Beit Shvidler Primary in Edgware can enjoy the winter holidays on the back of a strong Ofsted report praising it as a “happy place” where pupils care for and look after each other.

The Orthodox school was rated as good five years ago but state schools are no longer given an overall grade at inspection.

But its latest report was clear about the quality of teaching and pupil attitudes.
“The school’s high national assessment results reflect the strong learning and teaching pupils receive,” Ofsted said.

In Sats this year, 86 per cent of pupils reached the expected national standard for reading, writing and maths — one of the highest proportions achieved by a Jewish school.

“Teaching makes important subject knowledge clear and checks that

pupils know and remember it well,” Ofsted said. “If pupils struggle, staff adjust their teaching to help pupils to learn key information effectively.”

But sometimes, the school did “not pinpoint specific gaps in pupils’ knowledge,” inspectors said.

Pupils were encouraged to “consider people’s feelings and to help others”.

Year-6 prefects Year “enthusiastically help other pupils to make friends in the playground and support children in the early years with their learning”.

Children “regularly volunteer to help improve the school environment. For example, some pupils organised themselves into a team of library monitors”.

On behaviour, Ofsted said, “Low-level disruption interrupts learning rarely because pupils remain focused in lessons. Pupils are enthusiastic about school.”

At Beit Shvidler, they were encouraged to “do their best”.