Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School
Voluntary aided Orthodox Jewish primary school in Unsworth, Bury, Greater Manchester
| Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Voluntary aided primary school, Jewish religious character |
| Registration ID | URN 105352; The Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School, charity number 1065748 |
| Headquarters | Parr Lane, Unsworth, Bury BL9 8JT (Metropolitan Borough of Bury) |
| Key people | David Witkin (headteacher) |
| Website | https://bwjps.org.uk/ |
Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School is a mixed voluntary aided Jewish primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Unsworth, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester. The Department for Education records a Jewish religious character, a nursery, a capacity of 210 and 103 pupils on roll; 21.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Its headteacher is David Witkin.[1] Pikuach described it in 2022 as "an orthodox Jewish school that serves the local and wider Jewish community", adding that "In recent years there has been an increasing number of pupils from more religious homes."[2]
Ethos
The school's home page says: "Through the teaching of Judaism according to Halacha, the promotion of Jewish values, the state of Israel, and the celebration of Jewish worship our children thrive and grow."[3] Its "About our school" page uses similar words but refers to "an appreciation of the State of Israel".[4] The Hebrew page says learning Ivrit "is also an opportunity to gain an insight into Israeli life and culture".[5]
Governance and site
The charity of the same name (charity number 1065748) was set up by a declaration of trust of 15 October 1997. Its objects are to advance the education of young people in the Bury and Whitefield area "in accordance with the principles of the Jewish Orthodox faith", in particular by providing a school. Its trustees are Rabbi David Jaffe and Rabbi Anthony Jaffe, and its registered address is 26 Old Hall Road, Salford M7 4JH. In the year to 31 August 2025 it had income of £154,032 and spending of £165,881, against £292,179 and £209,917 the year before.[6][7]
According to the Manchester Evening News, the school's Parr Lane site is owned by the Spear Trust. The paper reported plans for the trust to buy 13 acres near Philips Park Cemetery in Whitefield for a new school building, and quoted the chair of governors, a Rabbi Jaffe.[8] The school is still at Parr Lane.[1] The Spear Trust (charity number 326696) is registered at the same Salford address as the school charity.[9]
Chabad links
The Charity Commission register lists a Rabbi David Jaffe as a trustee of Chabad Lubavitch (charity number 1128933), The Friendship Circle (UK) (1135828) and the Spear Trust, as well as of the school charity. It lists a Rabbi Anthony Jaffe as a trustee of Kahal Chassidim Lubavitch Manchester (1101651), Broughton Jewish Primary School (Ohel Moshe Yitschok) (526444), Ezras Rinoh and The D C Trust; a Rabbi Anthony Joel Jaffe is listed as a trustee of the Chabad Retreat Centre (1096405).[10][11][12] The register matches are by name only. The school does not describe itself as a Chabad school, and it is not listed on Chabad Lubavitch schools in the UK.
Israel
- The 2022 Pikuach report described "a project on Israel in the ICT suite".[2]
- Pupils in Key Stage 2 "have the opportunity to learn some Ivrit and are given an insight into Israeli life and culture", according to the school's Kodesh page.[13]
Inspections
| Date | Inspectorate and type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 12 May 2026 | Ofsted, report card | Strong standard for attendance and behaviour, early years and inclusion; expected standard for achievement, curriculum and teaching, leadership and governance, and personal development; safeguarding standards met[14] |
| 15–16 March 2022 | Ofsted, full inspection | Good in all areas (previously requires improvement)[15] |
| 5–6 July 2022 | Pikuach (section 48) | Overall effectiveness good (grade 2)[2] |
Ofsted named Harvey Jacobson as chair of governors in 2022, when the headteacher was Claire Simon.[15] The full inspection history is published by Ofsted.[16]
Commentary
In October 2026 the writer Nate Bear published an article on his Substack newsletter ¡Do Not Panic! arguing that more than half of the UK's mainstream Jewish schools say they teach children to "love Israel", and that this was "possibly breaching UK government rules against the promotion of partisan political views in schools".[17] Bear listed Bury and Whitefield among these schools, writing that according to the Partnerships for Jewish Schools (PaJeS) directory it "embodies a love of and commitment to Israel".[17]
See also
- The Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School (charity)
- Chabad Lubavitch schools in the UK
- Jewish Schools in the UK
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Department for Education, Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School (URN 105352), Get Information about Schools, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Pikuach, Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School: inspection report, inspection of 5–6 July 2022, pikuach.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Welcome to Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School, bwjps.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ About our school, bwjps.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Ivrit, bwjps.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, THE BURY AND WHITEFIELD JEWISH PRIMARY SCHOOL - 1065748, Register of Charities, register data extract of 28 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, THE BURY AND WHITEFIELD JEWISH PRIMARY SCHOOL - 1065748: Trustees, Register of Charities, register data extract of 28 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ "Top new school is planned", Manchester Evening News, online date 12 January 2013, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, SPEAR TRUST - 326696, Register of Charities, register data extract of 28 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, CHABAD LUBAVITCH - 1128933, Register of Charities, register data extract of 28 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, KAHAL CHASSIDIM LUBAVITCH MANCHESTER - 1101651, Register of Charities, register data extract of 28 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, CHABAD RETREAT CENTRE - 1096405, Register of Charities, register data extract of 28 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Kodesh, bwjps.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Ofsted, Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School: inspection report, inspection of 12 May 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Ofsted, Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School: inspection report, inspection of 15–16 March 2022, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Ofsted, Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School (URN 105352), Ofsted reports, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Nate Bear, "Majority Of Jewish Schools In The UK Teaching Kids To 'Love Israel'", ¡Do Not Panic!, 27 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.