Beis Malka Girls' School

Inspection of Beis Malka Girls’ School 93 Alkham Road London N16 6XD

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Inspection dates: 17 to 19 December 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 Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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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?

The school builds professional, supportive bonds with pupils, parents and carers. Deeply, it cares about pupils and their well-being. The school provides a wide range of help and support to pupils and families if they struggle. The school treats pupils with a great deal of compassion and respect. This is echoed in the way pupils treat each other. Pupils behave exceptionally well. Older pupils enthusiastically support younger pupils settle into school routines quickly. Pupils take pride in looking after each other. Pupils happily play together and enjoy each other’s company. They are happy and safe here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambition for pupils’ academic achievement and, typically, pupils achieve well. Reading is given utmost importance. The school ensures pupils have many opportunities to visit the school library to read and borrow books. Pupils love reading here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school places high importance on pupils’ personal development. The school uses educational visits to museums, attractions and the seaside to broaden pupils’ experiences. However, the provision for personal, social, and health education (PSHE) does not ensure pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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better?

Pupils study a broad range of subjects that meet the expectations of the national curriculum. Typically, the school organises important information logically, so that it builds securely from the early years onwards. Where this is the case, the school ensures pupils revisit and recall important subject knowledge and vocabulary regularly. As a result, pupils remember important prior learning and use this to securely connect ideas together confidently. For example, in the early years, children learn important vocabulary for counting. In Year 1 and beyond, pupils learn words to help them understand how to solve a range of calculations. In the secondary phase, pupils build on this and learn to use complex language to understand and explain algebra. Occasionally, subject knowledge is not sequenced clearly in the primary phase to ensure pupils are well prepared for their learning in the secondary phase. The school are refining the way that a few subjects are delivered to ensure that

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better?

The school checks that the curriculum is implemented securely. It checks regularly on how well pupils learn. If pupils struggle, the school makes appropriate adjustments to what is taught next. This supports pupils to understand. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive strong help and support. The school draws upon its strong expertise and recognises the additional needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. This is because the school provides specialist and regular training for teaching staff. This includes guidance from therapists and psychologists. Pupils receive swift and effective adaptations to teaching and resources that help them to learn the curriculum. 17 to 19 December 2024 Pupils receive effective support to speak and communicate in English proficiently. In the early years, children learn key words by singing songs and listening to stories in dual languages. As a result, pupils who speak English as an additional language

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better?

become confident, fluent speakers quickly. The school ensures that pupils read and listen to stories daily. All staff are trained to teach the school’s phonics programme. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read receive effective phonics teaching daily. Pupils who struggle with early reading receive additional support to help them to catch up. Pupils read books matched securely to the sounds they learn. Children in the early years enjoy reading in the school’s outdoor reading area. The school provides appropriate information about phonics, so that parents are guided to help their children with reading at home. Pupils swiftly become capable readers.

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better?

Pupils behave exceptionally well here. In early years, children take turns and share resources readily with each other. In lessons, pupils are extremely focused and attentive. The school makes everyone aware of its expectations about attendance and punctuality. If pupils’ absence becomes a concern, the school takes swift and effective action to ensure that it improves. This includes working collaboratively with parents to understand and address any underlying issues.

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better?

The PSHE curriculum includes a range of important themes but does not meet statutory requirements fully. Pupils receive information about maintaining mental health and about online safety. The school gives pupils appropriate information about a range of careers and opportunities, guidance which starts in the primary phase. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils are taught the importance of treating everyone equally and with respect. However, the school does not ensure that secondary-age pupils receive all the required information about respectful relationships. Pupils do not receive teaching about the legal rights of all people protected under the Equality Act 2010. As a result, pupils are not prepared fully for adulthood. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to explore their talents and interests. For example, pupils share their passion for singing, dancing and set design through regular school performances. The school

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better?

uses educational visits to support pupils’ learning of the curriculum and to help pupils learn leadership and organisational skills. For example, older secondary-age pupils recently led and organised a camping trip for themselves.

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better?

Typically, the proprietor and governing body have adequate oversight of the school. Together with leaders, they ensure that the school complies with schedule 10 of the Equalities Act 2010. Safeguarding is given high priority, and the school’s safeguarding systems and procedures are checked regularly for compliance against the latest statutory guidance. Regular engagement with staff means that their workload is well considered when decisions are made. However, the proprietor does not ensure that all the independent school standards are met consistently and securely.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 17 to 19 December 2024

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school does not ensure that secondary-age pupils receive all the required information about respectful relationships. Pupils do not receive teaching about the legal rights of people protected under the Equality Act 2010. As a result, pupils are not prepared fully for life in modern Britain. The school must ensure that its PSHE curriculum meets statutory requirements.  Occasionally, subject knowledge in the primary phase is not sequenced clearly. As a result, sometimes pupils are not well prepared for their learning in the secondary phase. The school should continue to refine the subjects that are less well sequenced so that all subjects are equally progressive and clearly defined.

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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. 17 to 19 December 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 100295 DfE registration number 204/6337

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School details

Inspection number 10322560 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Headteacher Mrs G Wind (Mrs Y Zwiebel, acting headteacher) Annual fees (day pupils) £2,080

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 to 6 February 2020 17 to 19 December 2024

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Information about this school

 This is an independent school for girls aged two to sixteen. The school has an Orthodox Jewish ethos. The school admits some boys in the two- to three-year- old provision. Therefore, the school is operating beyond its registration agreement with the Department for Education.  Children in the two- to three-year-old provision and pupils in Year 1 to Year 11 are educated at 93 Alkham Road, London, N16 6XD. Children in the Nursery and Reception Years are educated at Timberwharf Road, London, N16 6DB.  The school is currently led by an acting headteacher.  The school has before- and after-school childcare provision in place for registered pupils.  The school does not make use of 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 evaluation 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 the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders of the school. An inspector also spoke with a consultant who works with the school.  The proprietor was unavailable to meet with inspectors. Inspectors met with members of the governing body, who took on the role of representatives of the proprietor during the inspection.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, art 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and examined samples of pupils’ work 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 17 to 19 December 2024 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors toured both premises and examined documentation to check the schools’ compliance with the independent school standards.  Inspectors reviewed parent responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Annabel Davies His Majesty’s Inspector 17 to 19 December 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;  2A(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor- – 2A(1)(b) ensures that every pupil who is provided with secondary education at the school is provided with relationships and sex education, except as far as the pupil is excused as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2). – 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

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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; and – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils. 17 to 19 December 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

for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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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