It received the second highest grade – strong standard - for the other two areas: attendance and behaviour, and inclusion.
Under the new report card system, exceptional is awarded for practices that are “among the very best nationally”.
Headteacher Dr David Moody said, “To be placed within the top one per cent of schools is an achievement of which our whole community can be immensely proud.
“This recognition belongs to our exceptional staff, whose skill, care and commitment are evident every day, and to our students, who approach their education with ambition, maturity and determination. We are also deeply grateful to our parents, governors, alumni and the wider community for their constant support.”
But he added: “We always know that there is more work to be done. There will be no complacency at JFS, and we will continue to listen, learn and improve. Nevertheless, this report provides an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate everything our community has achieved together.”
JFS head Dr David Moody (Photo: WIZO UK/Impacting Your Future)[Missing Credit]
Saul Taylor, president of the United Synagogue, which is the school’s denominational authority, said it was “an incredible day for JFS, our community’s largest educational institution.
“To go from ‘special measures’ to ‘exceptional’ in just five years, and to be recognised as one of the top 10 secondary schools in the country so far inspected under Ofsted’s new framework, is nothing short of extraordinary.”
He paid tribute to “the outstanding leadership of Dr David Moody and Mark Hurst, and to every member of the dedicated JFS team who has worked so hard to make this possible.”
JFS, the team of five inspectors reported, was a “highly inclusive and aspirational school” where pupils felt “safe, known and valued”, enjoying positive relationships with staff and each other.
“A clear sense of belonging is evident. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, talk with pride about being part of a warm, respectful community where it is ‘ok to be different’ and where staff notice quickly if someone is struggling.”
Bullying was rare but pupils trusted that staff would resolve it quickly when it occurred, Ofsted said.
Pupils achieved “extremely well” with high academic outcomes, produced work of “sustained and exceptional quality” in lessons and made “remarkable progress” from when they joined the school.
Disadvantaged pupils “make better progress and attain significantly above national averages,” Ofsted said. “These pupils have a truly transformational experience at this school.”
Pupils were “extremely well prepared to take their ambitious next steps in education, training or employment.”
Leaders were praised for a “highly ambitious” curriculum, which stretched and challenged all pupils. They were driven by “a moral imperative to ensure that every pupil benefits from an education that is of the highest possible quality” and were “unrelenting’ in their ambition.
An “astonishing” personal development programme helped pupils grow into “highly confident, respectful and resilient young people”. They “show a well-developed sense of fairness and equality”.
Additional funding was used “extremely well” to overcome pupils’ barriers to success.
Five years ago the school received a shock downgrade from Ofsted over safeguarding issues.
But the latest report has highlighted “a real emphasis on personal development, including healthy relationships, equality and staying safe”.
