Pardes House Grammar School

Pardes House Grammar School Hendon Lane, Finchley, London N3 1SA

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and proprietors have ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Leaders’ self-evaluation is accurate and effective; hence the school is improving. The governing body and senior leadership team have a good understanding of the school’s performance and a clear vision to develop provision further.  The outcomes for pupils are good. They make good progress and achieve a wide range of appropriate GCSE qualifications.  The quality of teaching and learning is good in both Kodesh (Jewish studies) and Chol (secular) subjects. Pupils respond well to staff’s high expectations.  Members of the governing body use their strengths well to support the school and hold leaders to account for pupils’ achievement.  Pupils’ attendance is slightly above the national average for secondary schools. Pupils are very polite and courteous and behave well in school.  The curriculum provides stimulating experiences

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and learning opportunities. Pupils have a good understanding of tolerance and equality, which lie at the heart of British values.  Parents and carers are very supportive and the overwhelming majority agree that the school provides a good quality of education.  Although assessment of pupils’ learning is generally strong, there is inconsistency in the implementation of the school’s wider assessment policy.  A new tracking system to measure pupils’ progress is not yet fully embedded.  The most able pupils are not challenged consistently well in the Chol subjects.  Pupils do not get enough opportunities to write at greater length in some Chol subjects.  The presentation of work in pupils’ books is not consistently of a high standard.  Currently, there is insufficient provision of science in the curriculum for some pupils.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and pupils’ outcomes by ensuring that: – all teachers consistently implement the school’s assessment policy – the most able pupils are challenged consistently by making better use of assessment information so that they make the progress of which they are capable – pupils are provided with more opportunities to write at greater length across the Chol curriculum – all teachers maintain a sharper focus on improving pupils’ presentation of work in their books.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by: – embedding the new tracking system to provide leaders and governors with a deeper understanding of pupils’ progress and areas of weakness – improving the provision of science in the curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have high expectations for the performance of the school and all pupils. They ensure that all the independent school standards are met.  Staff are encouraging and supportive. The very positive culture in the school helps pupils to grow in confidence and experience success. As a result, pupils make good progress and achieve well in the Kodesh curriculum and most Chol subjects.  The headteacher and his deputy work effectively together to bring about sustained improvement across the school. For example, school improvement planning is based on accurate checks on current practice. Leaders build on the strengths and are tackling weaker aspects of provision effectively.  Procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning are effective. Leaders provide clear next steps for improvement for both Kodesh and Chol staff. Progress against these targets is checked and a mentoring programme is in place for teachers requiring

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

additional support. Inspectors saw evidence of the early signs of the positive impact of this programme, for example in business studies and economics.  Pupils experience a broad range of subjects and activities which promote their literacy, mathematical, creative, social and physical skills. Topics are planned carefully to motivate and enthuse pupils, and enable them to take qualifications in a wide range of GCSEs and a few AS subjects. Pupils are successfully equipped with the qualifications and skills they need to access further education or gain admission to a Talmudical College, which is the destination of the majority.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very effectively. Pupils are reflective and have a strong moral code. They enjoy the study of ethics to explore the law and justice. They understand and experience the importance of democracy, for example in their regular visits to the Houses of Parliament. They have a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

strong sense of family history and of community. British values are promoted effectively through the Kodesh and Chol curriculum. The attitudes and skills taught prepare pupils well for making a positive contribution to society in modern Britain.  The school has a particularly positive relationship with parents, who are regularly consulted about matters in school. The response of parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, was overwhelmingly positive. Many parents chose to add comments. The views of most were summed up by one parent who wrote that the school provides ‘an excellent education and is full of happy pupils and staff who work very hard’. Leaders and staff are currently adopting a new progress tracking system which will enable them to measure the progress pupils make more accurately and closely than previously. However, this has yet to be embedded.  Pupils make their choices for studying GCSE subjects by the end of Year 7, and many

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

choose sciences in the form of physics and chemistry. Currently, some pupils do not have access to science in their curriculum even though they are studying a good range of other subjects. Leaders and governors are currently reviewing this arrangement to ensure that all pupils learn science for a longer period in their school career.

