Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass School

Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass School

Address: 1 Belz Terrace, Clapton Common, London, E5 9SN Unique reference number (URN): 100294

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Insufficient evidence: Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether safeguarding standards are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have well-organised systems for the prompt recording of pupils’ attendance and the swift follow up of any absences. Leaders regularly review attendance records to identify any patterns of absence for individuals or groups. Leaders provide personalised support for pupils and families to enable them to overcome any barriers to pupils’ attendance. Pupils’ overall attendance is high.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils are attentive in lessons and keen to learn. Their enthusiasm for learning is reflected in their keen questioning of their teachers and their concentration on the tasks in hand. Around the school, pupils are sometimes excitable and lively, but not over-exuberant. They show good humour and enjoyment of school and are quick to respond to reminders of staff expectations of how they should behave.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The behaviour policy is known, understood and used consistently to promote positive behaviour. The rewards system motivates pupils, celebrating kindness, effort and responsibility. Leaders monitor records of behaviour to identify and respond to any patterns. Any rare instances of bullying are taken seriously, addressed and resolved, including through curriculum work, to promote respect and tolerance.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years environment provides a well-resourced setting for children to gain knowledge and skills across all the required areas of learning. Leaders provide a well- thought-through curriculum that enables children to develop, practise and build on their learning over time. Staff interactions with children are thoughtful and skilled.

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Early years Expected standard

Children are attentive and curious as staff guide them through different activities while extending their learning. For example, while learning about the water cycle, children develop their fine motor skills by using pipettes to create drops of water. They explore how water melts and become familiar with new vocabulary, such as condensation. They also practise their writing skills, using the correct pencil grip to write about the different ways water is used in the home.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff’s thorough knowledge of each child ensures that they recognise when children have barriers to their learning, for example, with speech and language. Staff work with specialists to ensure that they give children the right support to help them keep up with others in their learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff promote close relationships with parents and carers to help them support their child’s learning at home. Opportunities such as stay-and-play sessions and learning book reviews are popular and strengthen home-school partnerships.

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Early years Expected standard

Children develop confidence, independence and secure foundational knowledge and skills to ensure that they are well prepared for their next stage in education.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders, including governors, have prioritised the development of inclusive practice. They have strengthened leadership responsibilities to ensure close oversight of provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have raised expectations so that staff are alert to barriers to pupils' learning. Staff receive training and guidance to provide tailored support that meets individual pupils' needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders collaborate closely with parents and carers and external agencies to secure appropriate support for each pupil. Leaders work effectively with external specialists to identify pupils with SEND. They carefully plan each pupil’s learning so that it builds towards long-term targets, including those set out in education, health and care plans. Leaders provide well-resourced and purposeful opportunities for pupils to work with specialists, including occupational therapists and speech and language therapists. Staff routinely provide additional support to help pupils access learning in the classroom. Pupils grow in confidence and their engagement and achievement in lessons improve.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school uses additional funding appropriately. Leaders regularly review how well pupils respond to adaptive teaching and resources, refining strategies where necessary. These approaches are largely well established and effective within Jewish Studies. There are limited opportunities for all pupils to learn well in the secular curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school has a suitable accessibility plan that meets the requirements of Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils are taught the required elements of personal, social and health education and relationships education through cross reference and application of the content of the curriculum in Jewish Studies (the Kodesh). This provides age-appropriate coverage of key themes, including protecting your body, the importance of sleep and exercise, healthy and unhealthy relationships, personal hygiene, and economic wellbeing. Younger children learn inclusive values through stories and songs, while older pupils explore themes, such as honesty and fairness in Kodesh lessons. Pupils learn about faiths and cultures other than their own and appreciate the importance of values, such as tolerance and respect. This helps them to be prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal development programme is supplemented with assemblies, guest speakers and workshops. Pupils receive guidance from external specialists about keeping safe, including when they are online. They take part in anti-bullying initiatives. Pupils enjoy hikes and educational visits to local natural amenities, including a nearby river and a farm, as well as trips to the beach.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as ‘student monitor’ and ‘bank manager’ roles, help pupils develop leadership, accountability and social skills. Pupils make notable improvements in their independence and development of their self-esteem.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The curriculum and wider offer effectively support pupils’ emotional, social and moral development. Therapeutic support for pupils with additional needs further enhances pupils’

