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London Borough of Barnet
The Independent Jewish Day School
Prospectus
London Borough of Barnet
The Independent Jewish Day School
There is a distinctive spirit to life at the Independent Jewish Day School. We are a high performing
school that delivers real quality and excellence in Kodesh and Chol subjects.
At the centre of everything we do is “the child”. Each and every child is encouraged to achieve and
strive for excellence.
We are committed to learning and to giving all our pupils the opportunity to develop their potential to
the full and experience success in a happy, positive, caring and supportive atmosphere.
The curriculum we offer is purposeful, rigorous and full of challenges. Fine Torah values underpin
every aspect of school life right from the start. All our pupils are continuously encouraged to respond
to their learning experiences and the world around them from an Orthodox Jewish perspective.
We are proud to be a true community school and attach great importance to the value of the home
school partnership we have with parents.
The clear targets that we set and achieve produce mature and independent questioning youngsters
who progress through the school with confidence, respect and a positive attitude towards learning.
Our pupils leave us at the age of eleven with high academic standards in Kodesh and Chol. They
progress onto their secondary education as fine role models with good middot and a love of Torah.
We look forward to welcoming you to IJDS. Come and experience our unique atmosphere for
yourselves.
Yours sincerely,
Miss Amanda Lando BEd (Hons), NPQH
Head Teacher
Message from the Headteacher
Train a child in his proper way and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Our School
The Independent Jewish Day School is committed to a Modern Orthodox Jewish Zionist education.
Everything that takes place in the school is aimed at preparing our pupils to live as Modern Orthodox
Zionist Jews, participating proudly and fully in every aspect of modern life and drawing strength,
meaning and direction for a thorough understanding and love for Jewish being, principles and
practice. The secular and religious programme in our school merge seamlessly to provide an
atmosphere of enthusiastic and thoughtful learning within a context of proper behaviour.
We inspire all children to achieve their personal best. We work closely with parents to ensure their
children attain the highest standards.
We believe that every child is an individual with individual needs. We offer caring support to children
with special educational needs. We enable every child to handle and appreciate Hebrew texts with
confidence and insight. We teach Ivrit as a living language. We value the land of Israel and its
people. We ensure that girls and boys have equal access to all areas of the curriculum.
We are committed to making your child’s school days happy ones.
Founded in 1979, the school has grown to around 200 pupils in eight classes and prides itself on
being a community school.
The IJDS became Voluntary Aided in 1987.
Our Ethos
The IJDS promotes a culture where Jewish life and learning are in harmony with each other. We
believe that this is essential if we are to enable our children to truly integrate Torah values into their
worldview. The responsibilities inherent in this approach are farreaching and necessarily involve the
active cooperation of all families associated with the school to succeed.
Food, whether brought into school or offered to visiting children at home, must have Beth Din’s
Kashrut list approval.
The school appreciates the efforts of those discriminating parents who filter out unsuitable or
offensive reading and viewing material for their children.
All visitors to the school are requested to exercise modesty in dress and participate in upholding the
high standards expected by an orthodox Jewish school.
The IJDS offers seven years of formal primary schooling and runs its own nursery on the premises.
There is one mixed sex form in each year.
The classes are grouped into three units:
Foundation Stage
Gan - The Nursery
Hachana - Reception
Key Stage 1 - Infants
Aleph - Year 1
Bet - Year 2
Key Stage 2 - Juniors
Gimmel - Year 3
Daled - Year 4
Heh - Year 5
Vav - Year 6
Structure
Our Aim
Our aim is to work in partnership with parents and to equip our children with the confidence, skills
and knowledge to reach the highest standards in Limmudei Kodesh and in Secular Studies. Our
Limmudei Kodesh curriculum is developed in-house and Secular Studies are informed by the
National Curriculum and OFSTED.
Our Curriculum
Throughout the curriculum, we encourage all the children to strive for personal excellence and we
provide them with a strong sense of values.
Secular Curriculum
We follow the National Curriculum providing breadth of study in all subjects. We aim to develop an
enjoyment of and commitment to learning as a means of encouraging and stimulating the best
possible progress and the highest attainment for all pupils where every child experiences
success.
All children at IJDS are encouraged to think for themselves, question their learning and solve
problems. Creativity and individuality are valued. We build on pupils’ strengths, interests and
experiences. We develop
their knowledge, skills and understanding and their confidence in their capacity to learn and work
independently and collaboratively.
Through the curriculum we also help pupils develop physical skills and encourage them to pursue a
healthy lifestyle and to keep themselves and others safe. Our broad balanced curriculum ensures
our pupils leave IJDS well prepared for a lifetime of change in a “knowledge society” equipped with
skills to become independent, responsible, caring adults who respect themselves and others and
value the wider groups to which they belong.
Our subject coordinators work with the head, head of Kodesh, other teachers and advisers from the
London Borough of Barnet to devise schemes of work that apply throughout the school, bringing
continuity and progression for all pupils.
Core Subjects
English
Mathematics
Science.
Non-Core Foundation Subjects
ICT
Geography
History
Art
Design and Technology
Music
Physical Education
Information Technology
At the IJDS information technology is seen as an interdisciplinary tool. The school has built an ICT
suite where whole-class teaching of the ICT curriculum takes place.
