An independent Chasidic boys’ school in Stamford Hill has received its third warning notice from the Department for Education in less than two years.

The DfE’s updated list of warning notices sent to independent schools includes one sent to the Wiznitz Cheder School in August 2019.

It followed earlier warnings received by the school, which has more than 100 boys from three to 13, in January that year, and in November 2018.

Warning notices are dispatched if Ofsted identifies “serious regulatory failings” in a school.

Schools are warned they could be struck off the register or face restrictions  - one Charedi school was recently told it could not admit more pupils until it satisfied official requirements.

Although Wiznitz had made “significant progress”, the DfE said it its latest notice, failings remained.

The school was told it needed to improve in its lesson planning and in reference to the “protected characteristics” in equality law when teaching respect for other people.

Protected characteristics include sexual orientation and gender reassignment.

When Wiznitz was last inspected in June 2019, Ofsted found that literacy skills were poor.

On the equality issue, the school's leadership argued that “DfE guidance suggests it is for leaders to decide when it is age-appropriate to raise the protected characteristics with pupils”.

But Ofsted went on to say: “However, secondary schools are expected to make pupils aware of these issues. Despite this, leaders are clear that making pupils aware of sexual orientation and gender reassignment in Year 7 goes against the school’s Orthodox Jewish ethos. Without some simple changes, the school will continue to fail to meet these requirements.”

In recent months, Ofsted has also criticised Charedi primary schools for not talking about LGBT people.