North Cheshire Jewish Primary School in Manchester has corrected its website to make clear its most recent Jewish studies inspection was not conducted by Pikuach, the Board of Deputies-run service.
Ofsted reported last week that governors of the school had failed to follow protocol because they did not consult with Pikuach over the choice of inspector.
According to education regulations, state-aided faith schools must commission regular inspections of their religious education.
They are required to consult with a “prescribed body” — recognised by the Department for Education — over the inspection, even if they do not choose it to do the inspection itself.
North Cheshire’s Jewish programme was inspected last November by Rabbi Dr Jonathan Yodaiken, headteacher of another Manchester state-aided Jewish school, Yesoiday Hatorah, and a former Ofsted inspector. He rated it overall as good.
North Cheshire said this week it had amended its website, which, in a link to the inspection, had referred to it as a “Pikuach” report.
Jeffrey Leader, director of Pikuach, explained it was “the only government-accredited denominational inspection service for the Jewish community”.
Its inspectors were “highly experienced senior professionals in the field of Jewish education,” he said. “It is sad that some parents may not realise that their school’s inspection does not carry that official status.”
Ofsted said North Cheshire’s governors should have consulted the prescribed body, “which they are required to do under the Education Act”.
But they had complied with requirements, Ofsted said, by making sure the inspection was “concluded within the prescribed timescales, and applying a clear and appropriate rationale when appointing the lead inspector”.
