Menorah Grammar School

Inspection of Menorah Grammar School Abbots Road, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 0QS

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to this school. They appreciate the positive relationships that they have built with staff. Adults know the pupils well, which ensures that pupils are kept safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. However, pupils sometimes do not retain knowledge or develop a depth of understanding of the curriculum. At times, the adaptations made to the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not as effective as they should be. This limits how well some pupils with SEND achieve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very positively during lessons and at breaktimes. They are friendly, polite, and considerate of others. The school has recently reviewed the behaviour system, which has had a positive impact on pupils’ attitudes to learning and conduct around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has designed a personal development programme that supports pupils to be tolerant of and respect people with different beliefs and values. However, the school does not ensure that pupils have a depth of understanding of all aspects of life in modern Britain. Pupils develop their understanding of the wider world through a broad range of trips and experiences, including hiking trips and visits to concerts.

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better?

The school has recently redesigned the curriculum in all subjects. Pupils study a broad curriculum, although in some areas, it does not meet the ambition of the national curriculum. The school has identified the key knowledge it wants pupils to learn and when. The curriculum is designed to build pupils’ knowledge progressively over time.

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better?

Pupils begin their GCSE courses in Year 9 and A-level courses in Year 11. The school has increased the number of lessons pupils have in each subject over the week. This allows staff more time to deliver important curriculum content. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and generally present information clearly. However, staff do not routinely check pupils’ understanding and address misconceptions. As a result, pupils do not retain important subject knowledge. Learning activities do not consistently ensure that pupils practise and master what they are learning in sufficient depth. This means that pupils sometimes struggle to apply their knowledge.

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better?

The school identifies the individual needs of pupils with SEND effectively. In the ‘DNC’ specially resourced provision, pupils and sixth-form students study an ambitious curriculum that is personalised to meet pupils’ individual interests and needs. Staff in this provision are highly skilled in providing targeted and specialised teaching. As a result, pupils in the ‘DNC’ achieve very well from their starting points. The school is starting to provide support to develop the skills and expertise of 25 to 27 March 2025 teachers in the mainstream school to make adaptations to ensure pupils with SEND can access the curriculum successfully. However, this work is at an early stage, and support for these pupils in lessons is currently limited.

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better?

Staff identify pupils who need help with reading when they join the school. The school puts effective support in place for the weakest readers in the ‘DNC,’ where they follow an appropriate phonics-based programme. This improves their reading confidence. However, for other readers, there is currently a lack of structure to support them to increase their reading fluency and vocabulary acquisition. Although the school is beginning to put support in place for these pupils, this is not fully embedded.

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better?

Pupils largely have positive attitudes towards their education. They are enthusiastic to learn and enjoy contributing to lessons. The school has effective measures in place to ensure attendance is high and staff work closely with parents and carers to support pupils to attend regularly.

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better?

The personal development programme is delivered across both the secular and Kodesh curriculums. Pupils are not taught a depth of understanding about some of the protected characteristics. This means that pupils do not have a secure understanding about some aspects of British society. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and healthy. The school helps to develop pupils’ character. For example, students in the sixth form take leadership roles in the school and volunteer for charities in the local community.

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better?

The school provides pupils with purposeful careers advice and guidance. Pupils take part in a range of activities, including a careers fair and talks from external speakers about a range of careers. Students in the sixth form take part in careers interviews and visit potential post-A-level educational institutions.

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better?

Leaders and the proprietorial body have made some improvements since the last inspection to meet some of the previously unmet independent school standards (the standards). This demonstrates their capacity to improve. However, they have not ensured that the school meets all these standards. The school has not developed a robust professional development programme for staff. As a result, some staff do not develop the skills and expertise to deliver the curriculum to a consistently high standard. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equalities Act 2010 by ensuring that the school is accessible to all, including those with disabilities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 to 27 March 2025

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Sometimes, teaching does not systematically identify and address pupils’ misunderstandings well. This means that sometimes pupils are not ready to learn new content and concepts or retain knowledge long term. The school should develop the expertise of all teachers so that they address any gaps in pupils’ understanding and ensure activities in lessons promote a deep retention of knowledge.  Teaching is not routinely adapted for pupils with SEND in mainstream lessons. This means that, at times, these pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school should develop the skills and expertise of staff to ensure they understand pupils’ particular needs and adapt learning accordingly.  Pupils are not taught an appropriate depth of knowledge about all of the protected characteristics, including sexual orientation. As a result, pupils are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain. The school must ensure that pupils

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

develop age-appropriate awareness of all of the protected characteristics, including sexual orientation.  Staff sometimes lack the pedagogical knowledge to be able to deliver the curriculum effectively for all learners. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school should develop the skills and expertise of staff and ensure that their professional development improves the quality of 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. 25 to 27 March 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 101387 DfE registration number 302/6089

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School details

Inspection number 10341985 Type of school Other Independent School

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form

Chair Daniel Goldberg and Jonathon Perl (co- chairs) Headteacher Yoel Rabinowitz

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form

Website www.menorahgrammar.barnet.sch.uk

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form

Dates of previous inspection 8–10 November 2022 25 to 27 March 2025

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Information about this school

 The school is located at Abbots Road, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 0QS.  Menorah Grammar School is a secondary day school for boys of Orthodox Jewish faith.  The school’s curriculum includes Kodesh (Jewish studies), which pupils study in the morning. Pupils study the secular curriculum in the afternoon.  Pupils are considered to be in the sixth form from Year 11, when they begin A- level study. They leave the school at the end of Year 12. Most move from this school to study at a Yeshiva.  The school also caters for 45 pupils with education, health, and care plans. This provision is funded by the local authority. These pupils are educated separately from the main school but on the same site.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has had two progress monitoring inspections since the last standard inspection. These took place in July 2024 and December 2023.

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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

 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team and a range of staff. They also met with the co-chairs of the proprietorial body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, and geography. 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.  Inspectors also sampled lessons in 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

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Information about this inspection

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils and staff in discussions and through responses to Ofsted’s online surveys. 25 to 27 March 2025  Inspectors took account of responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Simon Conway, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton His Majesty’s Inspector 25 to 27 March 2025

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if- – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and – 2(2) For the purposes of paragraph 2(1)(a), the matters are- – 2(2)(d) personal, social, health and economic education which- – 2(2)(d)(ii) encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act; – 2(2)(i) effective preparation of pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of life in British society. – 2A(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor- – 2A(1)(b) ensures that every registered pupil who is provided with secondary education at the school is provided with relationships and sex education, except in so far as the pupil is excused as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2),

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2A(1)(d) in making arrangements for the purposes of paragraphs (a), (b) or (c), has regard to any guidance under section 80A of the Education Act 2002 that applies in relation to the provision of education by maintained schools,

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of pupils

 5 The standard about the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor- – 5(b) ensures that principles are actively promoted which- – 5(b)(vi) encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 25 to 27 March 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

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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