Beis Rochel d'Satmar Girls' School

Inspection of Beis Rochel d'Satmar Girls' School 51-57 Amhurst Park, London N16 5DL

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Inspection dates: 24 to 27 September 2024

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Sixth-form 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 and their families love this school which has high expectations of what pupils can do. Pupils work hard to meet these expectations and many achieve very positive outcomes. Pupils hear from a range of visitors, including former pupils, about the different career options available to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave extremely well. They are polite and welcoming to visitors. In the early years, children learn the habits of positive behaviour that will help them succeed in life. Each playground is full of the sound of laughter and pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Learning the principles of honesty, compassion and respect are of high importance here. Pupils are encouraged to think about others and make a positive contribution to their local community. The school helps pupils to understand fundamental British values. For example, pupils in Year 7 and 8 organised a mock election.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school does not teach some of the protected characteristics as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Therefore, pupils’ have a limited understanding of the full variety of people in modern Britain. Primary-aged pupils do not learn how to stay safe online and secondary-aged pupils do not have an age-appropriate understanding of sexual harassment and consent.

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better?

Across the school, pupils study a balanced range of national curriculum subjects alongside Jewish Studies (Kodesh). The curriculum across subject areas is well- designed. Within each subject, different topics have been broken down into smaller parts. Over time, this allows pupils to secure foundational knowledge before moving on to more complex ideas. In art and design for example, pupils develop a strong understanding of the elements of art and simple drawing techniques. With this knowledge secured, older pupils demonstrate more sophisticated techniques across a wide range of mediums.

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better?

Teachers have a secure understanding of the subjects they teach. Explanations are clear and teachers use resources well to demonstrate new ideas. Within each sequence of learning, teachers check how well pupils have achieved against national curriculum outcomes. This helps them to spot or misconceptions that pupils may have. In lessons, they use a mixture of questioning and worksheet activities to check what pupils know and can do. At times, these in-lesson checks lack rigour. The work given to pupils sometimes does not enable them to apply their learning to new and more challenging contexts.

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better?

Teachers know their pupils very well. They adapt their lessons for the different range of pupils in their classes. In the early years, staff are meticulous in gathering knowledge about what children have learned each week. They use this information to plan the learning opportunities that will help children make the most progress. Teachers swiftly identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities 24 to 27 September 2024 (SEND). They understand the best ways to support these pupils, including offering a range of in-house therapies. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well alongside their peers.

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better?

Pupils in the school love to read. The school’s library is well-used. Previously, the school has struggled to balance the teaching of reading in English with the teaching of reading in Yiddish. Until this year, the teaching of phonics in English did not start until Year 1. Some books used with pupils learning to read did not match the sounds that pupils know. Therefore, many pupils in Years 1 and 2 do not read English with a fluency and comprehension that could be expected. Leaders have taken steps to address these weaknesses. From this year, pupils now learn to read English from the start of Reception and the books they read now match the sounds they know. The support for weaker readers is very strong. As a result, the majority of pupils read at an age-expected level by Year 3.

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better?

Children in the early years learn and play in a well-resourced and engaging indoor and outdoor space. They learn important personal, social, and emotional skills such as how to share and how to express their feelings. The teaching of early mathematics is especially strong.

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better?

At all ages in the school, pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. From the children in the early years to the students in the sixth form, pupils develop highly positive attitudes to learning. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance is high. Alongside their studies, pupils choose to take part in a wide range of enrichment activities such as embroidery, drama productions, choir and opportunities to debate current affairs. The school further supports the learning of curriculum subjects through educational outings. For students in the sixth form this includes residential trips to Wales and the English coast. Pupils regularly organise fundraising activities and charity events.

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better?

The school has greatly improved its provision for careers education, advice and guidance. Through their lessons, teachers help pupils to understand the different careers that may come from studying their subject. Pupils in Year 11 now receive unbiased one-to-one careers guidance and visit a careers fair. This helps them to choose appropriate next steps in education. Many pupils continue their education at the school’s sixth form. Areas of study include vocational courses in computing, childcare and Jewish studies, and A-levels in mathematics, English and accounting. Sixth-form students can boost their studies with internally accredited courses such as graphic design, flower arranging and hairdressing.

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better?

Pupils study key themes within personal, social, and economic health education (PSHE) through assemblies and Jewish Studies (Kodesh). They are taught about staying healthy and safe, including mental health and how to manage risks in their local area. However, the school’s relationships, sex and health education does not meet statutory requirements. Key aspects of staying safe and relationships education are not taught. For example, pupils in the primary school are not taught to stay safe online. The teaching of relationships education to secondary-age pupils does not include important learning about sexual harassment and consent. The school does not ensure pupils gain an awareness of a wide range of family 24 to 27 September 2024 structures and the legal rights and responsibilities regarding equality, particularly with reference to the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010. This means that, in this respect, pupils are less well-prepared for life in modern

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better?

Staff are proud to work here. They trust school leaders and appreciate the many ways that leaders help to support their workload and well-being. Staff work with leaders to improve the school.

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better?

