Edgware Jewish Girls - Beis Chinuch

Edgware Jewish Girls - Beis Chinuch Yeshurn Synagogue, Fernhurst Gardens, Edgware, HA8 7PH

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Overall effectiveness 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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This is a good school

 All groups of pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects including English, mathematics, Hebrew and religious studies.  Teaching is effective. Pupils enjoy their lessons in school, as well as a wide range of visits in the locality and beyond. These help pupils’ learning and preparation for later life.  Pupils behave well and are keen to learn. They respond immediately to requests from staff. They are given responsibility and develop good levels of confidence and self-esteem.  Systems to make sure that pupils are safe are thorough and robust. The suitability of all staff, governors and proprietors is checked and pupils are always supervised in shared parts of both buildings.  Leaders, including governors, have a strong focus on pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching, both of which continue to be good.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not use assessments and their knowledge of pupils well enough to plan work which is suitably challenging for them all. Activities are occasionally a bit too easy, or difficult, for a few.  Marking in pupils’ books does not provide pupils with clear guidance on how to improve their work.  Checks on provision, including quality of teaching, are not sufficiently detailed or frequent to identify and remedy specific weaknesses. This slows some aspects of school development.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school meets schedule 1 of The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, as amended by the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  The inspectors visited 25 lessons, including small groups, taught by 18 different teachers or teaching assistants. They talked with pupils in and out of lessons and heard some pupils read. Most of the observations were conducted jointly with a senior member of staff.  Discussions were held with the proprietor, governors, the headteacher, leaders of religious studies (Kodesh) and secular studies (Chol), as well as other members of the staff team.  There were too few responses to the online Parent View questionnaire to generate results. The inspectors received the views of parents and carers through 19 responses to a school questionnaire, as well as informal discussions as they brought or collected their daughters. No questionnaire responses were available from local authorities.  Inspectors received the views of staff through 26 responses to the inspection questionnaire and

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Information about this inspection

discussions.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s information on pupils’ progress, pupils’ work, the school’s development plan, planning and monitoring documents and documents relating to safeguarding, as well as records relating to behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Jo Curd, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jacqueline Marshall Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Edgware Jewish Girls School is an independent faith-based day school owned by the registered company Beis Chinuch Ltd.  It started as a nursery school in 2007. It was registered as an ultra-orthodox Jewish independent school in September 2009 and registered to expand and include a second site in 2012. It is currently registered for 155 pupils aged four to nine years old.  Pupils are taught in single-aged classes from Nursery to Year 5.  It is situated on two sites, both at synagogues in Edgware. Parts of both these buildings are shared with visitors to the synagogues.  The school aims to provide girls with an education in Hebrew and religious studies (Kodesh) and a broad range of secular studies (Chol), designed to help them ‘become law-abiding, moral and well-rounded citizens’.  A small proportion of pupils have special educational needs. None have statements of special educational need. The head of secular studies started at the school in September 2012. Leaders

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Information about this school

of assessments, the Early Years Foundation Stage and special educational needs have also taken up posts since the previous inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and accelerate achievement of all pupils across the school by: - making sure that activities are suitably challenging for all pupils, neither too easy nor too difficult - using marking more effectively to give pupils clear guidance on how to improve their work.  Increase the detail and frequency with which leaders, including governors, check all aspects of the school to make sure that improvements are complete, rapid and sustained.

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Achievement of pupils Good

 All pupils achieve well in a range of subjects, including English, mathematics, Hebrew and religious studies. This is because teaching is effective, expectations are high and support is good.  Most children come into the Early Years Foundation Stage with knowledge, skills and experiences which are broadly in line with expectations for this age. In Nursery and Reception classes, they make good progress in all areas of learning, especially reading. As such, they are well prepared for Year 1.  Most pupils, including the more able, achieve well because staff present high levels of challenge, especially in reading and religious studies. By the end of Key Stage 1 almost all pupils read English and Hebrew fluently and partake enthusiastically in collective readings and prayers.  Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because support is very well focused. For example, pupils with speech and language difficulties are successfully helped to read clearly

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Achievement of pupils Good

and accurately because teaching assistants identify and address their specific difficulties so very well.  New resources have been successfully deployed to help pupils learn, especially those who are less able. For example, equipment for practical mathematics has helped pupils understand the concept and comparison of numbers.  Pupils develop their health and physical skills well. Space in the large halls is used for dance and supplemented by visits to the local park for ball games and recreation centres for sport.  In some classes, progress slows because some activities are a bit too easy or difficult for a few pupils. For example, a few less-able pupils in Key Stage 2 class struggled with writing different parts of a story, while mathematical problems, adding numbers to nine, were too easy for some younger pupils. .

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Quality of teaching Good

 The quality of teaching is good. It helps all groups of pupils achieve well. There is a strong emphasis on English, mathematics, personal, social and health education, religious studies and Hebrew throughout the school.  All the required areas of learning are covered well in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The children enjoy a wide range of imaginative, well-planned activities both inside and outside. The balance between activities which they choose independently and those which are led and taught by staff effectively helps develop their learning. Such opportunities effectively support good progress in personal and social skills.  Successful links are made between subjects including religious and secular studies. For example, pupils in Year 5 developed skills in history, mathematics and language through a story about the historical Jewish Temple.  From an early age, pupils read widely and often. Pupils enjoy the books they borrow from the

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Quality of teaching Good

school library and often read at home with their parents and carers.  Teaching assistants play an effective part in the learning of all the pupils,especially those who have special educational needs. Most teaching assistants use their good subject knowledge well to identify and address pupils’ specific difficulties.  Lessons and extra-curricular activities prepare pupils well for later life in democratic Britain. Outings, such as to museums, shops and the fire station, as well as visitors, including the local police, all extend pupils’ experiences, enjoyment and knowledge. Pupils meet and interact with a wide range of people, which also helps their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils’ progress and attainment, particularly in English and mathematics, are assessed and recorded regularly. However, teachers do not always use their good knowledge of the pupils well enough to make sure that activities are suitably challenging for all; tasks are occasionally too

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Quality of teaching Good

easy or difficult for some of them.  Staff correct and support pupils’ learning well verbally. Their explanations are encouraging and clear. Marking of work is less helpful because it does not clearly show pupils how to improve.  Parents and carers are happy with the quality of teaching and support, especially for those who find learning more challenging or difficult. One, expressing the typical views of others, said, ‘The teachers have gone over and above the call of duty to assist my daughter.’

