North West London Jewish Day School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders should rapidly implement their proposed changes to the curriculum so that:
  • Year 6 pupils make similar progress in all subjects to that which they make in mathematics and English
  • opportunities for pupils to improve their literacy and numeracy skills extend routinely across all curriculum subjects
  • pupils are as challenged and motivated in the secular curriculum as they are in Jewish studies.
• Leaders should develop a systematic approach to the monitoring of the quality of teaching so that:
  • leaders check that feedback to teachers leads to rapid improvements, providing targeted support as needed
  • inconsistencies in the implementation of school policies are eliminated
  • good practice across the school is shared.
• Leaders should embed the new opportunities for older pupils to take on leadership roles and develop a more mature approach to managing responsibilities and communication with others.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has been clear on the priorities for improvement at the school since taking up her post. She has extended the leadership team appropriately and built up capacity at senior and middle levels.
• The headteacher has recognised, rightly, the strengths of the middle leaders. She has provided them with valuable leadership training and guidance so that they oversee their areas of responsibility effectively, lead training and know where further developments are needed.
• Leaders respond promptly and effectively to changing demands and implement appropriate strategies to ensure that the needs of individual pupils are met. For example, leaders and governors recognised the need to provide further support for the increasing number of pupils at the school who speak English as an additional language (EAL). In creating the role of EAL coordinator, they have ensured that teachers have built up a repertoire of appropriate strategies to enable pupils who speak English as an additional language to make excellent progress.
• Leaders have established comprehensive tracking systems to enable regular and careful review of pupils’ attainment and progress across the school. This information is used well by leaders and teachers to identify when pupils are falling behind and to decide on the right support for them. Leaders’ close monitoring of the impact of different types of intervention determines what will help each pupil the most. As a result, pupils receive the help that they need to make good progress. This includes pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders use the special educational needs funding effectively.
• Leaders’ have a continued drive towards ‘one school’, to achieve close cohesion between the secular curriculum and Jewish studies. There are increasing opportunities for pupils to link these two areas of study. House point days enable pupils to take part in a range of activities applying different subjects, such as art and geography, to their celebration of Jewish festivals.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is promoted well. Kodesh is applied routinely to pupils’ reflection on right and wrong and to their religious studies. Pupils have a range of extra-curricular opportunities, such as trips to the theatre and museums. Leaders ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument.
• Leaders use the sports premium productively, so that pupils and teachers benefit from working with specialist coaches. Pupils appreciate the importance of regular exercise, which is incorporated into their daily routine. All pupils have swimming lessons in the school’s pool.
• Leaders forge and maintain close communications with parents. They seek feedback from parents and respond swiftly to parents’ views, for example by further improving site security. Parents who spoke to inspectors and who completed Parent View, the Ofsted online survey, commented on how much they appreciate their regular communications with the school and that the headteacher is very approachable and helpful.
• Leaders routinely monitor the quality of teaching and plan the whole-school training programme accordingly. Although teachers receive feedback from leaders on ways to improve their teaching, there is not a systematic approach to link monitoring, targeted support for individual teachers and leaders’ follow-up to check that improvements have been made swiftly.
• The headteacher has revised the performance management systems this year, so that teachers’ targets are related directly to the schools’ areas for improvement. She is refining these systems further for the forthcoming academic year to facilitate regular communication with teachers and their line managers on their progress in meeting their targets.
• Leaders’ evaluation of the strengths and areas for improvement are generally accurate, although their judgements in terms of grading are generous on occasions. They have in place sound and sensible plans for improvement, which are in the early stages of being implemented or are work in progress for the forthcoming academic year.

