SCHOOL BACK IN FAVOUR WITH OFSTED

ROSH PINAH Primary in Edgware has restored its reputation as a good school less than 18 months after inspectors branded it inadequate.

In a new report this week, Ofsted praised the resilience and hard work of its governors in facilitating “rapid improvements”.

Andrew Rotenberg, chair of the stateaided 443-pupil primary, was “delighted but not surprised” by the findings. “We’ve been pushing for a new inspec- tion for months and I took the unusual step of formally requesting one.”

He added that the report “confirms Rosh Pinah’s position as the premier Jewish primary school in the community, known for its strong leadership and governance, good teaching, excellent integrated secular and modern Orthodox Jewish curriculum, top academic results and a high level of pastoral care”.

In March 2014, governors turned to outside education agency Lilac Sky, which brought in headteacher Angela Gartland. Mrs Gartland said inspectors had “recognised the rapid progress the school has made in outcomes for pupils and felt the school has established a culture of high ambition”. Over the past year, Rosh Pin ah had been“transformed into a vibrant and creative place”.

Children made good progress in the early years and nearly all became proficient in phonics — the sounds made by letters — by the end of their second year.

Teachers provided “consistently helpful and comprehensible guidance” to pupils, while disadvantaged children often made better than expected progress as a result of additional funding.

Ofsted noted that the “rigour and regularity with which leaders check on the quality of teaching have enabled improvements to be sustained when changes in staffing have made this particularly challenging”.

Mr Rotenberg was also pleased that the school’s recent SATs results were “much better” than the local Barnet and national averages.

He added that the report was a “big boost” to his application to open a Jewish secondary free school, Kedem High, in north-west London in 2018.

Ofsted’s comments on strong leadership would make “compelling reading” to those who would decide on the application, he said.

We have established a culture of high ambition’