Lubavitch Senior Girls’ School rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

Praised: Lubavitch Senior Girls’ School

A Stamford Hill school has been rated ‘good’ three years after Ofsted told teachers it required improvement.

Lubavitch Senior Girls’ School, which teaches girls aged 11 to 18, was awarded the ‘good’ rating in all four inspection categories, including quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils.

Ofsted’s report gave a glowing account of the school’s headteacher, Helen Freeman.

The inspectors who visited the school in May 2016 said: “The headteacher has worked with determination and vision to tackle the areas of weakness identified at the last inspection.

“She knows the school and its community very well and has been able to drive forward change at a considerable pace.”

Girls achieved well at GCSE and were doing particularly well in maths and modern foreign languages, inspectors found.

The report praised the work of the governors and said senior leaders had “grasped the nettle of change” by transforming the school since the last inspection.

The secondary school had previously been rated as ‘requires improvement’ in 2013.

Inspectors had found achievement in English was poor and that sixth form students did not have the opportunity to pursue a wide range of studies.

Following the inspection Mrs Freeman said: “I would like to pay tribute to the Hackney Learning Trust as well as the governors, staff and pupils of the school who have helped us attain this good rating.

“Our school is a credit to our community and I am proud that we will continue to give our pupils a fantastic education to prepare them for whatever path they choose for their futures.”

The school principal, Rabbi Shmuel Lew, provided “leadership and a sense of openness about the importance of asking questions”.

Rabbi Lew said: “We are proud of our superb pupils and our incredible team, who bring out their best. We intend to continue to improve [so as to be] recognised as an outstanding school.”