Governance of the school

• The governing body represents an impressive combination of members who have
• Governors are knowledgeable and experienced. They acted swiftly to stabilise and several generations’ association with the school and those who are comparatively new. Together, they ensure that the school’s ethos, deeply rooted in the traditions of the Jewish faith, are integrated purposefully with contemporary priorities and statutory requirements. strengthen leadership of the school after the previous headteacher left. They receive the information and training that they need so that they are well placed to support the new leadership team and to ensure that high standards are maintained.
• Governors oversee the expenditure of pupil premium funding thoughtfully to ensure that pupils have equal opportunities to take part in school activities and that no one misses out.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The single central record indicates that all the required checks are made on all staff.
• Leaders place great emphasis on keeping children safe in school. There are rigorous routines in place, so that the school site is kept secure.
• All staff have received up-to-date safeguarding training. Referrals made to leaders demonstrate that staff are alert to any concerns about pupils and that these are followed up appropriately. The child protection officer liaises with outside agencies, persistently as needed, to help pupils and families receive the help that they need at difficult times.
• Clear and efficient systems are in place to ensure that pupils who leave the school are kept on roll until their new school is confirmed.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers plan lessons well and use clear explanations to enable pupils to apply their prior knowledge to new learning.
• Pupils demonstrate a thirst for learning. They are eager to improve their work and do well. They respond enthusiastically to challenge. This is seen especially in the Kodesh, when pupils are motivated by the deeper thinking and reflection expected of them.
• Teachers know their pupils well and ensure that they receive the right support if they fall behind. As a result, pupils make good progress.
• The quality of pupils’ handwriting and their use of correct spelling, punctuation and grammar improve because of their teachers’ support and intervention groups, targeting specific areas in which pupils have difficulty.
• Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to read in different subjects. This boosts pupils’ confidence and their appreciation of reading.
• When teachers have high expectations for behaviour and achievement, pupils are attentive and diligent. However, teachers do not consistently plan work that is sufficiently challenging for pupils. While low-level disruption is rare in lessons, pupils become distracted, and there is chatting and fidgeting, if tasks are too easy for them.
• Teachers routinely provide feedback to pupils in lessons and in their books on how to improve their work, as expected in the school’s policy. However, teachers’ adherence to the assessment policy is inconsistent, and teachers’ use of questioning varies in how well it helps to develop pupils’ reasoning skills and to achieve greater depth. Similarly, teachers’ expectations for how productively pupils respond to feedback vary. This means that, while pupils make good progress overall, they could be doing even better.
• Pupils develop secure knowledge and use of literacy and numeracy in English and mathematics lessons. There are limited opportunities for pupils in older year groups to apply this knowledge across different subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils feel safe and are kept safe in school. They and their parents appreciate how well the school site is kept secure.
• Pupils’ attendance at school is generally in line with the national average. The few pupils with lower than expected levels of attendance receive the support that they need to improve.
• Leaders’ close and regular meetings focusing on safeguarding identify when pupils need more support. Actions such as referrals to the school counsellor and targeted interventions enable pupils to improve their attitudes towards their learning and to make progress.
• Specialist guest speakers and groups provide age-appropriate support for pupils to help them to identify risks and keep themselves safe, for example when working online and when not in school. This is especially helpful to pupils preparing for secondary school and developing more independence.
• Pupils gain much from especially themed house point days, which focus, for example, on different areas of the curriculum linked to Jewish festivals, or aspects of the personal development curriculum, such as healthy eating.
• Leaders ensure that pupils are knowledgeable and respectful of different faiths and cultures. Pupils benefit from joint events with other schools, at which they meet and work with pupils from a range of different faiths.
• The school’s buddy system is working well to enable older pupils to support younger ones, at playtime and with their studies. Pupils enjoy and thrive on being given more responsibilities. Leaders recognise this and have recently recruited house captains from Year 5 to take up their roles in the new school year.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils interact positively. They generally show respect for each other and their teachers.
• Serious incidents of poor behaviour, including bullying, are very rare. Leaders’ tracking of behaviour indicates that the number of sanctions issued each term has decreased through the academic year.
• Where the quality of teaching is strongest, pupils behave well and are attentive to their teachers. Pupils appreciate their education and relish being challenged. Where teachers’ expectations for their pupils are not high enough, pupils can become distracted.
• Behaviour records and pupils’ accounts indicate that there is some variation in the impact of the behaviour policy, with more incidents of low-level poor behaviour in lessons occurring in the older year groups.
• Pupils are welcoming, polite and cheerful. They are articulate and enthusiastic when speaking about their school, their learning and aspirations. On occasions, their confidence can translate into over-exuberance. This means that some older pupils need further guidance in holding conversations with a level of maturity to be expected of their age.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils work in their books and the school’s achievement information shows that pupils make strong progress in English and mathematics from their starting points across all year groups. No group of pupils underachieves.
• Pupils who are eligible for support from pupil premium funding do at least as well as their peers, sometimes even better. This is because of leaders’ well-established use of the right interventions to support each pupil.
• The school’s provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. Close work with parents and outside agencies ensures that pupils receive the support that they need to do as well as their peers.
• Pupils are very enthusiastic about reading and read often in Hebrew and in English. When pupils are asked to read aloud in class by their teachers, they do so confidently and ably. While pupils who spoke to inspectors stated that they read frequently, some feel that they read more at home than at school. There is some variation in how often different year groups use the school library.
• Pupils do not make progress equally well across all subjects. This is especially the case in Year 6, where, because much of the time spent on the secular curriculum is dedicated to mathematics and English, the pupils’ progress in other subjects, especially art and humanities, has been more limited. Leaders recognise this and are implementing changes to the curriculum so that this shortfall is rectified.

