Kerem School

The inspection report for Kerem School, conducted by the Independent Schools Inspectorate from March 26 to 28, 2024, provides a comprehensive overview of the school's performance in meeting the Independent School Standards. Located in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, Kerem School is an independent, co-educational Orthodox Jewish day school that has been operational since 1948. The school aims to deliver excellent academic outcomes while fostering a genuine love for Judaism, Torah, and Mitzvot. It seeks to integrate Jewish and British values into every aspect of school life, ensuring that pupils develop a strong connection to Israel and its people.

The inspection findings indicate that school leaders fulfill their statutory responsibilities and possess the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure compliance with all relevant standards. The governing body plays an active role in the school's oversight, conducting termly scrutiny to maintain robust governance and address any emerging concerns. This includes supporting and challenging senior leaders to effectively manage the school and mitigate contextual risks, such as site security.

Leaders have responded positively to recommendations from previous inspections, particularly in improving how pupils receive and respond to teacher feedback. They have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement, recognizing that both teaching and learning, as well as behavior management during lessons, could be enhanced. To address these issues, leaders have introduced a new behavior policy and appraisal system, although these measures are still in the process of being fully embedded.

Communication with pupils and parents is prioritized, with leaders actively seeking feedback and providing regular updates through clear policies and reports. The school promotes equality and diversity, ensuring that all members of the school community feel supported. Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum that includes a variety of subjects, extracurricular activities, and trips. Individual tracking systems are in place to monitor progress, and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities receive the necessary support to thrive alongside their peers.

The school places a strong emphasis on pupils' physical, mental, and emotional health, offering a well-planned curriculum complemented by additional provisions such as a dedicated wellbeing room and wellbeing leaders. The secure site effectively manages risks, ensuring that pupils feel safe and supported. Leaders also prioritize religious and cultural observance, fostering a sense of identity and spirituality among pupils while promoting respect for diverse faiths and cultures.

The early years setting is designed to be immersive and engaging, promoting all areas of learning with generous adult-to-child ratios that support individual needs. Safeguarding is a high priority, with a trained leadership team and staff following appropriate procedures to protect pupils and respond effectively to any concerns.

The inspection confirmed that the school meets all relevant standards across various domains, including leadership and management, the quality of education, pupils' physical and mental health, social and economic education, and safeguarding. The report recommends that leaders strengthen behavior management strategies during lessons to ensure consistent effectiveness and enhance teaching quality to keep pupils engaged in their learning.

In terms of leadership and management, governors ensure that leaders possess the necessary knowledge and skills to fulfill their responsibilities. The board scrutinizes termly reports from the headteacher and senior leaders, actively participating in staff appraisals and monitoring health and safety procedures. This involvement allows the governing body to influence and support the extent to which regulatory standards are met.

The school has made significant improvements in marking and feedback since the previous inspection, with a revised marking policy that encourages pupils to engage with and act upon their targets. However, leaders acknowledge the need for consistent high-quality teaching and effective behavior management across the school. Middle leaders are beginning to support senior leaders through work scrutiny and lesson observations, while new behavior procedures based on restorative practices are still in development.

The school's improvement plan addresses various aspects of pupils' wellbeing, utilizing data and feedback to inform next steps. For instance, changes to the Year 5 curriculum have led to improved standardized test results, and the introduction of a wellbeing room provides additional support for pupils' mental health.

Kerem School complies with the Equality Act 2010, making reasonable adjustments for pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. The school's Israel statement celebrates its cultural and religious heritage while promoting tolerance and understanding of all faiths. Leaders are aware of contextual risks and have responded to the elevated national risk of extremist behavior towards the Jewish community by enhancing site security and providing additional mental health support for affected pupils.

The quality of education at Kerem School is characterized by a broad and balanced curriculum. Recent academic focus has led to steady improvements in standardized scoring, indicating that pupils are making good progress in literacy and numeracy. Leaders have introduced innovative learning opportunities, such as studying the eye through 3D headsets and painting with robotic spheres. Tracking systems measure pupils' progress, and effective support is provided for those with special educational needs.

In the early years, communication and language skills are promoted effectively, with children consistently exceeding age-related expectations. The curriculum encourages engagement with numbers and literacy through various activities, fostering a love of learning. However, the quality of teaching and learning is inconsistent across the school, with some lessons lacking effective resource use and failing to consider the diverse aptitudes of pupils, leading to disengagement in certain cases.

Extra-curricular activities are well-attended and highly regarded, with leaders ensuring that as many pupils as possible have opportunities to participate in sports fixtures. Pupils have also successfully requested the introduction of new clubs, such as backgammon, to develop their skills in areas of interest.

Pupils' emotional wellbeing is prioritized through carefully developed programs of physical, personal, and health education. The newly created wellbeing room provides a space for reflection, while pastoral leaders and external experts collaborate to identify pupils needing additional support. The school promotes physical health through an age-appropriate relationships and sex education curriculum, keeping parents informed of its content.

Supervision levels are appropriate for pupils' ages and needs, with effective staff deployment ensuring that support is readily available. The introduction of new behavior management systems has led to a reduction in incidents of poor behavior outside the classroom, although challenges remain in managing behavior during lessons.

The school premises are secure and well-maintained, with appropriate arrangements for caring for pupils who are hurt or unwell. Staff receive regular first aid training, and admission and attendance registers are meticulously maintained.

In summary, Kerem School demonstrates a commitment to providing a nurturing and engaging educational environment that supports the academic, social, and emotional development of its pupils. The school meets all relevant standards and is well-positioned to continue its growth and improvement in the future.