Sinai Jewish Primary School

MICHAEL SOBELL SINAI SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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MICHAEL SOBELL SINAI SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Michael Sobell Sinai School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Shakespeare Drive Kenton Harrow Middlesex Postcode: HA3 9UD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Jonathan Lamski

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 29 April – 2 May 1996 Michael Sobell Sinai School - 4

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Team members

David James Registered inspector Gail Ellisdon Lay inspector Nina Bee Team inspector Wendy Jory Team inspector

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Team members

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Michael Sobell Sinai School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 10

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11-13

The school provides a very clear educational direction and commitment to high standards: the very good leadership and management by the headteacher and senior management team are effective. The school successfully encourages very good personal development and relationships and promotes very good attitudes and behaviour in classrooms. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school monitors pupils’ progress very well and help pupils, including those with special educational needs to make good progress and achieve high standards.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 13-14

The attitude of a sizeable minority of parents towards communications with the school, particularly about feedback on pupils’ performance. The standards for writing by the end of the infants and for design and technology by the end of the juniors. The consistency of planning and implementation of challenging activities for the most able pupils. The use of computers in the shared areas adjacent to classrooms.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Michael Sobell Sinai School is a very large school. It is a voluntary, modern orthodox, Jewish day school under the auspices of the United Synagogue and is the biggest such primary school in Europe. Over the last four years the roll has risen from 572 to 627 pupils aged three to eleven; of these 121 are in the nursery and reception classes. Of the 627 pupils 54 % are boys. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is average. The school serves the Jewish community from a wide area of north and west London and Hertfordshire; only 14% come from the local borough of Brent. Many pupils travel longer distances to school than is usual for most primary schools. The school day is long: it begins at 8.45 a.m. for all pupils and ends at 4.05 p.m. for the juniors. Pupils come from a diverse range of home backgrounds. More than a third of pupils have special educational needs, which is well above the national average for primary schools, and twelve pupils have Statements of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Special Needs. For five per cent of pupils English is an additional language; this is above the national average. Between them these pupils speak Hebrew, Russian, Farsi, French and Italian. Nearly five per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is below the national average. The school’s mission statement reflects the complementary aims of Judaism and education and it aims to provide its pupils with the essential skills for their future lives in the context of orthodox Jewish beliefs, practices and values with a love of Israel.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning; their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are all very good. Teaching is good and this results in good learning. Pupils make good progress and the standards achieved by them, especially by the end of the juniors, are high. The school is very well led and managed and this makes it a very effective school that has made great improvements since its previous inspection almost four years ago. It now provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Provides a very clear educational direction and commitment to high standards: the very good leadership and management by the headteacher and senior management team are effective. • Successfully encourages very good personal development and relationships and promotes very good attitudes and behaviour in classrooms. • Makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • Monitors pupils’ progress very well and helps pupils, including those with special educational needs, to make good progress and achieve high standards.

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What could be improved

• The attitude of a sizeable minority of parents towards communications with the school, particularly about feedback on pupils’ performance. • The standards for writing by the end of the infants and for design and technology by the end of the juniors. • The consistency of planning and implementation of challenging activities for the most able pupils. • The use of computers in the shared areas adjacent to classrooms. In the context of the judgement that this is a very good school, the above recommendations for improvement, although important, do not constitute significant key issues. However, they will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected between 29 April and 2 May 1996. The school has made very good improvements since its previous inspection. With the exception of the standards of attainment in design and technology, the school has successfully implemented the key issues for action in that report. It has also successfully removed all of the weaknesses, apart from ensuring that higher attaining pupils always fulfil their potential. There has been a considerable improvement in the Michael Sobell Sinai School - 7 standards attained by pupils. Standards are now well above the national average for reading by the end of the infants and well above the national average for English and mathematics by the end of the juniors. The gaps in curriculum provision for history and geography identified in the previous report no longer exist and pupils achievements have improved to be in line with national expectations.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Standards are above the national average for writing and mathematics by the end of the infants and for science by the end of the juniors. Information and communications technology (ICT) has improved greatly: the quality of personnel and resources is now high, the curriculum, except for control technology, is well covered and pupils’ skills are good.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The leadership and management of the school are now very good. The previous report said there was a renewed sense of purpose following the recent appointment of the then new headteacher. This has been given practical expression; there is a commitment to high standards and improvement and the leadership and management by the headteacher, governors and senior management team have resulted in the great improvement. The appraisal, training and professional development of staff are now good. The regular monitoring of teaching and learning has resulted in improvement in their quality and the high standards achieved by pupils by the end of the juniors. The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection when 17% was judged unsatisfactory. The school closely monitors its work and the progress made by different groups of pupils. It uses this information effectively to set targets for further improvement. The school now provides good value for money.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. Similar schools are primary schools nationally with equivalent percentages of pupils entitled to free school meals.

