Bnos Beis Yaakov Primary School

Inspection of Bnos Beis Yaakov Primary School Kingsbury Synagogue, Kingsbury Green, London NW9 8XR

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Inspection dates: 29 April to 1 May 2025

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ daily arrival at school is joyful as they exchange greetings with their teachers. Their enthusiasm fills the school, and they are considerate of others. They are typically polite and welcoming. They appreciate that staff care for them and help them to learn and have fun. Pupils have an adult to turn to if they ever have any worries. The school provides a learning environment in which pupils feel happy and are safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish taking on responsibilities that benefit the school and the wider community. Year 6 pupils all have a turn at being a prefect. They carry out a variety of roles with commitment. This includes helping younger year groups, leading fundraising initiatives and tending to the school’s pet rabbit. Younger pupils fulfil the role of class monitors with maturity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ confidence grows as they play a part in the school performances. Year 3 pupils acted and sang a religious story, collaborating harmoniously and listening respectfully to the soloists. Year 6 pupils further develop their oracy skills as they prepare and deliver their graduation speeches. Pupils achieve well. The school strongly supports their social and emotional development. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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better?

Pupils study a broad range of subjects. The school’s curriculum sets out clearly the key content for each subject and the sequence in which it is taught. Teachers are familiar with and follow the expected structure to the curriculum, enabling pupils to reinforce and build on their learning over time. Staff feel very well supported by school leaders, who are approachable and considerate of their well-being.

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better?

Teachers routinely assess pupils’ learning and identify promptly those who need extra support, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff use a range of strategies, tailored to each pupils’ needs, to help them overcome any barriers to their learning and achieve well.

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better?

The school’s programme for the teaching of early reading is well established. Children in the Reception class rapidly develop their use of phonics to decode and spell words. Pupils become fluent and confident readers. Teachers liaise closely with staff to ensure that individual pupils receive help with and catch up on the specific sounds and reading skills they find difficult. Staff communicate closely about the achievements of each child in all subjects to ensure that any gaps in pupils’ learning are closed effectively, including in detailed ‘handovers’ from one year group to the next.

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better?

Supported by the school’s programme of professional development and guidance, staff subject knowledge is generally strong. Pupils develop their understanding and use of subject-specific vocabulary and articulate their learning clearly. Occasionally, 29 April to 1 May 2025 where teachers’ subject knowledge is less secure, pupils’ errors or misconceptions are not addressed as swiftly, which affects how well pupils apply their learning to more complex ideas.

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better?

Pupils are attentive to their teachers, responsive to expectations to be diligent and focused and to support each other’s learning. The establishment of strong routines from the Nursery year onwards, and reflections on their actions on others, promotes mutually respectful behaviours from the earliest opportunity.

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better?

The early years curriculum is designed skilfully to combine Jewish Studies with the secular curriculum. For example, linking religious stories and celebrations with developing numeracy skills, counting the number of days leading up to a festival. The early years indoor areas are well resourced, with children able to access a wide range of activities to support their independent and adult-led learning. However, the outdoor area does not reflect the same quality of provision. Children develop their physical and social skills, including managing risk and taking turns. However, resources to develop knowledge and skills across the seven areas of learning, such as reading, writing and artistic skills, are limited.

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better?

The school has a well-organised programme for the teaching of personal, social and health education (PSHE). Much of the content is integral to Jewish Studies, covering themes such as respectful relationships, different faiths and cultures and being responsible citizens. Pupils have a wealth of opportunities to put this learning into practice in special events, educational trips and projects. For example, a themed fortnight focusing on how to look after yourself, with key topics, including healthy eating, keeping safe and respect for the environment. Pupils’ personal development is promoted strongly through the day-to-day life of the school. Staff are positive role models for the respectful behaviours and caring attitudes they expect of pupils. Celebrations of community and national events enrich pupils’ experiences of traditions and festivals across multicultural and multi-faith societies.

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better?

The proprietor and the governing body are familiar with the work of the school and have prioritised areas for improvement since the previous inspection. They ensure that suitable policies are in place and implemented, including those relating to the Welfare, Health and Safety of pupils, so that the independent school standards are met. The school works purposefully with outside professional agencies, for example, in ensuring the right support is in place for pupils with SEND, and to strengthen the PSHE programme. The school maintains strong and productive communications with parents, who are generally very positive about the school.

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better?

The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29 April to 1 May 2025

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 On occasion, where the subject knowledge of staff is variable, pupils do not learn as well as they could when key misunderstandings are not identified and addressed quickly. The school should ensure that staff are secure in their knowledge of the subjects they teach, so that they can identify and address any inaccuracies in pupils’ learning.  The outdoor environment in the early years is not as well resourced as the indoor early years classrooms. Children have limited opportunities to develop knowledge and skills across all seven areas of learning. The school should ensure the swift completion of their planned improvements to the early years outdoor learning environment.

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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. 29 April to 1 May 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 136231 DfE registration number 304/6114

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School details

Inspection number 10391756 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Proprietor Bnos Beis Yaakov Primary School Ltd

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School details

Email address admin@bnosbeisyaakov.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 to 3 November 2022 29 April to 1 May 2025

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Information about this school

 Bnos Beis Yaakov Primary School is an independent day school for girls. It is based at one site in the London Borough of Brent: Kingsbury Synagogue, Kingsbury Green, London, NW9 8XR. The site is shared with Kingsbury Synagogue. The school has an Orthodox Jewish ethos.  The school’s previous inspection was a standard inspection in November 2022 when the school’s overall effectiveness was judged to be good.  Since the previous inspection, there have been some changes to the senior leadership of the school.  Building work in process at the time of the previous inspection has largely been completed, adding two classrooms, a hall, staff room and offices. Further works are ongoing to make improvements to some toilets and to the early years outdoor area.  The school does not make any use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection 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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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with school leaders, including the headteacher, the chair of the governing body representing the proprietor and another governor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography, mathematics and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke with leaders about some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 29 April to 1 May 2025 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  An inspector completed tours of the school premises accompanied by the

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Information about this inspection

headteacher to consider the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.  Inspectors considered the views of parents and staff in responses to the online surveys, including Ofsted Parent View. There were no responses to the pupil survey. Inspectors took account of pupils’ views in meetings with pupils.

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Inspection team

Amanda Fraser, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nick Flesher Ofsted Inspector 29 April to 1 May 2025 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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