Hasmonean High School for Boys

Inspection of Hasmonean High School for Boys Holders Hill Road, Hendon, London NW4 1NA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Miriam Langdon. The school is part of the Hasmonean Multi-Academy Trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Andrew McClusky, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gary Swabel.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Hasmonean High School for Boys as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school. 7 and 8 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They feel part of the wider Hasmonean community. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to do well. This results in strong examination outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school celebrates its Jewish character, while also promoting high levels of respect and tolerance for the faiths and beliefs of others. This helps to create a sense of community at the school, in which pupils get along well with each other. New pupils in Year 7 receive a warm welcome. Older pupils support younger ones, which helps them to settle in quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide a varied offer of clubs and activities. These include table tennis, computer coding and music clubs. They also provide a wide range of visits, for example to Poland, Belgium and Scotland.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, pupils behave well around the school. In lessons, most pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. In a small proportion of lessons, there are minor disruptions. This affects pupils’ learning. Pupils are safe and well cared for. They know that if they have a concern, there are adults with whom they can talk. On the rare occasion bullying may occur, it is swifty dealt with.

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better?

The school has established a curriculum that enables pupils to achieve well in most subjects. Leaders have thought carefully about what pupils need to know, do and remember. The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, pupils study two languages until the end of Year 8, including modern Hebrew.

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better?

Leaders make sure that they identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. This helps teachers to make adaptations to their teaching so that these pupils can learn the curriculum. Pupils who need extra support in reading receive targeted help so that they can catch up. There are many opportunities for reading whole texts and extracts in lessons. Staff promote reading for pleasure across the school.

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better?

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. The school thinks carefully about how to train teachers to deliver the curriculum effectively. Usually, teachers identify and address pupils’ misconceptions quickly. For example, in history, teachers address pupils’ misunderstanding of when key events happened. Teachers support pupils to deepen their subject understanding. For example, in geography, they help pupils to improve their responses to an examination question on globalisation, by using vocabulary learned in previous topics. In art, teachers encourage pupils to reflect on what they have learned before about shading and drawing. Pupils then apply this knowledge to working with new types of materials. However, the school does not consistently ensure that staff put their training into practice. Sometimes, teachers do not check on pupils’ learning to identify what pupils know and remember. This 7 and 8 November 2023

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results in some pupils moving on too quickly to new learning before they have secured their understanding.

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Pupils are taught a well-sequenced and informative personal, social and health education programme. They gain a strong understanding of healthy relationships, consent and how to keep safe online. This results in pupils being ready for life and work in modern Britain and other areas of the world. Some younger pupils do not feel they have received enough guidance on careers. They would appreciate more information about the different qualifications on offer, including apprenticeships.

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Students in the sixth form enjoy a rich experience in the formal curriculum and beyond. For example, students reflect on important issues and take part in formal discussions with their peers and teachers. Careers provision in the sixth form is strong. This results in the majority of students being successful in their applications to Russell Group universities.

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The school continues to prioritise pupils’ attendance. There is robust follow-up of any persistent absence. Leaders work well with parents and carers and external agencies to improve attendance. Most staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. However, the school’s high expectations are not consistently applied and learning is occasionally disrupted by poor behaviour. Leaders have identified this as a priority.

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Governors and trustees have a sound understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They understand their statutory duties and, with leaders, seek the views of parents, pupils and staff regularly. Leaders have put in place a range of well-being initiatives for staff. Most staff feel happy and valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s high expectations for pupils’ behaviour are not consistently applied. As a result, there is sometimes disruption that prevents pupils from learning as well as they should. The school should refine its training for staff to ensure that staff have the skills they need to manage behaviour and develop pupils’ positive attitudes.  Occasionally, the school does not check whether pupils have understood what they are learning with enough precision. When this happens, staff move on to new learning too quickly when pupils’ knowledge and understanding is not secure. The school should ensure that in all subjects, staff consistently check pupils’ understanding and then adapt their teaching accordingly. 7 and 8 November 2023

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 7 and 8 November 2023

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened as an academy in 2019 after de-amalgamation from the girls’ school. When the predecessor school, Hasmonean High School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  The school has an Orthodox Jewish religious character. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in November 2017.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical qualifications and apprenticeships. 7 and 8 November 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with leaders and staff in the school, including those responsible for the quality of education, behaviour, attendance, personal development and safeguarding.  Inspectors met with representatives from the trust and the local governing board. These included the chief executive officer, the chair of the trust and the chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: art, mathematics, modern foreign languages, geography, music and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and inclusive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors visited the Year 7 school site, which is in a different location to the main school site.

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Inspection team

Susan Maguire, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alex Hayes Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 November 2023

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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