Reproduction omitted from GCSE science at ‘inadequate’ school

A LARGE Chasidic girls school in Stamford Hill which does not reach relationships and sex education has been ruled inadequate by Ofsted.

Although Beis Ruchel d’Satmar Girls teaches GCSE science, pupils were at a disadvantage in exams because they did not learn about reproduction, inspectors said.

The “strongly held” view of parents was that such topics should be taught only at home by parents or carers.

Girls studied a “suitable range” of secular subjects and teaching in some had improved over time.

But Ofsted said that early years did not get off to a good start because the introduction of phonics was delayed, although they achieved better in English reading in year 1.

Pupils were not taught RSE, which became a statutory subject last year.

The school’s leaders did “not teach pupils to respect people who are of a different sexual orientation or people who change their gender,” Ofsted noted.

Neither did they “actively promote the fundamental British values of mutual respect and tolerance. of those with different faiths and beliefs”.

Girls were polite and respectful to staff and poor behaviour was rare.

But Ofsted said that with 844 girls aged from three to 16, Beis Ruchel was in breach of its registration agreement with the Department for Education for a maximum of 810.

The school was also rated inadequate five years ago and received a further five visits from Ofsted before the latest inspection.

The school was banned from admitting new pupils by the Department for Education in late 2019 but the restriction was lifted the following July after improvements.

Pupils were not taught to respect people who change their gender’