2 min read
What has changed in independent Charedi schools?
Since 2014, one school after another has been declared by Ofsted to be inadequate. Before 2014, the ratings of Charedi schools covered the full gamut. Some were outstanding, and many had outstanding features. Schools were lauded for pupils' behaviour and diligence, for results, for social and moral consciousness.
Take Talmud Torah D'Chasidei Gur. In 2013, this was an outstanding boys' school. Ofsted found that the curriculum "fully covers all of the required areas of learning; most exceptionally well". There were no failings in this school. But, by December 2015, this school was inadequate in every area.
At the Interlink Foundation - the Charedi charity I run - we employ a couple of bright, well-educated graduates of Beis Rochel School. Students leave there with a string of GCSEs with results above national averages. Previously, the school was good. Now Ofsted deems it inadequate in every area.
These schools are the new pariahs. What is going on?
The Ofsted rule-book has changed in significant ways. Firstly, there are now expectations that clash with the ethos of Charedi schools. The greatest angst is caused by the requirement to promote equality for those with "protected characteristics", including sexual orientation and gender reassignment.
The Ofsted report for Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass puts this conflict in the starkest terms. It states: "The school's ethos identifies its founding principle as 'unconditional adherence to the Shulchan Aruch (code of Jewish law)'. Leaders are aware that this disregards the protected characteristic of sexual orientation set out in the 2010 Equality Act."
Has it come to it that we cannot reconcile traditional Orthodox Judaism with education in Britain?
The clash of values extends more widely. Does Orthodox Jewish careers education promote "choice" if most pupils move on to seminaries and yeshivas? Are there equal expectations of girls and boys? How deep is pupils' knowledge of other faiths? Inspectors are quizzing children about preconceived ideas of these "problems" and then failing the school.
The second set of challenges is around educational standards. In some schools, there is a weak base-line standard of secular studies. The academic strength of the Kodesh (Jewish studies) curriculum is hard for Ofsted to assess. There is real will within schools to do better. But it doesn't make any sense for Ofsted to come in January to a school and find that the boys are two years behind in their knowledge of English, and then come again in July and clobber the school because the boys are still behind.
School leaders are not magicians. Evidence that a school is addressing the weakness identified by Ofsted needs to count for something. Schools are hugely frustrated that it doesn't.
It is widely believed that Charedi schools are being targeted. The introduction of the Common Inspection Framework in 2015 raised the bar for independent schools which are now inspected against much the same standards as government-funded schools. But the scrutiny appears to be much more intense in the Charedi sector. The reams of petty infractions found by inspectors could happen anywhere. It looks very much like our schools have been singled out for selective enforcement.
Post Trojan Horse, 40 out of the country's 24,000 maintained secondary schools were selected for unannounced visits. There are only 11 Orthodox Jewish maintained secondary schools in the country. Yet three of these were inspected as part of this blitz.
We understand the wider political climate and know we are not the real targets. The government needs to be even-handed in the crack-down on schools that breed terrorists. We may be the collateral damage. Anti-religious forces are riding this wave and Jewish schools much further to the left than the Charedi community are feeling the pressure, too.
The effect is deeply counter-productive. Over recent years, Charedi schools have improved dramatically and invested huge resources in raising standards.
A year ago, Interlink set up a new school improvement programme, LinkEd, to accelerate this. The damage to the morale of school leaders when none of this is recognised is devastating. The momentum for change is turning to defiance. Schools are sceptical about whether anything they do can ever satisfy Ofsted.
The community is striving to be outstanding but, to be successful, we need decision-makers to work with us and not against us.
