The Moriah Jewish Day School

The Moriah Jewish Day School Cannon Lane, Pinner, Middlesex, HA5 1JF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress and attainment at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 is above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children enter the Nursery with levels of development that are typical for their age. As a result of good teaching and strong adult support, they make good progress by the time they leave Reception.  All groups of pupils, including the less-able learners, and those who are at an early stage of speaking English as an additional language, make good progress because of the effective care and support they receive.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers receive high quality support and training from senior leaders and managers to bring about improvements.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are good in lessons and around school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are keen to learn. Safety is good, and pupils feel safe and secure in the school.  The headteacher is inspirational in her

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

leadership and works effectively with leaders and managers, including governors, and has made improvements to teaching and achievement.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school.  Governors know the school well, including its main priorities, and provide good support and challenge to bring about improvements.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Attainment in writing is not as good as in mathematics and reading.  More-able pupils are not challenged consistently in all lessons to help them work at a higher level.  Pupils are not always given time to respond to the comments teachers write on their work to enable them to improve their work further.  Pupils do not always use their literacy and numeracy targets in lessons to check their own learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 19 lessons, of which three were joint observations with the executive headteacher.  Meetings were held with a group of children. The inspectors listened to pupils read and discussed their reading with them.  Discussions were held with the executive headteacher, managers, Chair of the Governing Body and a parent governor, and representatives from the local authority who support the school. In addition, inspectors spoke to parents in the playground at the start of the school day.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and examined a range of documentation, including the school’s own performance information, an analysis of its strengths and areas for development, improvement plans, records of the monitoring of the quality of teaching, minutes of governing body meetings and records relating to attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.  Children’s work was also scrutinised to evaluate their progress, the quality of marking and

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Information about this inspection

feedback, and the curriculum.  The inspectors took account of 44 responses received from parents to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  The inspectors also considered 18 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Avtar Sherri, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Fayge Lavenberg Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is an average-sized primary school.  Pupils mainly come from White British background, with pupils from any other White background forming the next sizeable ethnic group.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is average.  There are no pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and children of service families).  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported by school action is well below average; the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  All pupils at the school are from Jewish backgrounds. The school teaches Jewish curriculum studies in addition to the National Curriculum.

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision for its pupils.  The executive headteacher is a headteacher of another school in the borough and has been seconded to this post for a year since September 2013. However, the executive headteacher spends most of her time in this school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding so that pupils make rapid and sustained progress by ensuring that:  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work consistently includes clear steps on how it can be improved, and pupils are given time to respond to these comments to further their understanding  more-able pupils are always challenged in lessons to help them work at a higher level  pupils use their targets in literacy and numeracy in all lessons to check their progress towards achieving them.  Raise pupils’ attainment in writing by ensuring that pupils have as many opportunities as possible to practise their writing skills across a range of subjects and topics, and not just in literacy lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in Key Stages 1 and 2 has been above average in all subjects over at least the last three years. In 2013, attainment at Key Stage 2 in mathematics, reading and English grammar, punctuation and spelling was significantly above average. However, attainment in writing has been weaker compared to mathematics and reading in both Key Stages 1 and 2.  Pupils enjoy reading and use phonics (the links between letters and sounds) well to read difficult and unfamiliar words. Pupils scored above the national average in the end of Year 1 national phonics screening check in 2012 and 2013.  Attainment in writing has been weaker than in reading and mathematics because pupils do not always have enough opportunities to write across a range of subjects and topics in addition to their work in literacy lessons.  Pupils make good and sometimes better progress, particularly in reading and mathematics. Progress in writing overall is weaker than in reading and mathematics. In 2013, there were not

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The achievement of pupils is good

enough pupils who made good progress in writing at the end of Year 6.  Leaders and managers have improved the quality of teaching and have put in place effective monitoring and tracking systems to identify quickly those pupils who are not making sufficient progress and give them additional support. As a result, the current school data show that pupils are now making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics across the different year groups, with Year 6 pupils on course to do well in all subjects by the end of the year.  Progress in mathematics is stronger than other subjects because pupils have good opportunities to develop their skills in mental and investigative mathematics and calculation. They have good opportunities to apply their skills to solve mathematical problems, including real-life problems as seen in an effective Year 6 mathematics lesson on fractions and percentages. Pupils also benefit

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The achievement of pupils is good

from teachers’ secure subject knowledge when teaching mathematics. In a Year 2 mathematics lesson, a child was excited when she successfully completed her work on pictograms and exclaimed, ‘I am a genius!’  More-able pupils do well and make good progress, particularly in mathematics and reading. However, opportunities are missed in some lessons to give them more challenging work so that they can work at a higher level. For example, in a mathematics lesson, all pupils started on the same activity on measuring angles when the more-able pupils could have done more challenging work on angles.  Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with levels of development that are typical for their age. Teaching is good so that, by the time they leave Reception, pupils have made good progress by achieving levels of development that are typically above those for their age. Children receive good care and support from adults who plan engaging indoor and outdoor learning

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The achievement of pupils is good

activities for children to choose from.  Senior leaders are committed to promoting equal opportunities and ensure all pupils make at least good progress. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because they receive good care and support from teachers and teaching assistants, both in and out of lessons. Overall, there are no significant differences in the progress of different groups of pupils, including girls and boys.  Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress because of the effective support they receive, including the opportunities in lessons for speaking and listening, which help them to learn English quickly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good because leaders and managers work effectively to ensure there is high quality support for teachers and teaching assistants to improve the quality of teaching.  The good teaching is often exemplified by pupils knowing what they will be learning, which is linked to previous learning; by questioning to test and further pupils’ understanding; and by the positive relationships in the classroom that promotes good learning. Teaching assistants are effectively used in and outside of lessons, particularly in helping some of the less-able pupils to make good progress in their learning through small-group and one-to-one support.  Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to build their vocabulary and use their speaking and listening skills in lessons. In a Year 4 literacy lesson on emotions and feelings, for example, pupils interacted well with each other through role play to express their thoughts and ideas on

