Orthodox school downgraded to ‘inadequate’ after failure to teach LGBT bullying
Beis Madrash Elyon's rating demoted by Ofsted in part because pupils do not learn about prejudice-based bullying
Another Orthodox school in London has been downgraded by Ofsted to “inadequate” with inspectors criticising it in part because pupils do not learn about prejudice-based bullying.
The damning report issued against Beis Madrash Elyon was published on Thursday, as Charedi leaders met in Stamford Hill to discuss their response to the Chief Rabbi’s recent guidance which urges Jewish schools to tackle anti-LGBT+ bullying.
The independent boys’ school in West Hendon, which has 70 pupils aged between 11 and 15, charges parents £6,000 per year in fees. However, only one third of pupils achieve six GCSEs.
In his report, the inspector said the school’s leaders “insisted” he make no mention of protected characteristics such as sexual orientation to pupils during his visit, despite the school being required to teach these under the Equalities Act 2010. He said the school’s leaders knew this meant independent school standards were not being met.
Pupils’ lack of learning about anti-prejudice bullying was cited as one of six “key” reasons why the school was judged “inadequate” – a downgrade from its last inspection, which deemed it to “require improvement”.
While praising pupils’ behaviour, as well as their commitment to a Jewish ethos and their high grades in subjects such as maths and Biblical Hebrew, the inspector said their curriculum was “inadequate”.
He added that “not enough attention is paid to pupils’ personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. Their creative, technical, musical and physical learning is weak… Pupils are not given impartial advice about future careers”.
The downgrade comes after reports suggested the Government may soon introduce an “opt-out” on LGBT education for independent schools, which would exempt them from teaching about protected characteristics if they run counter to the school’s faith.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
