A boys’ nursery school belonging to the Belz Chasidic sect has been downgraded in its latest Ofsted inspection.
Belz Nursery School, which is based in Stamford Hill and caters for 70 boys between the ages of three and eight, went from a “good” rating of two to a three, “requiring improvement”, after it was inspected in November.
Inspectors reported: “Leaders and managers do not ensure that children experience sufficient teaching opportunities in English to support them to acquire a good standard of English-speaking and literacy skills”.
The majority of pupils at the nursery speak Yiddish as their first language.
The Ofsted report also noted that, while safeguarding and leadership was effective, there was not enough regular assessment of the children’s development, leading to gaps in their learning. The majority of pupils were also found to be eating unhealthy packed lunches.
A school spokesperson said: “While the school is disappointed with the report, we have now submitted a plan to the department which we hope will rectify the issues in the near future.”
The Belz community hit the headlines earlier this year when rabbis from the sect tried to bar women drivers from dropping their children at school, claiming it went against “the traditional rules of modesty in our camp”.
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