Alma Primary

About Alma Primary

Alma Primary, a Jewish state primary in Barnet, holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a grade it has maintained consistently across both its inspections. The school’s most telling academic metric is its Key Stage 2 performance: 83% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure places the school well above the Barnet local authority average of 73% and ranks it 13th out of 80 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the top 16% locally. Nationally, it sits in the top 8% of all primary schools for this measure. The school’s average scaled scores in reading and maths are both 108, and 14% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects. In maths specifically, 93% of pupils reached the expected level and 34% hit the higher standard, while in reading 90% met expectations and 38% achieved the higher mark.

Ofsted’s breakdown from the 2023 inspection shows every category rated Good, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The previous inspection in 2015 also rated the school Good overall, with leadership and management and early years provision both judged Good at that time. With 185 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, the school is not at full capacity but is clearly popular: for 2025/26 admissions, it received 89 applications for 29 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.07 to one. All 20 first-preference applicants were offered a place, suggesting that while competition exists, families who put it first have a strong chance. The school’s ranking score of 83 places it just behind top local peers like Courtland School and Ashmole Primary School.

The school offers a range of facilities including art studios, music rooms, a sensory room, a sports hall and a chapel, and runs clubs in drama, choir, gardening, art and eco activities. Sports on offer include football, athletics, swimming, rounders and cross country. SEND provisions are well documented, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. With a Jewish religious character and a headteacher in Marc Shoffren, the school will particularly suit families seeking a faith-based primary with strong academic outcomes in a popular London borough. The 8.6% pupil premium rate is below the national average, reflecting a relatively advantaged intake, and the school’s consistent Good rating across two inspections suggests stable leadership and teaching.

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