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Chasidic school rated inadequate over lack of 'well-rounded education

Workbooks covered in graffiti, and year-eight pupils taught only in Yiddish and Hebrew

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Another Chasidic school in Stamford Hill has received a critical report from Ofsted.

The independent Talmud Torah Bobov Primary School, which teaches boys from two to 13, has been rated inadequate for the second time in three years.

Apart from religious studies, teaching was weak and in year eight, boys were taught only in Yiddish and Hebrew, Ofsted found.

The school failed to offer them a “well-rounded” education, leaving too little opportunity for learning about science, technology, humanities and creative arts.

English and maths workbooks were covered in graffiti and some had ripped covers.

Their writing contained  “many basic errors, such as the omission of full stops and capital letters. Teachers do not make sure that pupils make the necessary corrections.”

But Ofsted acknowledged its new headteacher was committed to raising secular standards, “rightly prioritising English and maths”, and had begun to oversee improvements.

The report appeared on Monday just a day before Charedi educational leaders are due to meet Ofsted over the problems strictly Orthodox schools have been facing from the inspectorate.

The foremost concern is a demand for schools to teach about different groups protected under equality law, including people of same-sex orientation or transgender status.

Many Charedi schools say this goes against their ethos since they do not discuss issues of sexuality.

Inspectors said the Bobov school was falling short of the requirements for British values, because it had not promoted pupils’ respect for “all groups of people with protected characteristics”.

But tolerance and democracy were discussed in assemblies and pupils spoke with pride about their collection for the poppy appeal.

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