Family & Education
Wolfson Hillel still outstanding, says Ofsted
It is harder to keep top inspection grade these days - but the Enfield primary has managed it
September 22, 2022 09:54
It is harder to keep top inspection grade these days - but the Enfield primary has managed it
September 22, 2022 09:54Wolfson Hillel Primary in Enfield has retained its outstanding Ofsted status following its latest inspection in summer.
Pupils “love coming to this warm and friendly school,” reported lead inspector Helen Morrison.
From nursery to year 6, they are “safe, settled, confident and happy” and exhibit “exemplary” behaviour, Ofsted said.
“It’s a fabulous school, with a strong sense of community,” one parent told inspectors.
Its retention of the top grade is all the more significant since Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman predicted that fewer outstanding schools would remain so under a new inspection framework.
Enjoying an “exceptional education,” pupils “achieve highly, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities”.
The school’s leadership has ensured that teachers “have strong subject knowledge. For example, in mathematics, teachers know what pupils might struggle with and address this quickly. In art, teachers break down techniques, so pupils build skills step by step.”
Teachers use every opportunity to widen children’s vocabulary.
Praising the early years provision, Ofsted said, “In reception children can identify and explain trigraphs. Any pupils who do begin to fall behind are supported to catch up.”
Wolfson Hillel pupils were “keen to talk about the money the Tzedakah Squad raised for charity. Others described the intensive training they received to become peer mentors.
“Applying for roles on the school council, or indeed to be head girl and boy, enables pupils to understand democracy and practise applying for positions of responsibility.”
Since the school was rated outstanding in 2017, it has become part of the Jewish Community Academy Trust set up by the United Synagogue.
Headteacher Alex Kingston told parents that she was thrilled to share "this wonderful news".
Since Ofsted's framework had changed in 2019, she explained, "the goal posts haven’t just moved, they have changed altogether.
"Ninety-one per cent of primary schools that were outstanding under the old framework were downgraded in 2020. Seventy-six were downgraded last year.
"Only one school of all schools (primary, secondary and special schools) in Enfield has been awarded outstanding since the new framework."
Before Wolfson Hillel, no other Jewish school had kept its outstanding grade during that time, she added.
Ofsted visits outstanding schools around every four years to check whether the grade is still justified.