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Governance

 Governance is effective. The governing body has been instrumental in developing the school’s vision and ensuring, over time, that it is well embedded across the school community.  For some time, large parts of the school have been worn down and do not provide a stimulating learning environment. The governing body has put in place a detailed three- year refurbishment plan which has already started to have a positive impact. For example, the science laboratory has been completely refurbished and several classrooms have been fully redecorated.  Governors bring a wide range of expertise to the service of the school, from financial and business management to education and property development. Leaders are well supported and held to account in equal measure.  Governors know about the strengths and weaknesses in the quality of education provided. However, they do not have information about pupils’ achievement at the depth

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Governance

required to offer sharper challenge to school leaders, particularly in relation to the Chol subjects.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school’s safeguarding and child protection policies are up to date. They reflect the current guidance issued by the Secretary of State. All relevant checks to ensure that adults are suitable to work with children are in place.  Staff know pupils very well. The school’s culture supports a consistent approach to keeping pupils safe. For example, all relevant risk assessments are undertaken and safety precautions followed in practical subjects such as design technology and food preparation and nutrition. Regular update training for all staff in safeguarding and child protection enables everyone to work together well to provide effective guidance and support to pupils.  There are two designated safeguarding officers who know what to do should they need to make a referral to the local authority’s designated officer.  The curriculum provides many opportunities for pupils to learn about keeping themselves

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Safeguarding

safe, which pupils articulate well.  Parents are confident that the school keeps their children safe. As one parent commented, ‘My son is very happy in the school, making excellent progress in his studies in a very safe and caring environment.’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Most teaching in the school results in pupils learning effectively. For example, teachers use questioning well to extend learning and make pupils think. As a result, pupils’ interest and thirst for learning is sustained in most lessons.  Pupils and teachers have good relationships in both the Kodesh and Chol subjects. Many pupils ask good questions because teachers create an environment that enables them to do so. In physics and business studies, for example, pupils improved their understanding of the states of matter and gross profit margin when teachers responded well to the intelligent questions asked.  In most lessons, teachers use their expertise and enthusiasm for their subjects to engage pupils in their learning. A wide range of subjects are taught, almost all by subject specialists, including design technology, business studies, economics, Biblical Hebrew, and food preparation and nutrition. Teachers provide clear explanations and usually check

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

that pupils have understood before moving on.  In some lessons, teachers explain the main concepts well by modelling and providing examples from everyday life. For instance, in design technology, modelling how to use the key tools safely and efficiently enabled pupils to make improvements to their bedside table and computer desk.  Assessment is used effectively to establish pupils’ starting points and identify gaps in learning. Teachers track pupils’ progress with regular tests which provide useful information about pupils’ levels of understanding. However, assessment is not used as effectively as it could be to match teaching precisely to the learning needs of the most able pupils, particularly in the Chol subjects. In practice, this means that the most able pupils are not challenged enough to take their thinking and learning to a deeper level.  Many teachers are implementing the school’s assessment policy by providing guidance to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

pupils on how to improve their work. However, this is not consistent. As a consequence, some pupils have patchy knowledge about the precise areas they need to work on to make rapid progress in all their subjects.  Pupils have good opportunities to practise their writing skills for sustained periods in English and a few other subjects such as geography and history. In geography for example, pupils were provided with a clear structure to support them in producing more writing of a higher quality. This good practice is not embedded across all the Chol subjects. As a result, the quality and depth of pupils’ writing vary across the curriculum.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils develop into thoughtful and confident members of this harmonious school community. Their confidence and self-esteem grow as they move through the school because of the care and support teachers provide.  Pupils value their excellent relationships with staff. Daily lessons in ethics focus on peaceful coexistence and what it means to be a productive citizen in the modern world. As a result, pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain and ready for their next stages of education.  Work to develop pupils’ understanding of British values and to foster their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development takes place across all aspects of the school’s curriculum. Pupils speak convincingly about how they value differences in others and in their views. This includes protected groups as identified in the Equality Act 2010. As one pupil said,

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Personal development and welfare

‘Everyone has the right to be different and to live life according to what they believe. The important thing is to accept this and work together.’  Pupils report that bullying is very rare. This is because everyone gets along well together in this small, friendly school. In addition, teachers and pupils do not tolerate bullying because it is against their values of respect and humility.  Pupils are dedicated to their studies and work well together in lessons, in both academic and practical subjects. Sometimes, however, the standard of presentation of work in their books is not good enough. This was the case, for example, in some of the mathematics books seen. Tables and diagrams were not drawn neatly and the steps involved in the calculations were not always clear.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are very polite and friendly and are strong ambassadors for the school. Their attitudes to learning are very positive and they show enthusiasm for learning in lessons. Pupils are keen to do their best and are proud of their identity.  Overall attendance has improved and is now slightly above the national average for secondary schools. Leaders have maintained a strong push on punctuality in the mornings which is now good. Transition times between lessons are very smooth because pupils are keen to return to their learning as soon as possible.  The school’s records show very few exclusions since the previous inspection. Pastoral staff work well with these pupils, providing the counselling and support necessary to reintegrate them into the life of the school.  There are occasional lapses in concentration when teaching does not inspire pupils in both Kodesh and Chol lessons. On these occasions, there is simply lack of engagement