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Urgent improvement

wellbeing and readiness to learn. The school nurtures a caring, supportive environment, where pupils feel safe, valued and confident to express themselves.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Pupils do not develop knowledge and skills across a broad range of curriculum subjects because most of the intended curriculum is not being delivered. Pupils do not gain secure understanding and accurate use of technical subject-specific vocabulary in the secular curriculum or build on their learning over time.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Children in the early years develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills well. However, pupils do not consistently practise and improve on this foundational learning as they move through the primary year groups. Gaps in pupils’ knowledge and misconceptions persist because the school does not have a purposeful and systematic approach to checking on how well pupils are learning.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Some pupils with additional needs successfully overcome barriers to their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make some progress through some areas of the curriculum. This includes improved reading and writing, engagement with learning and their personal and social development. However, this learning is limited because most of the intended curriculum is not being delivered.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The design and delivery of the secular curriculum (Chol) is extremely limited. Leaders have not identified precisely the content that pupils will be taught and the order in which they will learn key facts and skills. Pupils are not able to develop and deepen their knowledge across a wide range of curriculum subjects.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

While mathematics and English are taught regularly, the design and delivery of other curriculum subjects, such as science, history and geography, are very limited. The development of pupils’ foundational knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics is inconsistent in the primary phase. Teachers' delivery of the school’s chosen scheme for teaching phonics lacks precision. Pupils receive insufficient guidance to develop the skills that they need to read fluently. Expectations for how pupils master letter formation and transcription skills are too low. Pupils have very few opportunities to develop their writing skills in the Chol.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The school does not have a clear and consistent approach to checking how effectively pupils are learning across the curriculum. Gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified, addressed or closed quickly enough.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders fail to provide teachers with the necessary training, guidance and resources and they do not set sufficiently high expectations for delivering a broad curriculum effectively. Teachers lack secure subject knowledge to enable them to give clear explanations to deepen pupils’ learning.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leadership has undergone considerable changes since the last inspection. The impact of this is ongoing pending the appointment of a new headteacher. Leaders, including the proprietor and governors, have not maintained close oversight of the teaching of the secular curriculum. It does not reflect the expectations set out in the school’s curriculum policy. The secular curriculum is too narrow and expectations for pupils' achievement are not high enough. Inconsistencies in teaching, coupled with limited staff expertise and training, mean that pupils do not develop secure knowledge and skills across a broad range of subjects. The proprietor has not ensured that the independent school standards for the quality of education are met in full.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders, including the proprietor and governors, recognise the urgency for making improvements following this period.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders also recognise accurately the school’s strengths. Their commitment to inclusion is reflected by the development of inclusive practice across all year groups. Leaders work with outside agencies to support some improvement priorities, including specialists and therapists, to support the work of the special educational needs team. Leaders communicate closely and regularly with the local authority for training and guidance on safeguarding matters.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Staff value working at the school. They feel that leaders support them well, including with their workload. Staff appreciate the open-door culture that leaders encourage and the regular treats and checks on their wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders have effective systems to ensure that health and safety requirements are met, including maintenance of the school site. Well-organised routines check for risks and hazards and ensure prompt responses, when repairs are needed.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils do not have the opportunity to learn a broad range of curriculum subjects. Leaders do not ensure that pupils benefit from well-planned and delivered lessons in the secular curriculum (Chol). Teachers lack the training, subject knowledge and resources to enable pupils to gain knowledge and understanding in foundation curriculum subjects, such as history, geography and science.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils develop their skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Children in the early years learn to use correct letter formation and pronounce letter sounds correctly. In the primary years, pupils are not supported to consolidate these skills or receive the help that they need if they fall behind in their learning. Pupils do not achieve well in the secular curriculum. Pupils are attentive in lessons. In Jewish Studies (the Kodesh) and the secular curriculum, pupils are keen to learn and respond to their teachers’ expectations.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are friendly and respectful. At breaktimes, pupils share equipment, take turns and welcome others into their games. Leaders promote a tangible sense of belonging, nurturing pupils’ positive relationships with each other and their teachers. Pupils feel safe in school. Staff tackle any poor behaviour and resolve pupils' worries promptly. Pupils like the rewards system with prizes, such as lunch tokens, encouraging them to behave well.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Staff know pupils well and identify swiftly any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who need extra help. Leaders prioritise enabling pupils with SEND to engage fully in all aspects of school life. Staff work with external specialists to identify and provide the right support to meet pupils' needs. Pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum, engage well with their learning and in their personal and social development programme. Staff use well-chosen resources to help pupils access learning in Jewish Studies.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a range of activities that support their personal development. Visiting speakers teach pupils how to keep safe, including when they are online.

