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Thursday 20 February 2014

Ofsted reveals failings at Jewish faith school in Stamford Hill


From: www.hackneygazette.co.uk

Talmud Torah Chaim Meirim Wiznitz School
Talmud Torah Chaim Meirim Wiznitz School
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
3:20 PM
Pupils being slapped with the hand and inadequate teaching were among failing uncovered by an emergency inspection at an Orthodox Jewish primary school.
Ofsted carried out an unannounced visit to the Talmud Torah Chaim Meirim Wiznitz School in Lampard Road, Stamford Hill, after concerns were raised by the Department for Education (DfE) over the children’s welfare, quality of the curriculum, teaching, and pupils’ progress – particularly in English and maths.
The subsequent report, published on February 6, alleged that pupils had told inspectors of incidents where teachers had “given them a small ‘slap’ with the hand” and that others had said it had been threatened as a punishment.
Inadequate
Provision of subjects such as history, geography, science, technology and physical education was deemed to be “inadequate” at the boys’ school, which has 230 pupils on its roll.
In their report, inspectors said “not enough attention” was given to these areas and “pupils were unable to describe in any detail a broad range of activities that they had undertaken in these subjects, especially physical education”.
The report also said pupils were making “inadequate progress in English and mathematics” and the curriculum was “too narrow”.
In addition, boys with special educational needs and limited English were found to be struggling to understand and complete their work, with teachers “not adequately meeting their needs”.
The report said pupils had a “very limited” understanding of other cultures and faiths and only a “sketchy” understanding of public institutions and services in England. They told the inspector that they had “little involvement in their local and wider community other than their immediate religious community”.
Senior staff’s child protection training certificates were also said to be out of date.
A range of recommendations for improvement have been made by the inspectors.
Ofsted previously carried out two inspections in 2012.
Cazenove ward Cllr Abraham Jacobson said: “It’s a long-established school which is run on a shoestring budget. It does not get money from the council and is run by volunteers. It does give a good education. I think it’s one of the best schools around.
Problem
“Physical education is a problem as the school doesn’t have a playing field.
“The school will be discussing and looking into all the issues and trying to address them.”

The school declined to comment.

10 comments:

  1. To be fair, the parents who send their children are fully aware and apparently satisfied with this state of affairs.
    They are, in general, not "dysfunctional" families and are quite stable.
    There is no reason why outsiders, who haven't been particularly with their form of education, should interfere.

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  2. אני באמת מתבייש........

    אני מתבייש בזה שאנחנו לא מתנהגים בדקדוק המצות ואנחנו יותר גרועים מחילונים,
    אני מתבייש שאשתי ובנותי לא מתלבשת בצניעות,
    אני מתבייש בזה שאנחנו אלו האנשים שמתחזקים את ארץ ישראל הציוני,
    אני מתבייש שעד עוד לא יצאתי להפגין נגד גזירת הגיוס של שמד,
    אני מתבייש בזה מזה שחשבתי פעם שהרבנים שמתירים לנו הכל הם הגדולים שלנו,
    אני מתבייש בזה שלא הפגנתי נגד חפירת קברי ישראל,
    אני מתבייש בזה שמדברים בשעת התפלה,
    אני מתבייש שיש כל כך הרבה מחלוקת אצלינו,
    אני מתבייש בזה שאנו יושבים ולומדים מתוך עויות התורה באינוס הרבנים,
    אני מתבייש בזה שחשבתי שהמושג שבעים פנים לתורה תופס אצלינו,
    אני מתבייש בזה שאנו הולכים עם כיפה וקוראים לעצמם את המילה חרדים/יהודים,
    אני מתבייש בזה שלקחתי חלק בחפירת הקברים בבית שמש,
    אני מתבייש בזה שהתארחתי אצלם כי הם נראים כשומרי תורה ומצות..
    אני מתבייש בזה שהרבנים שלנו יותר גרועים מרפורמים בנושא עיוות התורה ולומדיה.
    אני מתבייש בזה ויותר כואב לי הלב שכל כך הרבה בחורי חמד קטנים רכים ויקרים גודלים ישר לתוך בור בוץ תחתית של מנהגי כלל ישראל שלא מוחים על חילול שם שמים ברבים.
    אני מתבייש בזה שלימוד התורה שלנו אפ' לא שוה כקליפת השום, בגלל עיוות דרך מנהיגינו.

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  3. I know the pope recently encouraged people to go to confession but......

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  4. If it's one of the best schools around then G-d help our kids!

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  5. Stamford Hiller, if 95%+ of the pupils of this school who will settle in Stamford Hill in adulthood will not in the future be reliant on housing benefit and any other benefit going due to their lack of education you might have had a point

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  6. Stamford Hiller:

    a) How do you know if parents are satisfied, given that few would dare to speak out?
    b) There is a duty on the state and society to protect children and ensure they have a basic right to education.
    c) These children will grow up to be dependent on taxpayers by claiming all sorts of benefits. As such, the state has every right to expect that they cover the minimum necessary to be productive members of society.

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    Replies
    1. No, of course I don't know. But remember there are literally millions of people in England who are going to spend lives on welfare and benefits etc. A sizeable proportion will also have many other problems. E.G. drugs, assorted criminal activity and immorality etc.
      At least most these kids will come out with such things as family values, reasonably law abiding, by today's standards socially responsible and at least some of them a good knowledge of torah etc.
      It ain't all bad y' know.
      We all know the many SH faults but let us not be blind to our virtues, high among which is, in general, our chinuch.

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  7. In the 1990's I taught the two top classes in Chaim Meirim and passed two HMI inspections with flying colours. We had a good Menahel, a good headmaster and good Rebbeim and teachers. The boys deserve the best and appear not to be getting it at present. I hope things improve.

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  8. Lubavitch Boys Primary School has also been 'Ofsteded' of late and received a poor report, its first report after getting state aid. Lubavitch owes many teachers up to one year in back pay and has had teachers leaving which makes everything more difficult.

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    Replies
    1. Didn't pay wages on time?
      Isn't that an issur de'oyraysoh?

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