JFS

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Behaviour and safety require improvement. A minority of students do not demonstrate consistently positive attitudes towards learning across all subjects and teachers.  The school’s behaviour policy is not applied in the same way by all staff. Sanctions are not given in a fair and consistent manner and are being used too frequently by some teachers. The number of students excluded from school for both serious and minor transgressions is rising.  Not all students have good attendance. The attendance of older students and students eligible for the pupil premium funding is below average.  Leaders and governors are not monitoring how students behave closely enough. School information systems for monitoring attendance, incidents of poor behaviour, exclusions and detentions are not effective.  Governors are unable to challenge what they have been told about behaviour and safety. This is because leaders do not provide enough

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

information to allow comparisons or identify concerns. Governors are therefore unable to judge if leaders’ evaluations are accurate.  Governors are not reviewing school policies regularly or ensuring that they are implemented in a consistent manner. Inequalities exist which have not been tackled quickly enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 Most students achieve well and make good progress. Governors, leaders and teachers are highly ambitious for students’ academic achievement and set challenging targets for students to meet.  Most teaching over time is good. Some teaching is outstanding. Teachers plan activities that students enjoy and support them to make good progress in nearly all subjects.  The sixth form is good. Students enjoy their studies, feel well supported and achieve results which are well above average. Nearly all continue their studies at university.  The headteacher, leaders and governors have an aspirational vision for the school which is shared with parents and students.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out in response to complaints made to Ofsted which raised serious concerns. The complaints were deemed to be qualifying complaints and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector decided that an unannounced inspection of the school should take place to follow up the whole-school issues that were raised. Inspectors sought to establish whether leaders and the governing body: − are effective in monitoring and evaluating policy and practice for behaviour management and safeguarding within the school − ensure that all students are supported to achieve and are free from any form of discrimination − provide students with a broad and balanced curriculum that prepares them for life in modern democratic Britain and a global society, and prevents extremist behaviour.  Inspectors observed 34 part lessons taught by 34 teachers. Four observations were conducted jointly with members of the school’s leadership team. A series of shorter visits to multiple lessons

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Information about this inspection

were also made to check the quality of work in students’ books, evaluate the use of teaching assistants and check students’ attitudes towards their learning.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body and two representatives from the local authority, including the local authority designated officer for safeguarding (LADO). Inspectors also met with four groups of students and spoke to students informally throughout the inspection.  Inspectors took account of 257 parental views expressed through the Parent View survey. They also considered the school’s own parental survey and letters from parents sent directly to Ofsted. Two calls to the inspection service provider made during the inspection were considered.  Inspectors reviewed the 123 staff questionnaires returned during the inspection.  The inspection team observed the school’s work, scrutinised information about students’

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Information about this inspection

achievement, checked work in students’ books, examined any records relating to behaviour and attendance, and looked at documents used by leaders to monitor and evaluate the school’s work.

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Inspection team

Lesley Cox, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Michael Pennington Her Majesty’s Inspector Chris Campbell Her Majesty’s Inspector Debbie Clinton Her Majesty’s Inspector Rosemarie McCarthy Additional Inspector Veronica Young Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 JFS is a Jewish secondary school which has provided education to the Jewish community in London since 1732. It is larger than most other schools, with an above-average sized sixth form. Most students come from outside the local authority to attend JFS.  The school does not report on the ethnicity of its students. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is low compared to other schools.  The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs supported through school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational need is below average.  The proportion of students who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding provided for students eligible for free school meals, looked after children and children from service families, is low compared to other schools.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for students’ attainment and progress by the end of Key Stage 4.  A very small number of students attend off-site alternative education provision held at Stanmore FE College and Capel Manor Horticultural College.  Students are entered early for GCSE examinations in science and Ivrit.  The school have external validations for Investor Careers, NACE Challenge Award, Healthy Schools and Investors in People.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the behaviour of students so that it is at least good by: − ensuring students demonstrate consistently good attitudes towards learning across all subjects and teachers − reviewing the school’s behaviour policy and ensuring that all staff apply the policy in the same way − ensuring sanctions are applied in a consistent manner and students understand what is expected of them so that detentions and exclusions are seldom necessary − ensuring attendance rates rise to, and remain, above average for all groups of students.  Improve leadership and management so that it is at least good by: − ensuring governors review policies regularly and check they are implemented in a fair and consistent manner across the school so that inequality is avoided − tracking how sanctions are used so that further support for students who are sanctioned more frequently than others can be provided − monitoring the attendance of different groups of students and sharing this information with

