Strong showing in Sats tests

THE INDEPENDENT Jewish Day School is the best-performing Jewish primary school in England, according to figures released by the Department for Education.

Rated according to the percentage of pupils who reached the expected standard for their age group in reading, writing and maths, the Orthodox primary in Hendon was top of the Jewish table with 97 per cent.

Akiva in Finchley, the country’s only designated Progressive school, and the Charedi Pardes House, also in Finchley, were second with 87 per cent of pupils reaching the standard.

King David Primary in Manchester was third, with 86 per cent.

An Akiva spokesperson cited pupils’ “love of learning, an excellent staff team and the strong support of their families”.

Joel Sager, headteacher of Pardes House, praised “the hard work of the teachers and senior staff” at the school.

The results were based on Sats tests taken by Year Six pupils in spring this year. Jewish schools collectively achieved better results than any other faith group, with 73 per cent of their pupils reaching the expected standard.

Overall, 23 of the 31 Jewish schools in England outperformed the national average of 61 per cent.

Nationally, the average percentage of pupils achieving the higher level — above the expected standard — was nine per cent. Twenty-five Jewish schools did better than this average.

The Ruth Lunzer Lubavitch Junior Girls School in Hackney had the largest percentage of Jewish pupils attaining the higher standard with 31 per cent.

A notable performance came from children at Broughton Jewish Cassel-Fox in Manchester who made above-average progress in reading and maths and well above average progress in writing. Principal Rabbi Yehuda Pearlman said the school was delighted with the result.