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are keen to learn, friendly, confident and polite, for example holding doors open for staff and visitors and eagerly telling them about their news and experiences.  Pupils’ very positive attitudes and rapid responses to teachers’ requests mean that lessons run smoothly and time is used well for learning. For example, pupils in Years 2 to 5 returned from a very busy and fun time at sports day in the park and quickly settled and got on with their lesson.  Pupils develop high levels of confidence and self-esteem. They perform drama and dance, lead sports activities and learn to relate to a range of other people through receiving visitors and visiting locally and further afield.  Relationships are very positive. These are purposefully fostered through personal, social and health education, circle time and activities such as making fruit smoothies for each other and

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Good

sharing rewards.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils learn about Jewish culture and beliefs and, since the last inspection, an increasing amount about other cultures. This is supported by visits, visitors, stories and special events such as Chinese New Year.  Inappropriate behaviour is rare. No pupil has ever been excluded from the school. Pupils develop strong positive relationships through discussions, circle time and personal, social and health education lessons.  Occasionally, when pupils find activities too easy or too difficult, they lose interest, their attention wanders and progress slows.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. All aspects of safeguarding are met. Staff know pupils and their families very well and quickly identify and address any difficulties or challenges which arise.  Pupils develop a good understanding of various types of bullying, including its physical and

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Good

verbal forms. They are adamant that bullying does not occur in the school, but are very clear about what to do and who to tell if it ever did.  Attendance is high. There is often 100% attendance across most classes. School staff follow up any non-attendance quickly and vigilantly, ensuring that they know where pupils are and that they are safe.  Parents and carers are confident that behaviour is good and that their children are safe. As one, expressing the opinions of them all, said, ‘My children feel secure at school and are happy to go in each morning.’  The buildings are safe and used well, but present many challenges. Full-time security guards are employed to escort visitors to the synagogue and pupils moving around shared parts of the buildings are escorted by staff.

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Leadership and management Good

 Leaders are successfully improving the school. They have addressed all areas raised for development at the previous inspection. Pupils learn more about different cultures and have more opportunities to use technology. A second building is now used and younger children have more space to play outside.  All staff are acutely aware of the challenges posed by the buildings and school leaders are doing all that they can to pursue alternatives. They take rapid action to use the available space effectively, to cover all aspects of learning and to make sure that all pupils are safe.  Leaders, including governors, have a strong focus on teaching and achievement in religious and secular studies. Effective systems for staff appraisal and performance management are used well to identify and address strengths, train staff and where necessary address and eliminate weaknesses.  Staff are positive and enjoy their work. They develop their understanding and skills through a

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Leadership and management Good

wide range of training within the school as well as with other teachers in the local authority. Over the past two years staff have benefited from local authority courses in child protection, reading, special educational needs and early years.  Teachers with specific responsibilities, including the Early Years Foundation Stage, assessment and special educational needs, are increasingly involved in checking the quality of teaching, including planning, assessments and pupils’ work, although some aspects of this are still at early stages.  Leaders, including governors, use their broadly accurate understanding of the school to drive improvements. However, their checks on provision, including teaching, have not been sufficiently detailed or frequent to identify specific areas for development or to make sure that all improvements are rapid and sustained.  The curriculum is broad, balanced and suitable for pupils of all ages within the school. It is

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Leadership and management Good

enhanced by a good range of extra-curricular activities including clubs and special events. It is interesting and relevant, helping pupils’ achievement, enjoyment and preparation for life in modern democratic Britain. Tolerance of others is well promoted and care is taken to ensure that there is no form of extremism with the school’s activities.  Parents and carers are very happy with the school and all that it provides for their daughters. One said, for example, ‘The school has done an exceptional job in building up a secure, learning- orientated institution, which simultaneously nurtures the girls and builds good character traits and feelings of responsibility in its pupils.  Proprietors have an adequate overview of the school through regular discussions with school leaders.  Governors have received training and know the school, the quality of teaching and achievement of pupils well. They visit the school frequently, observe lessons and have discussions with pupils,

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Leadership and management Good

leaders and staff. They help tackle underperformance and are instrumental in maintaining the positive quality of teaching and safeguarding across the school. They manage finances well and are very involved in work to appraise and reward the positive work of staff.

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Grade Judgement

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Requires improvement Grade 4 Inadequate

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Grade Judgement

Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the Non-association independent school inspection handbook which is published on the Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/140053 .

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School details

Unique reference number 136014 Inspection number 422820 DfE registration number 302/6122 This inspection was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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School details

Type of school Primary School status Independent Age range of pupils 3–10 Gender of pupils Girls Number of pupils on the school roll 156 Number of part time pupils 0 Proprietor Beis Chinuch Ltd Chair Rabbi Craimer Headteacher Rabbi Cohen Date of previous school inspection 23–24 November 2010 Annual fees (day pupils) £3,120 Telephone number 020 8951 0239 Fax number n/a Email address office@beischinuch.org guidance 'Complaining about inspections', 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.

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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

inspects to 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,

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School details

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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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