Simon Marks Jewish Primary School

Inspection of Simon Marks Jewish Primary School 75 Cazenove Road, Stoke Newington, Hackney, London N16 6PD

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 28 and 29 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Simon Marks. They appreciate and contribute to the respectful environment that leaders have created. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent. Pupils feel safe and are kept safe at school. They know that there are teachers they can turn to for help if needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is ambitious. Pupils try hard and produce work of good quality in different subjects. They are typically well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to play an active part in school life. For example, peer mediators help resolve any problems that may arise at playtime and pupils have raised money for new playground equipment. The curriculum helps pupils to understand concepts such as democracy. They apply this when voting for school parliament, including hosting an election day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy making a positive contribution to their community. For example, they are looking forward to the baking competition where they will be making Hamantaschen biscuits to celebrate Purim and to raise money for charity.

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better?

The curriculum is ambitious. It meets the requirements of what is expected nationally as well as providing a programme of Jewish studies and Hebrew lessons. In most subjects, leaders have thought carefully about what pupils are going to learn. They have organised the curriculum so that all pupils, including those with SEND, practise and embed their learning over time. For example, in mathematics, children in early years develop an understanding of numbers up to 10. Older pupils build on this learning when starting to multiply and divide numbers. This knowledge helps pupils to calculate larger numbers in different ways, such as being able to identify the missing angles in different shapes.

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better?

In some subjects, assessment is used well to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. However, in other areas of the curriculum this is less consistent. This is because, in these areas, the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn over time has not been as clearly defined. This means teachers do not routinely focus on developing and checking the most important concepts. Consequently, pupils do not secure as deep a knowledge in these areas of the curriculum.

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better?

Pupils with SEND are swiftly and accurately identified. Important information is shared with teachers so that they ensure pupils’ additional needs are well supported. Pupils in the specialist provision have an adapted curriculum to meet their specific needs. For example, the sounds needed for early reading are introduced as part of 28 and 29 February 2024

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the important focus on language and communication for these pupils. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well from their different starting points.

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Reading is given high priority. Pupils enjoy visiting the library, to read and be read to. Children start to learn phonics in the Reception Year. Pupils practise reading books that are matched to the sounds that they know. This helps them to develop their accuracy and fluency. Pupils’ reading is checked carefully. Teachers identify any pupils who may be falling behind and provide support, including specific interventions, to help pupils catch up with their peers.

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Pupils’ broader personal development is well considered. For example, mental health is supported through activities such as laughter therapy. All pupils take part in assemblies and prayer morning when the community joins together. Inclusion of others is promoted. Pupils learn the weekly Makaton sign, which is modelled by the school’s speech and language therapist.

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Behaviour in classrooms and around the school is exceptional. This is because expectations are high, and routines are well established and consistently applied. There is a prominent focus on attendance. Effective systems are in place to ensure pupils come to school each day and are on time.

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Leaders, including those responsible for governance, understand and fulfil their statutory requirements. However, oversight of aspects of the school’s work lack precision. As a result, actions to address and follow up issues, including with external agencies, are not always timely or robust. Staff are very positive about their experiences working in the school and appreciate the consideration given to their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn has not been as clearly identified. This means that teachers do not consistently focus on developing or checking pupils have understood these aspects of the curriculum. As a result, some pupils’ understanding in these areas is less secure. The school should ensure that the most important knowledge is clearly identified, and that pupils’ understanding is checked consistently over time so that any misconceptions can be addressed swiftly.  Oversight of some aspects of the school’s work is less precise. As a result, actions to address and follow up issues, including with external agencies, are not always timely or robust. The school should ensure that systems are in place to help 28 and 29 February 2024

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leaders and those responsible for governance have the information they need to support and challenge the work of the school and its external partners.

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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 special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 28 and 29 February 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 January 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes no use of alternative provision.  The school has a Jewish religious character. It is a voluntary aided school.  The school had a section 48 inspection through Pikuach in December 2023.  The school has a specialist unit which provides support for pupils with autism.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school provision.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 28 and 29 February 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority, and met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The curriculum in other subjects was also considered.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ self-evaluation and priorities for improvement.  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 positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Sophie Healey-Welch, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Allan McLean Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 February 2024

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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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