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Key

English A A* A C Well above average Above average A B

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Key

Mathematics A A A* A Average Below average C D Science C A B C Well below average E

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Key

The table shows consistently high results for English that in 1998 were among the highest 5% of primary schools nationally and for the latest year they are in line with the results of similar schools. The results for mathematics are also consistently high and for the latest year are among the top 5% of primary schools nationally; they are also well above those for similar schools. The results for science although showing an improvement over the past four years are not as consistently very good as those for English and mathematics. Given the higher than average proportion of pupils with special educational needs and the relatively short amount of time devoted to the National Curriculum, these results are very good indeed and the school has exceeded its targets. The work pupils were doing during the inspection confirms standards are good.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good attitudes to learning are quickly established in the nursery and by the time they are in Year 6 most pupils are mature and confident learners.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of Behaviour in classrooms is very good. In the playground pupils’ Michael Sobell Sinai School - 8 classrooms behaviour does not match the very high standards in classrooms; nevertheless it is good.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good; and during the inspection some examples of excellence were seen.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good; it is above the national average. Punctuality and prompt starts to lessons are also very good.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils are often keen and enthusiastic in lessons, regularly sustain concentration and work hard. Very good relationships result in good co-operation by pupils in whole-class teaching sessions and effective collaboration by pairs and small groups when they are asked to work in this way. Many pupils are confident speakers and contribute well to class question and answer sessions and participate in discussions.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall, good Good Good Good

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

One hundred per cent of teaching was satisfactory or better during the inspection with 71% good or better. Teaching was judged very good in 21% of lessons and excellent in 3%. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when 17% of teaching was judged to be unsatisfactory. The teaching of English and mathematics is generally good with effective whole-class teaching and promotion of skills in line with the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is normally good and pupils make good progress. In some lessons the teaching of highest attaining pupils is good but in others there is not enough demanding work for them.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

In the excellent and very good teaching seen, the teaching methods are used effectively to promote good learning. Classes are very well managed so that pupils’ behaviour is very good and pupils’ very good relationships with their teachers result in good acquisition of skills and increased understanding. Teachers often recap on previous learning, share with pupils what they are expected to learn, make the tasks clear and give good feedback on progress in lessons that move along at a swift pace. Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning are encouraged and they are keen to contribute their ideas and thinking; this in turn enhances their understanding. In satisfactory lessons there is a range of relative weaknesses. In some, planning is too brief and teachers are more concerned with the completion of work to be done by pupils instead of focusing on what it is they want the pupils to learn and understand. Sometimes the tasks are not explained clearly enough and pupils’ progress is not

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

checked thoroughly. However, the strengths in these lessons outweigh their weaknesses and they are satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good with the exception of design and technology and control technology in ICT. The National Curriculum is well covered despite the short time devoted to it. Cross-curricular work with Jewish studies and the specific weeks such as “weather week” and “poetry week”, together with trips, use of the internet and extra curricular activities, provide good learning opportunities for pupils. Michael Sobell Sinai School - 9 Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good: the school has maintained the high standards noted in the previous inspection report. There is good, successful provision for pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good: most pupils for whom English is an additional language are bilingual, fluent in spoken English and make good progress. Teachers are well aware of the few pupils who are not yet fluent and give them appropriate help.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In the previous inspection these were judged to be strengths of the school and they remain so. Jewish studies make a significant contribution to the provision for pupils’ personal development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school’s arrangements for the care and welfare of its pupils are sound.

