Ateres Beis Yaakov

Overview

The report describes a school where pupils are “happy, safe and confident” and “love coming to this school.” Leaders have established an “ambitious” curriculum with “exceptional” behaviour, ensuring high expectations are communicated fairly. The school meets independent school standards and has improved significantly since its previous inspection.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate “exceptional” behaviour, treating staff and peers with respect while showing “great enthusiasm in lessons.”
• The curriculum is “broad” and carefully designed, with British and world history threaded through subjects to develop a “breadth of knowledge and skills.”
• Early reading is a “key priority,” with staff using “excellent knowledge of phonics” and providing individualised support so pupils “catch up quickly.”
• Leaders work closely with outside professionals to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively.
• Enrichment opportunities, including visits and clubs, help “build a strong sense of community” and foster pupils’ talents.

Areas to improve

• In some subjects, learning is “not broken down as effectively into small components,” hindering the cumulative building of knowledge.
• Leaders need to identify “equally clearly in all subjects and key stages what pupils need to learn” to ensure links between new knowledge and bigger concepts are not missed.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”