Ofsted: 'inadequate' school taught too little about other faiths

Another Charedi school has been rated inadequate after inspectors said pupils learned too little about other faiths and were not taught about “different types of relationships”.

Shiras Devorah, an independent girls secondary school which opened in Golders Green four years ago, was rated good in one of the four areas and as “requiring improvement”.

But its inadequate rating for leadership and management led to the school receiving the lowest inspection grade overall.

Inspectors found pupils “attentive and diligent” in class, and respectful and polite towards teachers. They were “kept safe” in school.

Girls were encouraged to read “a range of classic works”. But their work did “not reflect an ambitious curriculum that leads to high levels of achievement” and they did not learn about human reproduction in science.

“Pupils have very limited opportunities to become familiar with, and gain an appreciation of, faiths and cultures beyond their own community,” Ofsted said.

Parents had “opted to withdraw” their children from the sex education aspects of the relationships and sex education (RSE) curriculum. “However, the school’s RSE programme does not include teaching about all the different types of relationships that people may have in wider society, from which there is no right to withdraw pupils,” Ofsted said. (Pupils are meant to learn about LGBT awareness before leaving secondary school).

Inspectors reported being unable to “speak with pupils about the protected characteristics of sex and gender reassignment, and about opportunities for pupils to meet people from cultures and faiths other than their own”.

While health and safety checks were regularly carried out, some hazards had not been identified. “These were put right before the end of the inspection.”