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Aspect Comment

Although the school day is much longer than for almost all primary schools, 25% of the available time is devoted to Jewish studies. The time given to the National Curriculum is well below what is normal for primary schools. The school plans cross-curricular work well and integrates Jewish studies into the curriculum effectively. Pupils’ personal development, and in particular their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development benefit greatly from Jewish studies, which also provides good opportunities for English, history geography and music. A short inspection does not look at all subjects in depth but the only areas not covered as well as they should be are design and technology and some aspects of control technology in ICT. Teachers know their pupils well. There are good records and Individual Education Plans for the 36% of pupils who have special educational needs. The progress and attainment of all pupils are closely and effectively monitored.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good: there is strong leadership by the headteacher with very good support from the senior management team and governors. There is commitment to high standards and improvement. There is a clear management structure with good expectations of year leaders and curriculum co-ordinators, who also contribute well in their areas of responsibility. The smooth day-to-day management and administration are an important support for the school’s very good leadership and management.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good: the governors fulfil their responsibilities well. They are well informed and supportive of the school, yet insistent on improvement and high standards, as are evident by the targets they set with the help of the Local Authority.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good monitoring of performance: pupils’ attainments are closely monitored and the performance of different groups of pupils is used very well to set targets and raise achievement. Teaching and learning are monitored well; teachers have targets for improvement and receive training and support. The school is very well aware of its strengths and what it needs to do to maintain them and to improve.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good: resources are well used. Since the previous inspection the size of the nursery has doubled in good quality accommodation and a computer suite has been developed with excellent staff and resources. Michael Sobell Sinai School - 10 The school applies the principles of best value well. The school makes very good use of its own resources and is successful in applying for and making good use of government grants and voluntary contributions. The very good leadership is characterised by an uncompromising insistence on improvement and high standards with clear expectations of staff, yet at the same time good support is provided for them.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• their children like school • the school expects their children to work hard and achieve and they make good progress • the school is well led and managed and has improved since the previous inspection • behaviour is good • teaching is good • children are becoming mature and responsible • communications between home and school, especially the feedback on pupils’ performance • homework, which is inconsistent • the school to work more closely with them • behaviour in the playground at lunchtime

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection agrees with all the positive points. Although there is some inconsistency between classes in the way the homework policy is implemented, inspection evidence shows that there is a clear policy and procedures and that homework makes a positive contribution to the high standards achieved. Behaviour in the playground at lunchtime is good and there is adequate supervision. Inspection evidence does not agree with the view expressed at the parents’ meeting. Inspection finds many systems for communication between home and school and a great deal of information is given to parents. For many parents, particularly those of pupils in the juniors, contacts with the school are normally formal, written and require appointments. However, a substantial minority of parents want greater ease of access to the school, more communication and in particular more information about their children’s progress than the current systems provide.

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standards: the very good leadership and management by the headteacher and senior

1. At both the strategic level and in specific plans, very good use is made of analysis of performance based on assessment data. The progress of pupils is carefully tracked and used to set targets. Very good use is made of the data the school holds from test results, for example, the National Curriculum tests in Years 2 and 6, the voluntary National Curriculum tests and the nationally recognised standardised tests it uses. These are used to review the performance of different groups of pupils and improve performance; examples are information on the attainment and progress of boys, pupils who have special educational needs and pupils born in the summer term, who in most schools do not attain as high as their peers. More than a third of the pupils have special educational needs; the leadership and management of special needs is effective in helping to achieve the school’s high standards.

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standards: the very good leadership and management by the headteacher and senior

2. There is a clear, uncompromising commitment to improvement and the highest possible standards. Governors set targets for the school with the help of the Local Education Authority and also set targets for the headteacher and deputies. They are knowledgeable about the school, very supportive of it, yet insist on high standards. Major expenditure on doubling the size of the nursery in very good accommodation and an excellent computer suite has resulted in very good provision for pupils. Funds are very well gathered and used and these two projects are good examples of strategic planning and best use of resources.

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standards: the very good leadership and management by the headteacher and senior

3. There is a very clear management structure and high expectations of year leaders and subject co-ordinators. This, together with the regular monitoring of teaching and learning with accompanying targets for teachers and a good system of training and support, has resulted in good teaching and high standards being achieved by pupils. These are all very good improvements since the previous inspection and have been achieved with very few staff changes.