Early years provision Good

• Most children enter the early years with skills typical for their age and make good progress from their starting points.
• Adults have high expectations for the children’s learning and behaviour. As a result, children are keen to learn and show good attitudes to their learning. They are well prepared to embark on key stage 1.
• Classrooms and resources are well organised, creating a positive learning environment. The development of children’s skills and knowledge is fully and successfully integrated in their Jewish studies.
• Relationships between children and adults are strong and purposeful. Children develop confidence and increasing independence because they are motivated by adults’ praise and encouragement.
• Leaders ensure that there are effective transition arrangements in place. Staff communicate helpfully with parents and make home visits, so that everyone involved is well prepared for a child’s successful start in the early years.
• Children are safe and secure in the early years. All statutory safeguarding requirements are in place.
• The leadership of the early years is strong, and leaders have an accurate view of the areas of strength and those needing development.
• Teaching in the early years is good overall. However, some children do not make as much progress at the level they are capable of, because some activities lack challenge. The quality of adults’ questioning to deepen children’s understanding can vary, and this limits progress.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141154 Brent 10031732 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 267 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mrs Sheila Taylor Ms Judith Caplan 0208 459 3378 www.nwljds.org.uk admin@nwljds.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• The school is an orthodox Jewish primary day school. Teaching is divided between the secular curriculum and Jewish studies (the Kodesh) in proportions of 70% and 30% respectively.
• The school is an average-sized primary school. Most pupils are from a White British background. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language are higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is well below the national average.
• A slightly lower proportion of pupils than average receive support for special educational needs and/or disabilities. More pupils than average have a statement of special educational needs and/or disabilities, or an education, health and care plan.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of pupils in English and mathematics by the end of key stage 2.

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Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 14 lessons, sometimes jointly with school leaders. They also made shorter visits to all year groups, including to guided reading and accelerated learning sessions. An inspector toured the school site, accompanied by the headteacher and deputy headteacher, to evaluate site security.
• Inspectors held meetings with senior and middle leaders, members of the governing body and groups of pupils representing all year groups. One inspector held telephone conversations with a representative of the local authority and the external school improvement adviser.
• One inspector attended part of the dress rehearsal for the Year 6 production, which was also attended by all classes and some parents.
• Inspectors took into account the views of parents in conversations at the beginning of the school day and responses to surveys completed by parents for the school and to Parent View, the Ofsted online survey.
• Inspectors scrutinised and evaluated a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation; minutes of meetings of the governing body; records of the monitoring of teaching and learning; the school’s achievement information; records relating to the attendance of pupils and safeguarding; and records relating to the behaviour and safeguarding of pupils.

Inspection team

Amanda Carter-Fraser, lead inspector Rekha Bhakoo Lizzie Jeanes Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Sarah Murphy-Dutton Her Majesty’s Inspector