Improved Ofsted for Charedi school

A CHAREDI boys school in Gateshead ranked inadequate two years ago has made “many improvements” under its new head, according to a follow-up report by inspectors.

But the Gateshead Jewish Boarding School, which takes pupils from ten to 16, must make further progress before it meets independent schools standards, they said.

The latest innspection reports will be closely watched within the Charedi community following recent discussions with Ofsted over how to resolve the problems strictly Orthodox schools have increasingly experienced from inspectors.

Although GJBS had increased the time it spent on English, it was still insufficient to ensure boys reached the requisite level, Ofsted said.

Only a third of pupils reached expectations in English for their age and just over a third in maths.

The number of GCSEs open to pupils had increased from three to five; exams are taken a year early in year ten, after which boys go on to yeshivah.

Grade 4 passes or above in maths were higher than the national average last year — although the proportion at the top grades was lower; grade 4 passes or above in English were lower than the national average.

The introduction of a citizenship curriculum was designed to increase understanding of groups protected under equality law (which includes people of same-sex orientation). So far this had been delivered only to firstyear pupils, Ofsted said, but the leaders were aware of the need to extend it to the whole school.

Photographs of boys helping to clear blocked drains of leaves in the street illustrated a sense of civic awareness.

● Ofsted has approved the expansion of a strictly Orthodox girls’ primary school in Hendon, Beis Soroh Schneirer, by taking children from age two — although inspectors want further improvements in secular education.