A Gateshead boys’ primary school has been downgraded by Ofsted because pupils knew too little about other faiths and cultures. 

While Inspectors found much to praise at the independent Keser Torah Boys’ School, the identified lack of social knowledge led to it being demoted from “good” to a school that “requires improvement”. 

Pupils were not taught about sexual orientation or gender identity in relationships education because the school’s leaders did not consider it age appropriate, Ofsted said. 

Under current guidelines from the Department for Education, primary schools are encouraged, but not compelled, to talk about LGBT issues. 

“In addition, their knowledge of other cultures and faiths is very limited. This reduces their ability to be respectful and tolerant of others in society,” Ofsted stated. 

Boys did not have “opportunities to meet people outside of their faith or visit enough places of significance to other cultures. Consequently, pupils know little about other groups in society. This is leading to some misconceptions.” 

School leaders should consider broadening what they teach about other groups, cultures and faiths, Ofsted said. 

Keser Torah had been part of Gateshead Jewish Primary, a co-educational school that taught boys and girls on different sites and which was rated a good school on its previous three inspections. As a result of an equality law ruling, it split formally into two separate schools. 

In three out of four areas, Keser was judged to be good. Boys were “eager to learn” and aspired to academic success at secondary school. 

Pupils behaved well in class, relationships in the school were friendly and caring and the Jewish studies curriculum made a strong contribution to fostering their spiritual and moral understanding. 

Leaders had made significant curriculum improvements in recent years and work was ongoing to strengthen PE and creative subjects. 

By the end of key stage 1, pupils had "a good grasp of reading, writing, spelling and mathematics. The well-targeted extra help provided means pupils who fall behind catch up quickly".