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standards: the very good leadership and management by the headteacher and senior

4. The continual review of progress and successful changes have resulted in confidence. The school is outward looking and is involved in several initiatives for its long term benefit. Examples are: Investors in People, Basic Skills Agency, a lead school for School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCIT) and the Registered Teachers Training and Graduate Teacher Training Programme. This confidence helps set the ethos for maintaining high standards and making further improvements.

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standards: the very good leadership and management by the headteacher and senior

5. The school runs smoothly and is well managed and administered. It is especially important for so large a primary school with so many staff and pupils that its administrative and financial routines are efficient.

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standards: the very good leadership and management by the headteacher and senior

6. As the school is continually reviewing its performance, it was able to take this inspection in its stride and because of its very good leadership and management it has made very good progress since its previous inspection and is well placed for future development. The school fully justifies its selection for ‘short inspection’.

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The school successfully encourages very good personal development and

relationships and promotes very good attitudes and behaviour in classrooms.

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The school successfully encourages very good personal development and

7. Pupils normally behave very well in lessons, concentrate, work hard and have very good attitudes to learning. These good habits begin in the nursery where there is very good provision based on a very good understanding of how young children learn. Here, the very good management of children ensures they are involved and very interested in the activities so their concentration develops well. Michael Sobell Sinai School - 12 8. Pupils continue to develop positive attitudes and very good relationships so that by the time they are in Year 6 they are able to work well together in pairs and successfully as a group, for example, when discussing an extract from Sherlock Holmes before writing a report. Pupils are articulate and most are confident and willing to put their own ideas forward and to ask and answer questions in lessons, for example, during mental mathematics and when thinking about probability. They are prepared to explain the strategies they use and comment on how other

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The school successfully encourages very good personal development and

9. Pupils’ very good attitudes and personal development are also shown by prompt starts to lessons; they very quickly settle down to work and help in the running of their classrooms. Many act as monitors; for example, in one class half of the pupils have a responsibility. Pupils who are members of the School Council take their roles seriously and are proud to be a part of it and to be elected by their classmates. It is not surprising that 92% of parents responding to the Ofsted questionnaire said their children like coming to school.

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The school successfully encourages very good personal development and

10. Pupils’ behaviour in the playground is good. It does not match their very good behaviour in classrooms and there is a little noisy and boisterous behaviour. However, pupils were found to be polite, friendly and willing to ask questions and give their opinions. They are proud of their school.

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The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

11. The significant amount of time spent on Jewish Studies and collective worship supports all aspects of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have a very positive sense of belonging to the school and wider community. Knowledge of non Jewish faiths is included in the curriculum, which helps pupils’ understanding of other communities. Pupils’ poetry produced as a result of “Poetry Week” shows examples of an appreciation of beauty and spiritual awareness.

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The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

12. Moral issues are dealt with through the insistence on good behaviour and the promotion of good relationships. Pupils know and understand the rules. In time set aside for discussions with younger pupils and the personal, social and health education sessions for older ones, pupils have time to discuss and debate moral matters. The School Council also gives opportunities for discussion of moral and social issues of direct concern to them. Cross- curricular work promotes moral development; for example, work on the life of Anne Frank combines research using the internet, writing and history and an appreciation of European as well as Jewish history.

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The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

13. Pupils’ social development is enhanced through the many extra-curricular activities, school trips and journeys, most notably to Israel by Year 6. Pupils’ social development is very good; it begins with the establishment of good habits and attitudes in the nursery and is shown by successful co-operation to learn in classrooms.

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The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

14. There is a breadth and depth of study that promotes pupils’ cultural development. Their studies of Judaism are accompanied by an awareness of other religions. There is also good knowledge of artists and their work and of literature. There is a well equipped music room and extra-curricular activities give opportunities, for example, the choir and the orchestra.

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The school monitors pupils’ progress very well and help pupils, including those with

special educational needs, to make good progress and achieve high standards.

