Yesodey Hatorah Girls School

Inspection of Yesodey Hatorah Girls School 153 Stamford Hill, London N16 5LG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils arrive each morning excited and eager to begin their school day. They are greeted by warm, welcoming staff. Pupils enjoy their time at school. They feel happy, safe and well supported here. Staff cultivate strong, respectful relationships with pupils, who in turn show the same respect to one another. Pupils approach their learning with enthusiasm and determination.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff maintain high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and effort, and pupils respond positively. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary. Pupils engage positively with their learning. The school sets clear academic goals for all pupils, helping them to achieve well and prepare for the next stage of their education. Staff place a strong focus on supporting the needs of individual pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is deeply committed to the personal development and well-being of its pupils. The school provides a variety of enrichment options. Pupils develop practical skills, for example through cookery and floristry classes. Physical activities range from aerobic dances and ball games to canoeing and kayaking sessions. All pupils benefit from regular educational visits in London and visitors to the school such as a mobile farm and parrot, owl and reptile workshops.

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better?

The school has established a thoughtfully designed curriculum which is broad and ambitious. Where the school has clearly identified the key knowledge pupils should learn and know, such as in English and mathematics, teachers deliver the curriculum consistently well. In some subjects, the key knowledge and skills have not been identified as clearly. This means that the school is less secure about the precise subject content that pupils should be taught. As a result, pupils do not build on their prior knowledge deeply and sequentially.

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better?

In many subjects, pupils develop fluency through consistent practice. For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 4 demonstrate accuracy and care in their work on operations and fractions through repetition and application in a range of subjects. Teachers use practical resources well. They focus on developing pupils’ mathematical vocabulary effectively. This starts in Reception and continues throughout the school.

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better?

Typically, teachers are confident in their subject knowledge. They check pupils’ understanding effectively. Staff adjust their teaching to address gaps or misconceptions they find. However, in a few subjects, the school’s systems do not systematically identify and clarify pupils’ misunderstandings well or ensure that pupils are secure in subject-specific knowledge. This means that sometimes pupils are not fully ready to learn new content and concepts.

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better?

The school has prioritised teaching reading. Pupils read with fluency, confidence and enthusiasm. Teachers deliver the school’s chosen phonics programme consistently 10 to 12 June 2025 and with assurance. This begins strongly in early years. Children take part in their phonics lessons with enthusiasm and apply their phonics knowledge through a range of learning activities. Pupils who fall behind receive timely support to help them catch up. Reading books are well matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge. A love of reading is encouraged throughout the school. Pupils enjoy selecting from a wide range of books in their classrooms and the school library.

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better?

The school has a clear process for identifying pupils’ needs. It works closely with the local authority and other professionals to ensure appropriate support is in place for pupils with SEND. Leaders support teachers in making the necessary adjustments to the curriculum. Parents and carers appreciate the guidance they receive, which helps them better understand their child’s needs.

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better?

Pupils understand the school’s expectations for their behaviour. In Reception, children are taught not to give up when faced with challenges. They work well independently but also collaborate well with each other. The school fosters pupils’ development of motivation, resilience and pride.

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better?

Leaders, including governors and representatives of the proprietor body, work closely with staff to ensure that they are happy and not feeling overworked. Staff love working at the school and enthusiastically set about to make a positive difference to pupils’ learning and development. The school makes sure that the safeguarding of pupils is a high priority.

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better?

The school’s provision for pupils’ personal development is carefully structured, broad and ambitious. The school goes beyond the expected, so pupils have access to a wide, rich set of experiences. The take-up of these experiences is strong, with most pupils at the school taking part. Staff track pupils’ participation from Reception through to Year 6 with precision. The school develops pupils’ wider understanding in lessons, assemblies and whole-school events. For instance, pupils take part in the ‘countries of the world’ projects. This provides pupils with an insight into different faiths and customs. The school encourages pupils to embrace and value differences while also learning about healthy, respectful relationships and friendships.

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better?

The proprietor body, supported by the local governing body, fulfils its statutory duties. This includes making sure that arrangements to promote pupils’ safety are suitable. All of the requirements of the independent school standards are consistently met.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 to 12 June 2025

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, the school does not make clear what the school wants pupils to know and remember. This limits pupils’ sequential and deeper learning of subject content. The school should ensure that the curriculum content for all subjects is clear and well sequenced and is taught consistently well so pupils can learn as well as they should.  Sometimes, the school’s systems for systematically identifying and clarifying pupils’ misunderstandings are not consistently embedded. This means that some pupils are not ready to learn new content and concepts. The school should ensure that teachers have the expertise to address any gaps in pupils’ understanding consistently well so they are fully ready for new learning.

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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. 10 to 12 June 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 to 7 October 2021 10 to 12 June 2025

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Information about this school

 Yesodey Hatorah Girls School serves the Orthodox Jewish community in Stamford Hill. The school provides education for girls from the early years to Year 6. Pupils study Jewish religious studies during the morning and secular subjects in the afternoons.  The school currently uses no alternative provision.  The school is located at 153 Stamford Hill, London, N16 5LG.

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 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, art and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, talked to pupils about their learning in these subjects and looked at their work.  Inspectors also considered curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to discuss their views about the school, behaviour and safety. Inspectors met with some staff. Inspectors analysed the survey responses of pupils, staff and parents.  Several meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and subject leaders. The lead inspector also met with leaders representing the proprietor and governing body.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors scrutinised a range of policies and documents. Inspectors checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 10 to 12 June 2025 Jonathan Newby Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Katerina Christodoulou Ofsted Inspector 10 to 12 June 2025 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 for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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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