North Cheshire Jewish Primary School

Inspection of North Cheshire Jewish Primary School St Ann’s Road North, Heald Green, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 4RZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 17 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act on 6 and 7 March 2019. 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. 15 and 16 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy belonging to this school. They said that they feel happy, safe and well cared for. Pupils understand and follow the school’s values of ‘aspire, believe and achieve’. They support each other to ensure that the ‘school is built on kindness’. Pupils enjoy performing for older residents in the community and they are proud of the money that they raise for people in need in the local area.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils generally behave well. Most are polite, well mannered and thoughtful to each other and towards staff. Pupils learn about relationships, consent and what makes a good friend. They are tolerant of differences between themselves and others. Pupils celebrate the uniqueness of everyone in the school’s community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils know that staff expect them to work hard and to succeed. They take pride in their learning. This is reflected in the high-quality work that pupils produce. They are keen to talk about what they have learned. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in most subjects.

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better?

The school has carefully constructed a curriculum that makes it clear what knowledge pupils should know and remember from the moment that they start school. Pupils develop a rich body of knowledge across a broad range of subjects. They are appreciative of the high-quality activities that teachers prepare for them. For instance, pupils enjoy trips to places of historical interest and to local museums.

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better?

The school checks that staff deliver the curriculum well. It makes sure that teachers introduce new learning at the most appropriate time and that this is built upon between units of work. Teachers do this skilfully. The school provides teachers with resources and highly effective training to support the delivery of the curriculum well. This has a positive impact in reducing teachers’ workload, as well as enhancing pupils’ learning. Staff check what pupils know and remember from the curriculum. Pupils talked about what they already know and their new learning with confidence.

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better?

The school’s approach to developing staff’s expertise extends to the identification and additional needs of pupils with SEND. Staff successfully work in partnership with outside agencies to make sure that these pupils get the help that they need. This results in pupils with SEND receiving well-tailored support and appropriate adaptations to curriculum delivery, so that they learn well alongside their peers.

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better?

The school recognises the importance of teaching pupils to read. It ensures that staff deliver the phonics programme with fidelity. Staff make sure that the books that pupils read from are carefully matched to the sounds that they already know. Pupils who require additional support are given prompt help by highly trained staff. This ensures that these pupils catch up quickly and become fluent readers. 15 and 16 May 2024

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Pupils develop a love of reading and are articulate about the books and authors that they enjoy. They read often and enjoy the array of books on offer. Published data for 2023 shows that the attainment and progress for Year 6 pupils in reading are in line with the national average. However, across key stage 2, there is an inconsistent approach to the delivery of the reading curriculum. This results in some pupils receiving a disjointed sequence of learning, which hinders their confidence in reading.

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The school has recently revised its approach to supporting pupils’ positive behaviour. Incidents are dealt with through purposeful and respectful conversations. This enables pupils to reflect on the choices that they make. Nonetheless, during lessons and around school, pupils sometimes experience low-level disruption. Some pupils are unclear of the expectations that staff have for them. Pupils said that they would appreciate being supported and reminded more often.

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Pupils said that trusted adults are there to help them if they have any worries or concerns. They enjoy school and attend regularly. The school offers support to pupils and their families to help to remove barriers to attendance swiftly. This results in high attendance across school.

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The school supports pupils’ wider development well. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They have a thorough understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils are clear on the democratic process and how this was followed in school to determine pupils’ roles. Pupils enjoy holding positions of responsibility, such as being well-being ambassadors, school councillors and class monitors. Pupils’ interests and talents are fostered through clubs in gardening, sewing and paddle tennis.

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Governors offer support and challenge in all aspects of the school. They fulfil the statutory duties well and have a particular focus on the quality of education that the school provides for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not agreed how the reading curriculum across key stage 2 should be delivered. This results in some pupils receiving a disjointed approach, which slows their progress in becoming confident readers. The school should support staff in delivering a consistent approach to reading in key stage 2, so that pupils learn all that they should.  The school does not ensure that staff resolve low-level disruption following a consistent approach. This means that some pupils are sometimes unclear of 15 and 16 May 2024

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staff’s expectations and do not behave as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff have a consistent approach to support pupils’ positive behaviour.

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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). 15 and 16 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Jewish school. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in April 2024. The next section 48 inspection should take place within the next five years.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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.  This was the first routine inspection that the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any ongoing impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 15 and 16 May 2024

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 The lead inspector spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff. She met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum in some other subjects with leaders and with pupils. Inspectors reviewed samples of pupils’ work in these curriculum areas.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including records of governing body meetings, leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school and observed their behaviour at playtime. They considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s survey for staff.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Sue Dymond, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Elizabeth Hulse Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 May 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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