The new inspection framework for Jewish education in Jewish schools is to be introduced next term after Pesach.

Pikuach, the Board of Deputies-run inspection service, is putting the finishing touches to its new handbook, which will be published in a few weeks.

Its last handbook was “very Ofstedy”, following the framework of the secular inspectorate, Pikuach director Jeffrey Leader told heads of Jewish studies at the London School of Jewish Studies’ annual conference for primary Jewish studies teachers this week.

But the new handbook was “very much Jewishly based”, he said.

Ofsted itself introduced a new inspection framework last year, which for the first time highlighted “personal development” as one of its four key areas. Another major change was to take a more holistic approach to assessing educational quality rather than focusing on exam outcomes.

Pikuach has opted for three key areas in its new format with an emphasis on “Jewish personal and spiritual development” as one of them.

“In order for our children to flourish in a Jewish society, they need to find an emotional connection to their learning and recognise its personal relevance,” the draft of its revised handbook says. “Otherwise, everything they learn will remain detached and disconnected from their lives.”

He recalled a question and answer session on Jewish education he once ran for a class at a Jewish secondary school at the end of a long, hot summer day. “Sir, why do we have to learn this stuff?” he was immediately asked.

“That was many years ago but it has always nagged at me,” he said.

Unlike Ofsted, Pikuach assesses the educational impact of Jewish schools according to the each school’s stated goals rather than by a national benchmark.

But in measuring the quality of Jewish education, Mr Leader explained, “the very big word” will be “impact” —the effect that children’s school learning has on their 
Jewish life.

While schools may tell parents they aim to instil a love of Jewish culture or give children the skills to make them confident in their Jewish identity, Pikuach will try to make sure these are not “just pretty words” that lie in a file in a drawer.

The focus on personal and spiritual development would prompt inspectors to ask questions that they had not asked before.

But acknowledging the challenges of putting this into practice, he said, “that is why it has taken us nearly three years” to draw up the new framework.

Mr Leader said that pupils were “very defensive” when their views were sought directly by inspectors. So for the first time they would be invited to respond in online questionnaries — in primary schools, this would be for year five and six children.

Schools will in future have more notice of Pikuach inspections — four days rather than the current 24 hours.