JFS

Inspection of JFS Kenton, The Mall, Harrow, Middlesex HA3 9TE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 4 and 28 April 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

New leaders have worked successfully to ensure that safeguarding is effective. They have increased the school’s caring culture so that pupils are safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond maturely to leaders’ promotion of respectful and positive behaviour. Leaders have raised the importance of mental health and looking after the emotional well-being of the whole school community. Pupils know to whom and where they can turn if they have any worries. Pupils felt confident to report any concerns because staff help them. Staff are vigilant to any incidents of bullying and act swiftly to resolve any bullying issues.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to share their views with leaders about different aspects of life in school. They respond with enthusiasm and commitment to take on responsibilities, including joining curriculum working groups and training to become peer mentors. Older and younger pupils get on well together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ learning, commitment to their studies and engagement with the wider curriculum. Opportunities for pupils to go on overseas trips have recently been restored following the COVID-19 pandemic. Pupils are encouraged to pursue a broad range of activities and interests beyond their academic studies, including cookery, photography and sports clubs.

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better?

Senior leaders have well-established and clear expectations for the content and delivery of the school’s curriculum. They ensure that subject leaders think carefully about the sequence in which pupils learn new knowledge and skills. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to help pupils resolve any misconceptions and to deepen their thinking. They ensure that pupils have regular opportunities to revisit and strengthen prior learning and achieve well.

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better?

Teachers typically use a variety of effective strategies to check how well pupils recall, understand and apply what they have learned. In a few cases, assessment does not focus explicitly enough on what pupils have been taught and does not identify gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders have recently designed a new approach to assessing pupils’ learning that they plan to launch later in the summer term.

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better?

Pupils in all year groups access a broad and ambitious range of curriculum subjects. In the sixth form, leaders review and change annually the courses on offer to match students’ interests and aspirations.

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better?

Staff training, well-organised identification approaches and communication with parents and carers ensure that teachers know how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers provide the support that pupils with SEND need to enable pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders place a high priority on developing pupils’ reading skills. They 4 and 28 April 2022

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organise a range of initiatives to support pupils’ literacy. For example, sixth-form students work with Year 7 pupils in paired reading sessions to develop their fluency. Teachers promote the use of subject-specific and technical vocabulary across all subjects.

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Leaders have introduced recent revisions to the school’s behaviour policy that are understood and respected by all. Expectations of pupils’ conduct around the school are clear and applied routinely by staff. At breaktimes, although busy, social spaces are calm and orderly. Pupils conduct themselves positively in class so that learning proceeds uninterrupted.

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Leaders have given serious consideration to the school’s chosen programmes of personal, social and health education and relationships and sex education. Dedicated sessions for all year groups are delivered by trained staff. These sessions are supplemented with specially organised workshops in response to identified and specific risks to pupils’ well-being or requests and suggestions from pupils, including the school’s LGBTQ+ group. Specialist support is available to pupils, particularly when sensitive themes are covered, such as domestic violence, drugs awareness and harmful sexual behaviour.

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Leaders have responded to pupils’ views by developing the careers programme, increasing training for staff and providing additional resources. Students in the sixth form benefit from extensive careers advice and guidance, including independent advice and information on apprenticeships. Pupils with SEND receive targeted support to help them to identify and fulfil their career aspirations. However, pupils in Years 8 to 11 have more varied experiences of careers education and are not as well informed to make option choices. Careers events, and work-placement opportunities for pupils in Year 10 and Year 12, that were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic are now resuming.

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Leaders, including members of the governing body, have acted swiftly and effectively to address weaknesses identified at the time of the school’s previous inspection. They have commissioned and responded to external reviews of the school’s work, including safeguarding and provision for pupils with SEND. Members of the governing body are knowledgeable about leaders’ work and the school’s priorities for further development. There are clear processes for holding leaders to account to maintain and drive further improvements. Most staff working in the school feel well supported and are generally positive that leaders take workload into account when developing new policies.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed a fully trained and competent safeguarding team.

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Safeguarding

Staff awareness of safeguarding concerns is heightened because of their training and leaders’ high expectations. All staff understand their safeguarding 4 and 28 April 2022

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responsibilities. Leaders have ensured that staff and pupils are alert to any incidents of harmful sexual behaviour and all know the correct procedures to follow should they have any concerns.

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Staff across the school are familiar with and confident in using the school’s reporting systems.

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Leaders communicate promptly and regularly with parents. They work effectively with outside agencies to help pupils to overcome barriers to learning, including when their attendance needs to improve.

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There is a well-organised process in place so that all required pre-employment checks are completed and recorded.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, assessment is not closely linked with the content of the taught curriculum. This means that sometimes gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not identified accurately. Leaders should ensure that their new assessment strategies are implemented across all subjects so that pupils’ progression is checked accurately and any gaps are identified and addressed quickly.  Some pupils in Years 8 to 11 have not felt confident to make decisions about their GCSE and A-level subject choices because they have not received detailed information about different career pathways. Leaders should swiftly implement their revised and extended careers programme to ensure that all pupils receive the guidance they need to support their future ambitions and aspirations and meet the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 4 and 28 April 2022

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 4 and 28 April 2022

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 2,057

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

8 and 9 November 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 JFS has a Jewish ethos.  Since the previous inspection, the senior leadership team has been restructured. A new headteacher took up post in December 2021.  The school currently uses alternative provision at The Pavilion, Northgate, Chessbrook and Academy 21.  The school does not meet the requirement of the Baker Clause.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was in February 2020.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. 4 and 28 April 2022

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In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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 The first day of this inspection was 4 April 2022. The inspection team was not able to complete the inspection on site on 5 April 2022 as intended due to reasons beyond their and the school’s control. Therefore, inspectors returned to the school to complete the inspection on 28 April 2022.  Inspectors held meetings with school leaders, members of the governing body (including the chair), and a representative of the local authority.  The inspection of safeguarding included meeting the leader and deputy leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and other members of the safeguarding team. Inspectors also looked at a range of documents relating to safeguarding, including minutes of meetings of the safeguarding team, the school’s systems for recording and responding to safeguarding concerns, and records of the school’s work with outside agencies and specialists. Inspectors considered leaders’ initiatives to support pupils’ mental health and well-being.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, history, music and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with curriculum leaders, groups of teachers and groups of pupils. Inspectors visited lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered a range of other subjects.  Inspectors considered responses to online surveys completed by staff, pupils and parents.

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Inspection team

Amanda Carter-Fraser, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Maguire Ofsted Inspector 4 and 28 April 2022

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regulates and 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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