Music
Music has always played an important part in school life. All pupils have regular singing, composition
and music appreciation classes. Numerous musical assemblies, shows and performances
showcasing the children’s individual and collective musical strengths add sparkle throughout the
school year.
The Extra-Curricular Activities Programme, run by the PTA, provides children with the opportunity to
learn instruments such as the recorder, clarinet, piano and guitar individually during the schoolday
in our fully equipped music room.
Sport
PE is taught in a style that encourages children to give of their best both individually and as team
members. Our philosophy is that every child should participate, to his or her best, and above all
enjoy themselves. IJDS football and netball teams compete against other schools at regular intervals
throughout the year, playing league games and friendly matches both at home and away.
ECA and Clubs
The Extra-Curricular Activies Programme supplements the sports provision by offering football training, gymnastics and ju-jitsu as after school activities.
Chess
Children can also participate in chess, which gives them an excellent opportunity to exercise their
minds.
Drama and Verse
Drama and Verse speaking clubs enrich and broaden the English curriculum.
Dance
Children have an opportunity to learn in a lunchtime dance club. For Yom Ha’atzmaut, the whole
school participates in a dance display.
Outings
Visits to museums, galleries and field centres broaden the children’s horizons adding extra
dimensions to their learning experience.
The Rabbi Bernstein Memorial Library
Our state-of-the-art library was officially opened in March 1997 by the Chief Rabbi, Dr Jonathan
Sacks, in memory of the school’s late esteemed Principal Rabbi Issac Bernstein.
The library has been designed to cater for the needs of the very youngest reader providing easy
access to suitable fiction conducive to the formation of good reading habits. There is a challenging
non-fiction section for the more sophisticated reader.
Limmudei Kodesh
At the IJDS we offer an ambitious Jewish Studies programme based on two hours of Jewish studies a
day, in addition to Tefilah and assemblies. Our curriculum encompasses reading, writing and
speaking Hebrew, Siddur, Chumash, Rashi, Mishna, Gemarah and general knowledge.
Boys and girls have equal access to all areas of the curriculum and are taught together in a culture
where Israel is central. It is our priority that every child will read Hebrew fluently and with
understanding. Children receive individual help to achieve this goal. Ivrit is our primary language of
instruction. We start teaching Ivrit in the Gan. This gives the children a head start in developing their
familiarity with Hebrew. Helping children understand a foreign language at such an early age equips
them with a knowledge and confidence that not only strengthens their ability to learn from our
traditional Jewish texts, but has foreign language application as well. All Limmudei Kodesh teachers
are fully qualified teachers and they work with outside advisers from the Jewish Agency’s Torah
Department to evaluate and review the curriculum constantly.
Personal Social Health Education
PSHE is taught through the Kodesh curriculum and where appropriate through Science and Literacy
topics. Sex Education is taught in a manner that is consistent with the school’s religious ethos.
Homework
Homework is an integral part of the educational process and provides an essential link between
home and school. At the IJDS homework is seen as an opportunity for children and parents to share
in the learning process. Younger children are encouraged to develop their reading and writing skills
in Hebrew and English. From Key Stage 1 children are set tasks in both Limmudei Kodesh and
Secular Studies to extend and reinforce material covered in school.
Special Needs
The school addresses the needs of all pupils. This includes children at both ends of the spectrum;
those requiring extra teaching support as well as those identified as gifted or talented.
Pastoral Care
All children are supported with concern and understanding. Teachers carefully monitor the welfare of
their children both inside the classroom and the playground.
Discipline
Through both the curriculum and the daily life of the school, we stress the importance of , in the form
of courtesy to other children and adults. This approach equips our children with integrated Torah
values to last throughout their lives.
We reinforce and praise positive behaviour. We teach our pupils to be responsible for their own
behaviour. Boundaries are set to ensure an environment that is physically safe, emotionally secure
and conducive to learning. In this, as in all areas of school life, we expect the committed support of
all our parents.
Assessment and Reporting
Children are regularly observed and assessed by their own teachers. All children have individual
personal targets in Kodesh and Secular subjects that they work towards.
A child’s achievements and overall development always remain of key importance to their teachers
whatever results are awarded.
Parent evenings are held both in the Autumn and Spring terms and there is an optional meeting
following the publication of written reports in the summer term.
Outside the Curriculum
Parents can do so much to help. The IJDS is fortunate to have a dynamic and committed PTA. All
parents are encouraged to join in both cultural and fund-raising events which are arranged for the
benefit of all the children and their families.
Charity
Children are encouraged to bring in a small amount of money for Tzedakah regularly. Once a term,
all donations are distributed to a registered charity nominated by teachers and children.
Transition to Secondary School
The majority of our children transfer to the Hasmonean High School. A small percentage pursue
secondary education at independent schools.
London Borough of Barnet
The Independent Jewish Day School
London Borough of Barnet
The Independent Jewish Day School
46 Green Lane, Hendon, London NW4 2AH
Tel: 020 8203 2299/2968 Fax: 020 8202 1142
Website: http://www.independentjewishday.barnet.sch.uk
E-mail: office.ijds.barnet@lgfl.net
Charity Number 287148
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