Latest Pikuach report launched by Board of Deputies and United Jewish Israel Appeal
 The 2007 Pikuach Report, containing a global assessment of the state of Jewish education based on data from ongoing inspections from Jewish schools throughout the UK, has been published by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the United Jewish Israel Appeal.
Accountability through Inspection: Monitoring and Evaluating Jewish Schools September 2003-April 2007 is written by Dr. Helena Miller, Director of Research and Evaluation at UJIA. In its foreword, the Report is praised by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools Lord Adonis for demonstrating “a commitment to openness, transparency and continuous improvement".
The 2007 Report includes sections on:
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a new focus on pupils’ personal development and well-being;
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increased provision in Special Educational Needs (SEN);
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learning about other faiths and cultures;
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the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT);
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results of a new government reliance on shorter, sharper inspections, shorter notice of inspections as well as more frequent inspections.
Long considered the standard for evaluating Jewish schools, the latest report reveals that the Pikuach process is now being used by schools across the religious spectrum, from Progressive, to Pluralist to United Synagogue to Charedi, and services almost three quarters of all Jewish schools in the UK.
“When so much of the school day at many Jewish schools is devoted to Jewish Studies, parents need to know that the time is well spent and their children are seeing real benefits. Pikuach has demonstrated a well-earned track record for reliability within the Jewish educational system. This Report will play an active role in maintaining and developing the highest standards of teaching, monitoring and evaluation for years to come,” said Jon Benjamin, Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
Among the key data from the report are:
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There are currently 93 full-time Jewish educational institutions in the UK, serving approximately 30,000 children of compulsory school age (5 – 16).
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Of these schools, 48 are primary, 24 secondary with the remaining 21 providing education at both primary and secondary levels.
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Currently, 37 (41 per cent) are in the voluntary aided sector (source: Board of Deputies of British Jews, 2007).
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The proportion of Jewish children in full-time education has risen to approximately 60 per cent.
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Pikuach currently serves the majority of the schools in the voluntary aided sector, as well as a small proportion of the independent schools.
Background
First published in 2000 as the culmination of a ground-breaking inspection service launched by the Board of Deputies of British Jews in 1996, Pikuach is the UK Jewish community’s response to the Government’s requirement to ensure that religious education is systematically inspected under the framework set down by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted). It contains the latest data and insights regarding the progress Jewish schools have made over the years.
It is supported financially by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and the United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA). In addition, lay leaders and professionals from both the Board of Deputies and the UJIA sit on the Pikuach Management and Advisory Boards.
Commenting on Pikuach 2007, Dr Helena Miller, the report’s author said, “One of Pikuach’s core achievements for the UK Jewish community is that it has taken a clear lead among faith communities by systematically researching all its school inspections over a number of years and by mapping a faith inspection process against a changing general education and inspection scene.”
Preface to Pikuach 2007 Report
By Lord Andrew Adonis
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools
I warmly welcome this report, which highlights the good progress that Jewish schools are making, as well as identifying key areas for improvement. The report demonstrates a commitment to openness, transparency and continuous improvement on the part of Pikuach. Good religious education contributes to the spiritual and moral development of pupils and underpins the faith ethos of Jewish schools. I am pleased that the report recognises the need for all schools to contribute to community cohesion and inclusion. I also appreciate the way in which Pikuach and the schools within the Jewish community have responded to the challenges presented by the Government’s new approach to school inspection, particularly the way in which self-evaluation has been embraced and incorporated.
A PDF version of the Pikuach report, Accountability through Inspection: Monitoring and Evaluating Jewish Schools September 2003-April 2007 is available by clicking here. Requests for hard copies should be made by contacting the Board of Deputies at info@bod.org.uk.
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