The proprietor and governing body have strong oversight of leaders’ work. They understand their statutory responsibilities. They provide appropriate support and challenge to school leaders. They ensure that policies and procedures are followed across the different school premises. This includes ensuring that health and safety standards are maintained. At times, the maintenance of some school premises is not checked with enough rigour.

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better?

Leaders know and uphold their responsibilities under schedule 10 of the Equality Act. The school complies with the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage.

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better?

Leaders have not ensured that all of the independent school standards have been met.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a trained leader for safeguarding at each of the school’s four premises. Leaders of safeguarding coordinate across each site, with one leader responsible for making referrals to relevant agencies when necessary. The quality of record keeping across leaders is not consistent and formal records of meetings are not routinely kept to manage low level safeguarding concerns. This reduces leaders’ ability to identify patterns of risk for individual pupils or families. During the inspection, leaders were able to demonstrate how they would strengthen their systems for sharing information going forward, including low-level concerns.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Until this year, children in Reception have not learned phonics in English. The books read by pupils in Year 1 did not match the sounds that children know. As a result, children currently in key stage 1 do not have age-appropriate fluency and comprehension in their reading of English. The school should ensure that the recent steps taken to support pupils to develop their reading fluency and comprehension in Reception and Year 1 are securely embedded so that all children are ready for their next steps. 24 to 27 September 2024  The school does not ensure that the provision for pupils’ PSHE and relationships education programmes comply with statutory guidance and equip pupils for life in British society. Pupils do not gain an awareness of the legal rights and responsibilities regarding equality (particularly with reference to the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010) and that everyone is unique

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

and equal. The school should ensure that it fulfils its statutory duties and that all aspects of the school’s work are fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010.  Pupils in the primary phase do not gain an age-appropriate understanding of online safety and pupils of secondary age do not gain an age-appropriate understanding sexual harassment and consent. This puts them at increased risk from harm. At times, information sharing and record keeping of low-level safeguarding concerns in the school lack systematic rigour. The school should ensure that they actively promote the wellbeing of pupils so that all pupils are well-equipped to identify risks in modern Britain.  At times, the activities given to pupils do not help them to secure and embed their learning and apply it to new contexts. Pupils lack opportunities to demonstrate their learning through extended writing. As a result, teachers may not identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and misconceptions until summative

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

assessments at the end of lesson sequences. The school should ensure that activities used to secure pupils’ learning give pupils greater opportunity to demonstrate their learning and apply it to new contexts.  At times, the school’s oversight of procedures across their school sites is not as strong as it could be. This includes oversight of premises maintenance, behaviour, and safeguarding records. As a result, the school does not have a clear view of all that is happening at the school’s separate sites. The school should ensure and assure themselves that there are clear processes for communication across all areas of the school so that policies are implemented consistently well.

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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. 24 to 27 September 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 100293 DfE registration number 204/6296

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School details

Inspection number 10341979 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Girls

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1269

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sixth form

Proprietor Beis Rochel d’Satmar Charitable Trust

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sixth form

Annual fees (day pupils) Fees are variable, depending on the ability of parents to pay Telephone number 0208 800 9060

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sixth form

Email address admin@beisrochelschool.co.uk

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 15 to 17 November 2022 24 to 27 September 2024

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Information about this school

 Beis Rochel d’Satmar Girls’ School is an Independent Orthodox Jewish day school for girls.  The main school site is for pupils in Year 4 to Year 11 and is located at a purpose- built site in Amhurst Park, Hackney, N16 5DL. The other school sites are at Cazenove Road, Hackney, N16 6BB for the early years and Year 1 classes; at Warwick Grove, Hackney, E5 9HX for Years 2 and 3; and at Rookwood Road, Hackney, N16 6SP for the sixth form.  The school’s last standard inspection took place in November 2022 when the school was judged as requires improvement.  The school is registered for pupils between the ages of two and 19 years. Boys are admitted only when they are aged between two and three years.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.

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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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 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 headteacher and compliance administrator and the head of school at each school site. They also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, art and design, science, geography and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also visited a sample of lessons in

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Information about this inspection

mathematics and Jewish studies (Kodesh).  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. 24 to 27 September 2024  To check for compliance with the independent school standards, inspectors carried out checks on health and safety documentation, including fire safety and risk assessments, and checked the maintenance quality of each school site.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils by speaking to pupils in lessons and speaking to unaccompanied groups of pupils. Leaders requested that inspectors not ask questions to pupils that probed some aspects of relationships education, including two of the protected characteristics. Inspectors were unable to confirm

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Information about this inspection

whether pupils in the school had received age-appropriate relationships education, including sexual harassment and consent and online learning. The school was therefore unable to meet the independent school standards related to these areas and could not conclude that leaders were actively promoting the welfare of pupils in the school.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who responded to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View. They also met with parents at the school gate. Inspectors considered the views of staff through meetings with both teaching and non- teaching staff. There were no responses to the online staff or pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Annabel Davies, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jennifer Bax Ofsted Inspector 24 to 27 September 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.

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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 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 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 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 25 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school premises and the accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured.

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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 24 to 27 September 2024 – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils. 24 to 27 September 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

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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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