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

governors so that they can check that targeted interventions have been successful − making sure that governors check that leaders’ evaluations of the school’s effectiveness are robust and accurate.  An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of students is good. It is not outstanding because the small number of lower ability students, disabled students or those who have special educational needs, and students who are eligible for the additional pupil premium funding, do not achieve as well as other students at the school.  Most students enter the school in Year 7 with levels of attainment which are well above the national average. The majority make at least good progress throughout their time at the school and their attainment by the end of Year 11 remains high compared to their peers nationally. However, the number of students who achieved five GCSE passes at A* to C grades, including in English and mathematics, has fallen over the past three years. The school has taken effective action to address this and can demonstrate that the decline is likely to be reversed in 2014.  The proportion of students on track to make expected or better than expected progress is high

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The achievement of pupils is good

compared to other schools. This is because the school sets aspirational targets for all students to aim for. Individual progress within year groups is monitored and any underachievement against targets is tackled through the use of academic mentoring programmes.  Literacy and numeracy skills are developed well in most lessons and students therefore make good progress in reading, writing and understanding mathematical concepts. Standards of communication are particularly high and students express themselves confidently.  Attainment on entry to the sixth form is above average. Standards and success rates are high, especially for A-level courses, and are consistently above the national average in nearly all subjects. The few students enrolled on vocational courses, such as CACHE child care awards, make good progress and achieve results that are above average.  More able students make good, and sometimes outstanding, progress in most subjects. Year 11

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The achievement of pupils is good

and sixth form students achieve significantly better than similar students attending other schools in English and mathematics.  The small number of students who arrive with lower attainment on entry make less progress than their more able peers and achieve less well than similar students in other schools. The school knows this is an urgent priority and is now targeting individual support more carefully so that any inequalities are addressed.  The very small number of students with disabilities or special educational needs make better progress than their peers nationally in English and mathematics. However, their progress in other subjects is more variable.  The small number of students who follow full or part-time courses in off-site provision make good progress towards formal accreditation because their placements are carefully planned and monitored.  All students are entered early for GCSE science examinations in Year 10 to allow them more time

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The achievement of pupils is good

to study other subjects in Year 11. In 2013 they achieved results that were significantly above average in this subject. Some students are entered early for GCSE Ivrit examinations so that they may continue to study this subject as an additional AS and A level.  Students known to be eligible for the additional pupil premium funding achieve above their peers nationally. However, the in-school gap widened for Year 11 students in 2013. They achieved approximately one grade below other students in both English and mathematics GCSE examinations. Early indications show that gaps will reduce this year as a result of additional support for these students.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching throughout the school, including in the sixth form, is typically good. Teachers are knowledgeable about their subjects. Most promote positive relationships, ask challenging questions that make students think and engage their interest. As a result, students make good progress over time and achieve highly in most subjects.  Some teaching is outstanding because teachers provide high quality feedback that helps students know how well they are doing. They set aspirational targets, model how to make improvements and plan challenging activities to allow more able students to make accelerated rates of progress.  The overall quality of teaching is not outstanding because not all teachers take account of different starting points when they plan their lessons. Students who are less able, those entitled to the additional pupil premium funding and disabled students or those who have special educational needs make slower progress than other students. This is because activities are not

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The quality of teaching is good

always pitched at the correct level for them. Not all teachers plan lessons to ensure there is equality of opportunity for these students.  When teachers do not plan activities carefully enough, some students become distracted and make less progress than they could. Some students fail to develop positive attitudes towards learning because they feel unfairly treated by teachers who use formal sanctions too quickly.  Teachers look for opportunities to develop students’ understanding of spiritual, moral, social and cultural values. High quality displays of work and a wide range of extra-curricular activities, events and visits help students understand their own faith and respect the views of others. For example, older students are provided with opportunities to discuss values that may be different from their own, such as same sex relationships. Inspectors found no evidence to support the concerns raised in a letter to Ofsted claiming students were being indoctrinated by the extreme