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The quality of teaching is good

how someone lost in a forest would feel.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage there are well-planned indoor and outdoor activities that engage children in their learning. They have opportunities to interact and talk about their learning. Children show confidence and independence and engage with adults easily in discussions. For example, in the Nursery, children were fully engrossed by a ‘visitor’ dog and asked its owner many questions about its habits as the play acted a role of a vet using their ‘stethoscopes’. In the Reception class, children worked well together to build a ‘strong’ house using straw, cardboard and ‘bricks’ in the outdoor learning area so that ‘the big bad wolf wouldn’t be able to blow it down’.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is mostly thorough and detailed. However, there is sometimes not enough guidance on how pupils can improve their work further. Sometimes, pupils are not

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The quality of teaching is good

given enough time to respond to the comments teachers write to enable them to deepen their understanding.  Although pupils have targets on what they need to do to improve in literacy and numeracy, they do not always refer to them in lessons to check for themselves their progress towards achieving them. As a result, they do not always know how well they have done by the end of the lesson in relation to their targets.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Pupils engage well with each other in the classroom and around the school. They have various responsibilities around the school which they enjoy and take seriously They learn about respect, rights and responsibilities through citizenship and Jewish studies, and show appreciation of cultural diversity. Assemblies provide rich opportunities for pupils to experience a sense of togetherness through prayers and singing and reflecting on their achievements.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They are polite, courteous and respectful. They enjoy coming to school, as reflected in their good punctuality and above average attendance.  Pupils are keen to learn and their attitudes to learning are good. However, occasionally some pupils chatter and lose concentration in lessons, and have to be reminded about the school rules on positive behaviour and learning.  The school’s behaviour log shows that incidents of bullying are rare, with only a few incidents when some pupils do not behave well. There have been no incidents of racist or extremist behaviour. The school ensures that relationships are positive and there is no discrimination.  Pupils say that behaviour is good and bullying is rare. They know about the school’s policy on positive behaviour and how it promotes good behaviour and learning.  Pupils play well with each other at break times. They enjoy sitting together and talking to each

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

other when having their lunch, and are careful not to make any mess after finishing their packed lunch. Lunch times are well supervised, both in the lunch hall and outside.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel very safe and secure in the school and referred to the high gates and security around the buildings.  Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe by learning about internet, road and fire safety. They know about the dangers of cyber bullying and feel confident about approaching teachers and teaching assistants if they have any concerns  A large majority of parents responding to the online Parent View survey agree that the school makes sure its pupils are well behaved, and most agree that their children feel safe at school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive headteacher, senior leaders and governors are committed to bringing about improvements, and demonstrate high expectations and ambition for pupils.  The executive headteacher is inspirational in her leadership and has been effective in bringing about some rapid improvements, for example the introduction of robust monitoring systems to check pupils’ progress and to monitor the quality of teaching. This has led to pupils making better progress and teachers improving the quality of their teaching. Parents say that communication between them and the school has improved; this has led to improvements in attendance.  Middle managers are involved in checking the quality of teaching through observing lessons, undertaking book scrutinies, and using data to hold teachers to account for pupils’ progress. They are involved in the school development priorities and know about the school’s strengths

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The leadership and management are good

and areas for development.  The school’s process for self-checking on improvements it makes is accurate and the school development plan identifies the right priorities for the school. For example, it has a strong focus on improving the quality of teaching and raising achievement.  The process of setting targets for teachers to improve the quality of teaching and pupil progress is securely in place, and links well with enhancing their skills in teaching through support and training. There is a good link between teachers’ salaries and the quality of their teaching and the progress their pupils make.  There is a plan in place for spending the primary sports funding. For example, the school plans to use a sports coach to deliver different sports and to provide training for teachers to enhance their skills in teaching physical education.  The curriculum promotes pupils’ key skills well in literacy and numeracy and enables pupils to

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The leadership and management are good

make good progress with their learning. However, some more-able pupils are not always stretched in some lessons and there are not enough opportunities for pupils to improve their writing skills in different subject areas.  The local authority works effectively with the school to bring about improvements, for example working with leaders to develop better systems for checking pupils’ progress and improving the quality of teaching.  A large majority of parents responding to the online Parent View survey said that the school is well led and managed.  The governance of the school:  Governors know the school well, including its strengths and weaknesses. They are ambitious and have worked closely with the local authority to recruit an effective interim executive headteacher for the school. They know about the achievement of pupils and quality of teaching in different year groups, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They work

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The leadership and management are good

effectively with senior leaders, including setting the strategic direction of the school, and provide the appropriate support and challenge to bring about improvements. They ensure that the executive headteacher is set challenging targets to raise achievement. They ensure the efficient management of financial resources and allocate resources effectively, including arrangements for supporting pupils who are underachieving and the use of sports funding. There are no pupils entitled to the pupil premium funding currently in the school. Governors know about the quality of teaching in the school and how pay and promotion are linked to teachers’ performance, particularly in raising achievement. They attend regular training to update their knowledge and skills, for example on the use of performance data, school improvement and safeguarding issues. They ensure that all statutory duties are met, including arrangements for safeguarding.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 131229 Local authority Harrow Inspection number 431291

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 227 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Capper Headteacher Judy Lethbridge Date of previous school inspection 16–17 March 2009 Telephone number 020 8868 2001 Fax number 020 8429 8419 Email address office@moriah.harrow.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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