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Behaviour

rather than any overt disruption.  Parents’ comments in Parent View demonstrate that they are consistently positive about pupils’ behaviour. Members of staff unanimously agree that behaviour is well managed.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 In 2017, the majority of pupils achieved a good range of GCSEs including English and mathematics by the end of Year 10. Pupils’ overall attainment was higher than it was in 2016 and represented good achievement for the majority of pupils.  Overall, current pupils make good progress in their learning across the curriculum. Leaders set clear targets for pupils, which they base on their key stage 2 outcomes and cognitive tests. Scrutiny of pupils’ work demonstrates that current pupils are gaining appropriate knowledge, progressing towards their targets and preparing well for GCSE examinations.  Pupils enjoy their learning in the Kodesh subjects and, as they improve their basic skills in reading and writing Aramaic, they make increasingly strong progress. Pupils’ learning in sufrus (calligraphy), catering, physical education and citizenship reflects both their growing enthusiasm for learning and their positive achievement.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils are encouraged to read both for pleasure and to extend their knowledge. In English, some pupils’ work demonstrates a wide-ranging knowledge of different genres and authors. They analyse texts, compare different authors and evaluate the key messages from the books they have read.  Currently, however, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to write at length in order to practise, consolidate and apply this skill in different contexts.  Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities make steady progress. Teachers formally assess these pupils each term and are quick to identify those who are struggling, for example in mathematics. Teachers then provide extra support for these pupils. This support is effective and accelerates pupils’ learning.  The school has identified underperformance in some subjects, such as mathematics, business studies and economics. Appropriate action has been taken to address these

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Outcomes for pupils Good

shortcomings so that current pupils are catching up.  The school’s work to ensure that pupils move on successfully to their chosen destinations after school is strong. All pupils who left school in the past few years have moved on successfully to their chosen destinations.  The most able pupils are challenged consistently well in the Kodesh subjects and make rapid progress as a result. However, stretch and challenge for these pupils is inconsistent in the Chol subjects. Consequently, the most able pupils sometimes make steady rather than rapid progress, achieving reasonable outcomes but not always the top grades.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, 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

Email address office@pardesgrammar.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12−14 November 2014

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Information about this school

 Pardes House Grammar School is an independent day school situated in Finchley, north- west London. It provides secondary education, both religious and secular, for Jewish Orthodox boys aged 11 to 16.  The school is registered to admit 220 pupils. At the time of the inspection, there were 155 pupils on roll.  The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average. There are no disadvantaged pupils in the school in receipt of additional government funding.  The school was founded in 1972 and is located in a Grade 1 listed building, which presents a number of challenges in terms of maintenance and repair.  The school aims to promote strong ‘academic achievements in both secular and religious studies’ and to put ‘great emphasis on the social, moral and spiritual well-being of the students, whilst affording them the skills to interact with the wider community and show respect for, and value the outlook of others.’

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Information about this school

 Both Jewish religious studies (Kodesh) and secular subjects (Chol) are taught in English. There is a headteacher and deputy headteacher for both Jewish studies and secular studies. The school is open six days a week from Sunday to Friday.  The vast majority of pupils continue their education in Yeshivot (Talmudical Colleges) in the UK.  The school’s previous inspection took place on 12–14 November 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out over two and a half days with one day’s notice.  Inspectors observed teaching and learning with school leaders, and met with leaders, the chair of the governing body, staff and a few other governors. Inspectors met with pupils both formally and informally.  Inspectors reviewed the work in a wide range of pupils’ workbooks.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  Inspectors evaluated a wide range of documentation, including leaders’ evaluations of the school and compliance with the independent school standards. They evaluated admissions and attendance registers, policies, minutes from governing body meetings, monitoring information, child protection policies and safeguarding information. Inspectors also looked closely at progress information provided by the school and all other documents as required as part of the independent school standards.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took into account the 42 responses to Parent and 13 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff.

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Inspection team

Nasim Butt, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Moore Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

Parent View 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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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