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Next steps

The proprietor should rapidly stabilise and strengthen the school’s leadership, providing appropriate training and support, to ensure that all leaders fully understand and uphold their statutory responsibilities, including the meeting of all independent school standards (ISS). The proprietor should act promptly to ensure that all the ISS are met. The proprietor should ensure that the school’s curriculum policy is regularly reviewed and updated and is implemented in full. Leaders should ensure that the secular curriculum clearly identifies the subject content that pupils will learn and the order in which it will be taught, so that pupils build knowledge and skills progressively across a broad range of subjects. Leaders should continue the development of inclusive practice across the school, enabling pupils with barriers to their learning, including special educational needs and/or disabilities, to access and achieve well in all areas of the secular curriculum.

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Next steps

The proprietor should ensure that teachers are provided with a high-quality programme of professional learning to strengthen teachers’ subject knowledge and enable their delivery of the secular curriculum with competence and confidence. The proprietor should further broaden pupils’ opportunities to enhance their learning in the secular curriculum and extend their experiences beyond their school community.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this standard inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and checked the school’s compliance with 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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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with school leaders, including the head of compliance, the special educational needs coordinators, the acting headteacher and 2 governors. Inspectors also held discussions with staff, pupils and parents and carers.

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About this inspection

The proprietor of this school is Moreshet Hatorah Ltd. The chair of the proprietor body is Jehudah Baumgarten.

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About this inspection

The fees currently charged are voluntary contributions.

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About this inspection

The school's email address is: compliance@belzlondon.com

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

This school has a Charedi Jewish religious character.

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About this inspection

The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

There have been several changes to the leadership of the school since the last inspection. Two staff governors and two parent governors have joined the governing body. Governors are currently recruiting for a new headteacher. The head of the Kodesh (the menahel) is currently in the role of acting headteacher.

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About this inspection

Since the previous standard inspection in July 2024, the school's registration has changed so that the age range of pupils admitted is 3 to 11 years.

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About this inspection

1. Quality of education provided Standards not met

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About this inspection

The following standards have not been met:

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About this inspection

Paragraph 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if– (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

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About this inspection

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are–

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About this inspection

(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education; (h) that all pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress; and

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About this inspection

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school–

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About this inspection

(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; (c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; (e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; (f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range; (g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils' work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress;

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About this inspection

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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About this inspection

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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About this inspection

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards met

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Team inspectors:

Katerina Christodoulou, Ofsted Inspector Sam Johnson, His Majesty's Inspector All standards have been met.

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Team inspectors:

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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Team inspectors:

6. Provision of information Standards met

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Team inspectors:

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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Team inspectors:

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards not met

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Team inspectors:

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 34(1)

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Team inspectors:

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–

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Team inspectors:

(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; (b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Insufficient evidence

Inspectors were unable to gather reliable enough evidence to grade an evaluation area. This is rare and normally only happens if there are no pupils on roll at the school.

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Insufficient evidence

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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