‘Inadequate’ Charedi school ‘smacks’ pupils
HACKNEY COUNCIL is examining reports that boys at a local Chasidic school were smacked, slapped and had their cheeks pinched as a form of discipline.
In the report of its latest visit, Ofsted said a “small minority” of boys at the independent Talmud Torah Yetev Lev in Stamford Hill had spoken of slaps and smacks being administered.
Ofsted rated the school inadequate in all categories for the third time in five years — and found it to be teaching twice as many pupils as its official limit.
It has been illegal to use corporal punishment at independent schools for more than 20 years.
The council said the matter had been “brought to our attention and is currently being considered in line with statutory guidance”. It could not say more in order to maintain confidentiality while “an allegation is being investigated”.
Delivering their findings on Yetev Lev, the inspectors said the “greatest concern is that pupils reported that physical sanctions are adopted by staff in the event of pupil misbehaviour, including cheek pinching, smacking and slapping”.
Although the school’s leaders acknowledged that this was unacceptable, inspectors said they “required the school to follow its stated safeguarding procedures, including reporting these allegations to the local authority as raising serious safeguarding concerns”.
Pupils and staff also said “writing lines” was a common sanction for misbehaviour, despite the behaviour policy not condoning it.
Inspectors remained “concerned that the school’s strategies to manage behaviour compromise pupils’ welfare”.
Ofsted identified other safety issues, including an area in one of the school’s premises that was “filled with rubbish — and large holes in the playground surface, which were a trip hazard”.
In addition, Yetev Lev’s proprietor continued to “disgregard” registration requirements, with more than 1,200 pupils on the roll — “more than twice the number that the school is registered to take”. And although registered to teach up to the age of 12, some 13- and 14-year-old boys were continuing their education there.
An additional building had been acquired to prevent overcrowding. But the proprietor had not notified the Department for Education of its use.
In the early years’ section, a poorly maintained playground surface posed a risk to children. In reception, children were not supervised effectively and were observed playing on staircases and standing on tables and chairs.
Inspectors also criticised the narrow curriculum, low standards in maths, reading and writing, and lack of sufficient experience in subjects such as science or technological education.
Ofsted said safeguarding concerns raised by pupils were “being investigated by the appropriate public bodies”.
On the plus side, it reported that pupils were keen to learn and the religious curriculum contributed to strong moral values. Pupils also had a basic understanding of British values and a general awareness of different faiths.
Yetev Lev did not respond to requests for comment.