics books. The early years curriculum did not link closely to that of the wider curriculum in later years.  Staff have received training on how to adapt their lessons for the varying needs and abilities of pupils. There is a collective understanding of how to keep an eye on pupils in lessons. This enables staff to see when to move pupils on to more complex tasks.  Staff are consistently using extension tasks which link to the curriculum. Pupils are enjoying this element of the curriculum as the tasks help them to think more deeply.

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Main inspection findings

 The school has reviewed the structure of its classes. Pupils in upper key stage 2 are learning English and mathematics in ability groups.  The use of a weekly progress meeting is helping staff review pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. Where pupils are insecure in their knowledge, they have appropriate intervention sessions to reinforce learning. These sessions are having a positive impact.  The school has looked more closely at the provision for children and pupils who are in the pre-stage of learning phonics. Staff have undertaken further phonics training to teach the new picture books effectively.  The early years team has worked closely with the key stage 1 team. As a result, the curriculum is a seamless learning journey from the time children start their education in Nursery to the time they leave in Year 6. Staff have introduced formal transition arrangements so that children from Reception adapt quickly and readily to the learning

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Main inspection findings

environment in Year 1. As a result, last year’s Reception children have settled well into their new Year 1 class.  The requirements of the independent school standards (the standards) in these paragraphs are now met. Paragraph 3d  At the previous standard inspection, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were not well served by the school. This is no longer the case.  The school has worked with the local authority to improve provision for SEND. They have appointed a special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) who has reviewed with staff the SEND register. Consultations with parents for pupils’ profiles are currently taking place.  Staff have received training on how to adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND. They are careful to ensure pupils with SEND get the support they need in lessons.  The standard in this paragraph is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7 to 7(b) and 32(1)(c)  These standards were met at the standard inspection in February 2024.  The arrangements for safeguarding pupils continue to be effective. Staff are vigilant and suitably trained. They have received their annual refresher training linked to the latest government guidance. Staff are up to date with their ‘Prevent’ duty training.  The school has a new version of their safeguarding policy which is available for parents. This reflects the guidance in the document, ‘Keeping children safe in education’, Department for Education, September 2024.  As part of their routine checks on the site, the governing body checks safeguarding procedures and staff’s adherence to the safeguarding policy.  The requirements of the standards in these paragraphs remain met. Paragraphs 15 and 16(b)  At the previous standard inspection, the school kept the emergency contact details for

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Main inspection findings

pupils separately from the admissions register. Some staff were incorrectly coding absence when logging this in their registers of attendance. Staff were inconsistent with their application of the health and safety policy and the risk assessment for school transport.  The school now has a complete admission and attendance register. Each pupil has two emergency contacts detailed in the register.  The school has liaised with the local authority to ensure that staff are coding correctly. Staff have received training on the new attendance policy. This follows the latest guidance from the document ‘Working together to improve attendance’, Department for Education, August 2024. The school has rewritten the parent handbook to reflect the key changes in the new attendance policy.  The proprietor and the governing body reviewed the risk assessment for transportation. They have ensured that expectations are clear for staff, pupils, parents and carers. As a

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Main inspection findings

result, staff and pupils are now adhering to this so that risk is managed effectively.  The requirements of the standards in these paragraphs are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraphs 18(1) to 18(2)(e), 18(3) to 19(2)(d)(ii), 19(3) to 21(8)  These standards were met at the time of the standard inspection in February 2024.  The single central record of pre-employment checks is up to date. This includes the section 128 checks. The school ensures that all the required checks on the suitability of new staff are carried out according to their roles in the school.  The standards in this part continue to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1) to 34(1)(b)  At the time of the standard inspection in February 2024, the school had not developed sufficient systems to monitor pupils’ outcomes, such as attendance, over time. The work of the governing body to hold the school to account was in its infancy. The proprietor had not ensured that the independent school standards were met.  The school has introduced a schedule for peer-to-peer observations and team teaching. Staff are swapping best practice and pedagogic approaches. They are also reaching out to other providers to learn further. For example, being engaged in networks in their area to improve provision, such as the local ‘SENCo forum’.  Quality assurance procedures are in place to check how well pupils are learning the curriculum. The new electronic attendance system is enabling leaders to see patterns with pupils’ absence. This is giving them the information they need to make further

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Main inspection findings

improvements.  The governing body has received training so that it clearly understands its role and responsibilities. It has recently expanded. It includes members who have areas of expertise in education. Regular visits to school and the use of external agencies, such as the local authority, is helping governors and the proprietor form a realistic view of provision. They have carried out visits to make sure that the independent school standards are now met, for example spot-checking staff’s adherence to transportation procedures.  The school has moved at pace to address the unmet standards of the last inspection. The improvement journey to meeting the previous inspections’ recommendations is well- advanced. The proprietor, governors and the school’s leadership team have achieved this through investment in resources, governor and staff training, and close monitoring of the delivery of the action plan. This includes addressing the recommended modifications in

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Main inspection findings

the action plan. Thus, demonstrating the capacity to ensure that the independent school standards are met securely and consistently.  The requirements of the standards in this paragraph are now met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 ('the independent school standards') and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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Part 1. Quality of Education

 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.  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.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 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.  The 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 Jewish studies (Kodesh) as well as secular subjects (Chol). The school day includes the teaching of Jewish 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 sole proprietor has chosen to have a governing body.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This was the school’s first additional inspection to monitor progress since the last standard inspection on 27 to 29 February 2024 when the school was judged as requires improvement. Five of the independent school standards were not met.  On 30 April 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) issued the proprietor with a notice, requiring the proprietor to prepare an action plan to show how the unmet independent school standards would be addressed. The school submitted an action plan within the required timeframe. The plan was evaluated in June 2024 and was found to be acceptable with modifications.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was conducted without notice.  To check compliance with the standards, the inspector met with the chair of governors, the headteacher, other senior leaders and spoke to staff and pupils. The inspector visited lessons, observed intervention sessions and the procedures for the dismissal of pupils at the end of the school day. The inspector looked at a range of documents, including the school’s single central record of pre-appointment checks.

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Inspection team

Liz Smith, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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