Bnois Jerusalem Schools
| Bnois Jerusalem Schools
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Charitable trust (school proprietor) |
| Founded | Trust deed constituting Bnois Jerusalem School; register number 312568 |
| Registration ID | 312568 |
| Location | School: 71, 75–81 Amhurst Park, London N16 5DL. Charity contact: 48 Fairholt Road, London N16 5HW |
| Key people | Judah Wider (chair); Manuel Ekstein; Israel Jacob Eckstein; Avrohom Lebrecht; Channa Grunfeld |
Bnois Jerusalem Schools (charity number 312568) is a British charity which runs Bnois Jerusalem Girls School, 71, 75–81 Amhurst Park, London N16 5DL (URN 100291). The trust deed constitutes the school; objects are to provide education for girls in the Orthodox Jewish community. Income is described on the register as donations from institutions and grants from The Learning Trust. Reporting is up to date. The Charity Commission concluded its investigation of this charity within the 105-charity cashed-cheques class inquiry on 9 September 2026, with a finding of misconduct and/or mismanagement over open or blank cheques, while accepting that activities were in line with the objects.[1][2]
School
Independent Orthodox Jewish day school for girls aged 2–16 (pupils on roll in recent Ofsted material aged 6–16). Proprietor: Bnois Jerusalem School. Chair: Judah Wider. Headteacher: M Landau. No website. School telephone 020 8800 5781; email admin@bnoisschool.co.uk. Ofsted overall effectiveness at the May 2024 standard inspection: Requires Improvement (previous standard inspection: Inadequate). A progress-monitoring inspection on 4 November 2025 found the school still did not meet all independent school standards checked. Since 24 September 2021 the school has been subject to a DfE restriction order preventing admission of new pupils.[3][4][5][6]
Contact
- Charity address: 48 Fairholt Road, London N16 5HW
- Phone: 020 8809 1739
- School address: 71, 75–81 Amhurst Park, London N16 5DL[7]
People
Trustees
| Name | Role | Date of appointment | Date of resignation | Other charities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judah Wider | Chair | 1 September 1990 | N/A | Shaykel Esuh, Youth Space |
| Manuel Ekstein | Trustee | 16 May 2023 | N/A | Comunidad Israelita Ortodoxa Argentina (register: Comunidad Israelita Ortodoxa of Argentina), Noam Hatorah (London) |
| Israel Jacob Eckstein | Trustee | 19 October 2015 | N/A | None on record |
| Avrohom Lebrecht | Trustee | 1 May 2014 | N/A | Refreshing Minds, U O B H Limited |
| Channa Grunfeld | Trustee | Not stated | N/A | None on record |
Register snapshot: 259 employees; 12 volunteers; no employee benefits over £60,000; no trading subsidiaries.[1]
Finances
| Income / expenditure | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | £1.58m | £1.75m | £2.37m | £2.44m | £1.93m |
| Expenditure | £1.63m | £1.81m | £2.36m | £2.39m | £2.60m |
| Income from government contracts | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £166.13k |
| Income from government grants | £760.60k | £778.42k | £1.17m | £0 | N/A |
| Income from donations and legacies | £815.18k | £964.49k | £2.29m | £2.41m | £1.89m |
| Income – charitable activities | £760.60k | £778.42k | £0 | £0 | £35.02k |
| Income – investments | £185 | £78 | £53 | £780 | £2.30k |
| Income – other | £0 | £12.00k | £72.00k | £30.00k | £0 |
| Expenditure – charitable activities | £1.53m | £1.81m | £2.36m | £2.39m | £2.57m |
| Expenditure – raising funds | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £30.00k |
| Expenditure – governance | £3.60k | £3.60k | £5.40k | £5.40k | £5.70k |
| Expenditure – other | £99.45k | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Year to 31 March 2025 (later return): income £3,122,580 (including £600,298 from three government grants); expenditure £3,266,512. Annual return 2021 was 56 days late; later years on time.[1][10]
Funders
Not itemised on the overview. Register text refers to donations from various institutions and grants from The Learning Trust. Government grants appear in the finance table.
Inquiry
The charity was in the September 2025 tranche of the Commission’s statutory class inquiry into 105 charities that issued cheques cashed through a Hackney company between December 2021 and March 2023.[11]
On 9 September 2026 the Commission published results covering this charity together with The Z.S.V. Trust (1063860), Forty Limited (1039036) and Friends of Yeshiva Daas Sholem Shotz (1070789). It found evidence that all four issued open or blank cheques. It was satisfied each was undertaking charitable activities in line with its purposes, but made a finding of misconduct and/or mismanagement. Operating charities received a regulatory action plan.[2][12]
Reporting on the statement said 15 cheques totalling £80,370 were examined. Open cheques were “most commonly” for staff salary payments, including where a member of staff had a bank problem or was overdrawn and did not want funds paid into their account. The Commission did not treat an overdrawn personal account as a justifiable reason for paying individuals by open cheque.[11]
Resources
- https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/27/100291
- https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2021/10/two-independent-jewish-schools-banned-from-admitting-new-pupils
See also
- Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator
- Regulator opens next phase of investigation into 105 charities connected to company cashing cheques
- Regulator announces next charities to be investigated as part of inquiry connected to company cashing cheques
- British Jewish or Zionist charities investigated by the Charity Commission, 2005-2023
- British Jewish charities investigated by the Charity Commission
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Charity Commission, BNOIS JERUSALEM SCHOOLS - 312568 Register of Charities, accessed 15 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Charity Commission, Regulator concludes investigation into 4 charities as class inquiry continues GOV.UK, 9 September 2026.
- ↑ Ofsted, Bnois Jerusalem Girls School URN 100291.
- ↑ Ofsted, Inspection of Bnois Jerusalem Girls School, 21–23 May 2024.
- ↑ Ofsted, School progress monitoring inspection report, Bnois Jerusalem Girls School, 4 November 2025.
- ↑ National Secular Society, Two independent Jewish schools banned from admitting new pupils, October 2021.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Contact information BNOIS JERUSALEM SCHOOLS, retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Trustees BNOIS JERUSALEM SCHOOLS, retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Financial history BNOIS JERUSALEM SCHOOLS, retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Accounts and annual returns BNOIS JERUSALEM SCHOOLS.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Simon Rocker, Regulator releases first findings into Orthodox charities in £22 million cashed cheques inquiry Jewish Chronicle, 9 September 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Statement of the results of a class inquiry GOV.UK, 9 September 2026.