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of students requires improvement because a small number have poor attitudes towards their learning. This is reflected in the rising number of temporary and permanent exclusions, which are higher than for the same period last year.  The behaviour policy is not applied in a consistent manner throughout the school. Staff can refer students to ‘Room 17’ to complete a detention for lots of different reasons. The use of this room is not made clear in the policy. As a result, the number of students sanctioned in this way is increasing. Some groups of students are referred more frequently than others. For example, in Year 8 a disproportionate number of referrals to ‘Room 17’ are made for students who are eligible for the pupil premium funding.  Attendance rates are broadly average compared to other schools. However, some groups of students, such as those entitled to the additional pupil premium funding, attend less well than

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

others. Older students in Years 11, 12 and 13 also have attendance rates that are below average.  The behaviour and safety of the few students attending alternative provision are monitored and supported well.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure requires improvement. The majority of students say they feel well informed about the risks of all types of bullying and appreciate the support of adults who ensure their safety when travelling to and from school. However, older students are better informed about homosexual and transgender bullying than students in Key Stage 3. Some younger students are intimidated by the behaviour of a small number of older students. Most students say that bullying is dealt with effectively and recognise that pastoral staff and tutors offer them individual support. Inspectors could find no evidence to uphold more serious safeguarding allegations.  The large majority of staff and parents consider that the behaviour of students is good and well

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

managed. However, some parents consider that the school’s behaviour policy is implemented inconsistently. Inspectors share their concerns and agree with them.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because leaders and governors are not monitoring behaviour systems closely to check that any inequalities are addressed. They have not ensured that sanctions are applied in an equitable manner in line with the school’s behaviour policy. Leaders are not monitoring minority groups to ensure they are not discriminated against.  Leaders and governors have an inaccurate opinion of some aspects of the school’s work. They are unable to recognise trends or check what actions are making a difference because information systems are inefficient and sometimes inaccurate. For example, they are not monitoring the frequency of bullying incidents or analysing what types of bullying are occurring. The monitoring of attendance and exclusions is not carried out in a systematic manner.  Senior and middle leaders share high aspirations leading to the good academic attainment of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

most students who attend the school. The gradual decline in GCSE examination results over the last three years is being addressed and results are likely to improve this year.  The funding received through the pupil premium is now closely targeted at supporting the needs of the small number of eligible students. Early performance indicators, including validated early entry GCSE examination results, indicate that performance gaps will close this year for Year 11 students.  Systems for monitoring teaching and staff performance have been strengthened. Only teachers who achieve good outcomes for their students, progress through the pay scales. Any underperformance is challenged and leads to further professional development. All leaders, including those who manage subjects, have an accurate understanding of how to judge teaching and learning over time. Some teachers and subject leaders are supporting teachers at another

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The leadership and management requires improvement

school and sharing their good practice.  The leadership of the sixth form is good. Students achieve consistently high standards as a result of good teaching and effective guidance.  The curriculum is appropriately balanced. Students develop their knowledge, skills and interests in a wide range of subjects, sometimes to a very high level. The Jewish Studies curriculum requires students to consider other values, opinions and faiths as well as their own. However, sex and relationship education within Key Stage 3 is less informative than programmes of study for older students. Students are prepared well for their future careers and wider roles and responsibilities within modern Britain.  The local authority provides light touch support to the school. An education welfare officer is helping to improve attendance for individual students. Child protection officers received appropriate training for their roles.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.  The high number of parents and staff who responded to the inspection surveys showed that most are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of the school’s work. However, a small minority of parents have expressed concerns and feel that their views are not always listened to by leaders.  The governance of the school: − Governors are monitoring the quality of teaching and ensuring students achieve well. They have high aspirations, ensure leaders hold teachers to account and only reward good performance. Governors understand achievement data. They have correctly identified the small groups of students who are not achieving as well as others at the school. They have ensured that additional funding is used to support eligible students and check that it is making a difference. Governors are less informed about how behaviour is managed and have accepted the views of school leaders too readily. For example, they have not checked that

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The leadership and management requires improvement

attendance rates really have improved, or know by how much. They are not ensuring that all policies, including the behaviour policy, are regularly reviewed and updated. Neither have they checked that policies are applied in a consistent manner to ensure individuals and groups are not discriminated against.

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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 133724 Local authority Brent Inspection number 446062

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School details

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.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 2,047 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 556 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Michael Glass Headteacher Jonathan Miller Date of previous school inspection 5 May 2009 Telephone number 020 8206 3100 Fax number 020 8206 3101 Email address admin@jfs.brent.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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