Edgware primary rated ‘good’ by Ofsted as teachers praised for raising standards

Teachers at a Jewish primary in Edgware basked in a glowing Ofsted report this week, less than a year after warning about “extensive pressure on the school”.

Staff at Menorah Foundation School got the thumbs-up in a letter from the inspector after last month’s visit, in which the school retained its ‘Good’ rating. Middle leaders were praised for beginning to make “a significant impact on raising standards”.

In November last year, the school proposed cutting the number of children it admits after acknowledging that an earlier decision to expand to two-form entry – due to commence this September – had been over-ambitious, with neither the playground nor the assembly hall were big enough to accommodate all pupils.

“The true impact of 470 children was not fully addressed,” they said in a consultation letter. “This has put extensive pressure on the school with regards to a number of knock-on elements including outside space, hall facilities and indoor space, class size and other local schools.”

This week parents digested the latest Ofsted verdict, which praised the “calm and purposeful atmosphere” and the “polite and respectful” pupils who were “keen to learn and think creatively”.

Headteacher Karen Kent and chair of governors David Bloom said: “Ofsted inspections give us the opportunity to reflect, assess and plan for the future. With this wholly positive report, we intend to continue to grow.”