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The school monitors pupils’ progress very well and help pupils, including those with

15. Assessments of pupils’ progress are very good and good use is made of it to inform planning, the grouping of pupils, expectations of them and the targets set. Resources are very well targeted to promote pupils’ progress. This includes special educational needs. Pupils’ needs are identified very early and they are given effective help and support and so make good progress. An example of the effective use made of assessment information is that in mathematics, pupils are set from Year 2 and the use of additional staff means that in most year groups there are four sets. The most able pupils in Year 6 also receive specialist mathematics teaching. Specialist science teaching is used in Year 6. The school also uses its Michael Sobell Sinai School - 13 data on pupils’ attainment and progress to check its effectiveness against national trends. It looks carefully at the attainment of boys and girls, pupils with special educational needs and

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The school monitors pupils’ progress very well and help pupils, including those with

pupils who have summer birthdays to ensure they all do as well as they can.

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The school monitors pupils’ progress very well and help pupils, including those with

16. The school sets realistic targets with the LEA on the basis of very good assessment information and has exceeded its current targets. By the end of the juniors for the past four years high standards have been maintained for English and mathematics and science has improved. There is an emphasis on the best possible results in the Year 2 and Year 6 National Curriculum tests with training for staff, mock tests and careful targets for pupils. However, without the overall very good use of assessment and careful use of resources to promote the progress of all pupils, these tactics could not be successful. The school is effective and pupils make good progress; they enter the school at average levels of attainment as shown by the baseline tests and leave well above the national average for English and mathematics and above it for science.

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The attitude of a sizeable minority of parents towards communications with the school,

particularly about feedback on pupils’ performance.

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The attitude of a sizeable minority of parents towards communications with the school,

17. In the Ofsted questionnaire, in a third of replies parents’ views are that the school does not work closely enough with them and that they want more information on how well their children are doing. A quarter said they would not feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or problems. This minority view was in accord with views expressed at the parents’ meeting where parents voiced concerns about ease of communications with the school and in particular they wanted more information about their children’s progress.

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The attitude of a sizeable minority of parents towards communications with the school,

18. Inspection evidence finds that there are many systems in place for communication with parents; there are weekly newsletters, homework diaries, message books, termly parental meetings held over two nights at which targets are set, there are many contacts about special educational needs and specific letters from the school and individual class teachers. There are also good, regular informal contacts between class teachers and parents of younger pupils. For pupils in the juniors, contacts are more formal and there is an appointment system that can be used by all parents as well as a class representative system with direct links to governors. Nevertheless, a sizeable minority of parents feel that these do not provide either the quantity or quality of contacts they would like.

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The attitude of a sizeable minority of parents towards communications with the school,

19. Parents generally support the school. In their other responses they are pleased with the teaching, the way their pupils are expected to work and the progress they make. They are also pleased with the way the school is led and managed and at the parents’ meeting were pleased with the progress made since the previous inspection. The school is atypical; it is very large, taking pupils from a very wide area who have a long school day overall but with a much shorter amount of time for the national Curriculum than most schools. Inspection finds that time is used well and there are prompt starts to lessons. Given the size of the school and its circumstances there has to be formality in contacts with parents. However, the existing good support from the majority of parents can be improved and the school should work with parents to find ways to make improvements without compromising its efficient use of teaching time.

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The standards for writing by the end of the infants and for design and technology by

20. Inspection agrees with the results of the national tests that the standard of writing by the end of the infants is above the national average. However, this is the only where that the school’s results are below those of similar schools. The school is well aware of the need to improve and has begun to implement plans for more opportunities for structured writing and inspection confirms these are beginning to have a positive effect.

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The standards for writing by the end of the infants and for design and technology by

21. Short inspections do not cover all subjects of the National Curriculum in depth. However, inspectors looked at the curriculum and standards in history, geography and design and Michael Sobell Sinai School - 14 technology as the previous inspection report judged that the curriculum was not properly covered in these subjects, that standards were not high enough in history and geography and pupils’ progress in design and technology was not good enough in Years 5 and 6. The school has made good progress in history and geography but the standards for design and technology of older pupils are still not good enough. This is the only area where there has been no improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils have limited experiences of the National Curriculum programme for design and technology and there is little evidence of the progressive teaching and learning of skills with older pupils. There is obviously scope for the

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The standards for writing by the end of the infants and for design and technology by

same improvements as for history and geography.

