Menorah Foundation School

High KS2 outcomes and a strongly defined Orthodox Jewish identity shape daily life at Menorah Foundation School, a mixed primary serving ages 3 to 11 in the London Borough of Barnet. The latest inspection grades Personal Development as Outstanding, alongside Good judgements across the other key areas, with safeguarding confirmed as effective.

Academically, the school sits among the highest-performing primaries in England on FindMySchool’s measures, with current outcomes showing all pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined.

For families seeking a voluntary aided Jewish primary where Jewish studies runs alongside the national curriculum, and where community engagement is a visible priority, it is a serious contender.

A strong sense of community responsibility, clear routines, and faith-inflected values are recurring themes in how the school presents itself and how official reviews describe day-to-day culture. Pupils are encouraged to contribute beyond the classroom, including fundraising and local charitable activity, and the school frames this as part of citizenship as well as Jewish life.

Pastoral language is unusually concrete for a primary. The inspection report highlights named safe adults for pupils, and describes a calm, orderly tone in lessons and around the site, supported by consistent expectations about readiness and respectful conduct.

Leadership has also been in a period of change. Mrs Holli Hunter is named as headteacher, appointed in September 2023, with the deputy headteacher appointed in January 2024.

The headline KS2 picture is strong, and the detail reinforces it.

In the 2025 dataset, 100% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. At the higher standard, 10% achieved the higher threshold in reading, writing and mathematics.

Scaled scores are also high: reading 110, mathematics 109, and grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) 113.

On FindMySchool’s primary academic outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 76th out of 14,978 schools in England and 12th in Barnet, placing it among the highest-performing schools in England (top 1%).

Parents comparing nearby options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages to view results side by side, especially useful in Barnet where outcomes vary sharply between schools.

The curriculum is described as broad and balanced, with leaders ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and or disabilities. Early reading is a clear priority, with staff training focused on consistent phonics teaching from the earliest stages, and reading books selected to match pupils’ developing knowledge of sounds.

The school also explicitly runs religious learning during the school day alongside the national curriculum, reflecting its role as a voluntary aided school for the Jewish Orthodox community.

A realistic point for families to understand is that curriculum development is not uniform across every subject. Some areas are described as earlier in design and implementation, with occasional inconsistencies in delivery and in how well misconceptions are identified and addressed through assessment.

As a primary, the main destination question is transition to Year 7. For most families, the next step is shaped by Barnet’s secondary admissions, faith priorities, and any decision to pursue selective routes where relevant.

A practical approach is to shortlist likely secondaries early, then align Year 5 and Year 6 decisions around readiness, travel time, and the family’s appetite for competitive admissions. The school’s strong KS2 outcomes suggest pupils are well prepared academically for the next phase.

Reception admissions are coordinated through Barnet’s local authority process, with the school’s own faith-based paperwork also playing a role.

For Reception entry, the school’s admissions information states:

• Local authority application deadline: check the current Barnet admissions timetable

• Supplementary Information Form and birth certificate to the school by Thursday 8 January 2026

• An open morning was scheduled in early November for that cycle, and open mornings typically cluster in November each year.

Demand indicators show an oversubscribed picture for the main entry point: 68 applications for 30 offers, 2.27 applications per place applications per place, with first preferences slightly exceeding offers.

Parents wanting to sense-check their short list can use the FindMySchool Map Search to compare realistic travel options across multiple schools, rather than relying on a single first choice.

Personal development is the standout area in the latest inspection, with strong coverage of personal safety, online awareness, and healthy relationships. The report also describes pupils as confident when discussing fundamental British values, with structured opportunities for debate and discussion, including through both secular and Jewish studies.

Inclusion is also explicitly on the agenda, with needs identified and staff given clear information about support. The improvement focus is consistency in how those adaptations are applied in everyday teaching, and ensuring staff have the skills to reduce barriers to learning as effectively as possible.

Safeguarding is confirmed as effective.

The co-curricular offer is practical and skill-based, with several activities that map neatly onto core primary priorities: performance confidence, music, logic, and early computing.

Recent club listings include:

• Guitar and ukulele (KS1 and KS2)

• Choir (KS2)

• Drama (KS1 and KS2)

• Chess (KS1 and KS2)

• Coding (lower KS2)

The PTA calendar is also explicitly rooted in Jewish community life, with events such as Purim activities and Yom Ha’atzmaut-related provision listed among ongoing work.

Published timings show soft entry from 8:15am to 8:30am, registration at 8:30am, and pick-up at 3:50pm, with a stated total of 35 hours and 40 minutes of provision in a typical week. The school also publishes early finishing times for Friday Erev Shabbos dates and other early-finish days.

Wraparound care details (breakfast and after-school provision) are not clearly set out in the same published timetable pages. Families who need childcare coverage beyond pick-up should check current arrangements directly with the school.

For travel, families in Edgware and the wider Barnet area typically prioritise walkability and short car journeys at drop-off and pick-up, particularly given local congestion patterns around primary start and finish times.

• Competition for places. Recent demand data points to oversubscription at Reception, so families should treat this as a competitive entry point and plan a realistic back-up set of choices.

• Faith integration is central. This is a voluntary aided Orthodox Jewish primary where religious learning runs during the school day alongside the national curriculum; families should be comfortable with that balance.

• Curriculum consistency is still bedding in across some subjects. Some areas are described as less embedded, with variability in delivery and in how assessment is used to spot and address misconceptions.

• Friday early finishes can affect childcare. The school publishes early finishing times for Friday Erev Shabbos and other dates; working families may need a plan for those days.

Menorah Foundation School combines a clearly Orthodox Jewish educational mission with exceptionally strong KS2 outcomes and an inspection profile led by outstanding personal development. It suits families who want faith and secular learning integrated through the week, and who value a structured, community-oriented ethos. The main challenge is admission competition, and families should plan early around deadlines and realistic alternatives.