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The consistency of planning and implementation of challenging activities for the most

22. The most able pupils do not consistently achieve their full potential. There has been improvement since the previous inspection shown by the number of pupils who by the end of the infants attain Level 3 and especially by the number of pupils who attain Level 5 by the end of the juniors. The setting in mathematics from Year 2 and the specialist teaching of the most able mathematicians in Year 6 and the specialist teaching of science are all examples of effective action, yet more can be done.

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The consistency of planning and implementation of challenging activities for the most

23. Teachers know pupils well and many give more demanding work to more able pupils. However, in their planning, all teachers do not consistently plan work that is appropriately demanding for the most able pupils. Inspection evidence shows inconsistency; in some classes work was set appropriate to the needs of all pupils including the most able but in others it was not. In some classes this was carefully planned but in others it was not, though in a few cases such work took place although it was not planned. There is clearly a case for greater consistency of planning and practice.

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The consistency of planning and implementation of challenging activities for the most

The use of the computers in the shared areas adjacent to classrooms.

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The consistency of planning and implementation of challenging activities for the most

24. In addition to an excellent computer suite with very good equipment and staff that are very well used and result in pupils having good skills, there are also computers in shared areas adjacent to classrooms. During inspection these were not always in use, including times when their use would have been appropriate. Computers in classrooms and in shared areas are used and are often used very well. Examples of use for special needs and for work that linked well to classroom activities were seen. The use of computers is planned to link with class activities and this is monitored by the co-ordinator, who also gives help and advice. However, all teachers do not routinely use these computers and there is scope for improvement.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

25. In the context of this very good school there are no issues that could be referred to as key issues. However, in order to improve the school still further the governors should include the following in their action plan for future development:-

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the attitude of a sizeable minority of parents towards communications with the school, particularly about feedback on pupils’ performance, by working with them to find ways of doing this without compromising the very good use of lesson time; (paragraphs 17 – 19) • improve the standard of writing by the end of the infants by continuing to give the greater opportunities for structured writing that are beginning to be successful; and improve the standards in design and technology by the end of the juniors to at least match the improvements already made in history and geography by ensuring the National Curriculum is covered and that skills are taught; (paragraphs 20 – 21) • improve the consistency of planning and implementation of challenging activities for the most able pupils; (paragraphs 22 –23) • improve the use of the computers in the shared areas adjacent to classrooms to more closely match the very good and regular use of those in the computer suite. (paragraph 24)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Michael Sobell Sinai School - 15 Michael Sobell Sinai School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 22

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

3 21 47 29 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 57 570

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 32 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 29 253

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 31

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 35

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 20

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Michael Sobell Sinai School - 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 41 33 74

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 40 34 38 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 31 31 31

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 96 (87) 88 (89) 93 (75) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (86) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 38 39 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 31 31 29

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93(88) 95 (84) 84 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 43 37 80

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 38 40 41 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 35 32 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 91 (97) 90 (82) 93 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 38 38 40 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 34 32 31

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 90 (86) 88 (87) 89 (82) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (64) 69 (58) 75 (69) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Michael Sobell Sinai School - 18

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 2 Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 23.4 Financial year 1998-99

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.4

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 1449450

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 17 Expenditure per pupil 2310

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 185 Balance brought forward from previous year 11185

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 10118

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 43.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 14.25 FTE means full-time equivalent. N.B. The school has many more staff but they are part of the Jewish Studies Department of the school. The figures in the table can give a misleading picture of the adult-child ratio, particularly in the nursery where there is another qualified teacher and more support staff. Similarly, the overall school budget is bigger than shown in the table. The religious aspect of the school was subject to an inspection at the same time as the Ofsted inspection and there is a separate report. Michael Sobell Sinai School - 19

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 41 48 8 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 34 48 12 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 24 47 18 8 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 25 40 24 9 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 35 39 17 8 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 43 49 6 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 30 34 23 9 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 31 52 7 3 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 31 52 7 4 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 35 44 10 4 7

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Other issues raised by parents:

At the parents’ meeting they said behaviour in the playground at lunch time is unsatisfactory and that there is inadequate supervision. They also said the school has improved since its previous inspection.

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