Kerem School

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Independent modern Orthodox Jewish primary school and nursery in Hampstead Garden Suburb, north London

Kerem School

Type Independent school (Orthodox Jewish religious character)
Founded 10 October 1957
Registration ID URN 101381; DfE number 302/6068; charity number 1063815; company number 03391872 (Kerem Schools)
Headquarters Norrice Lea, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London N2 0RE
Key people Avital Sharman (headteacher); Sonia Abrahams (chair of trustees)
Website https://keremschool.co.uk/

Kerem School is a mixed, fee-paying Orthodox Jewish school for children aged 2 to 11 in Hampstead Garden Suburb, in the London Borough of Barnet. It includes the Kerem Early Years Unit (nursery and pre-prep). The Department for Education records it as an independent school with an Orthodox Jewish religious character, open since 10 October 1957, with a capacity of 296 and 124 pupils on roll. Its headteacher is Avital Sharman.[1] In 2003 Ofsted reported that the school "defines itself as a modern Orthodox school". Admission was then open to "any child who is recognised as Jewish by the Chief Rabbi or who is accepted by the Chief Rabbi as suitable for education at the school".[2]

Kerem Schools

The school is run by Kerem Schools, a charitable company (charity number 1063815; company number 03391872) incorporated on 25 June 1997.[3] Its objects begin with establishing and maintaining a kindergarten "to provide education in accordance with the laws and usages of Orthodox Judaism", on which "in case of doubt" the decision of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth is final. In the year to 31 August 2025 it reported income of £2,407,990 and spending of £2,511,640.[4]

Year ending Income Spending
31 August 2021 £1,886,446 £1,953,399
31 August 2022 £2,247,614 £2,047,763
31 August 2023 £2,393,827 £2,341,489
31 August 2024 £2,431,562 £2,325,421
31 August 2025 £2,407,990 £2,511,640

The Charity Commission lists the trustees as Sonia Abrahams (chair, from 30 April 2018), Asher David Miller (from 1 September 2014) and Julian Taylor.[5] At Companies House the directors are Sonia Abrahams (from 17 October 2023), Asher David Miller (from 1 September 2014; also company secretary), Julian Taylor (from 25 June 1997) and Katherine Victoria Paynter (from 25 August 2026).[6] Abrahams, Miller and Taylor are each registered as persons with significant control, holding 25 to 50 per cent of the voting rights. Earlier registered persons with significant control were David Wolfson (2016 to 2020), Joseph Nigel David Stelzer (2016 to 2017) and Samantha Leek (2019 to 2023).[7] In 2019 the Independent Schools Inspectorate named Samantha Leek QC as chair of governors.[8]

Israel

  • On 1 July 1977 The Jewish Chronicle named Kerem School among participants in the annual JNF Festival of Jewish School Choirs at Wembley Conference Centre.[9]
  • On 20 May 1983 it reported that Kerem School from Hampstead Garden Suburb took part in the JNF schools quiz on Israel and Judaism.[10]

The school's values page says: "We nurture a meaningful connection to Israel and its people". It quotes Theodor Herzl: "If you will it, it is no dream".[11] Its home page says that daily tefillah, Ivrit, Torah learning and the festivals foster "a strong Jewish identity and connection to Israel".[12]

  • Ivrit (modern Hebrew) is taught from the early years, with a curriculum that "focuses first and foremost on developing a love of the language and of Israel". Native speakers follow "a separate programme of study based on the Israeli school curriculum".[13]
  • The school celebrates Yom Ha'atzmaut together with other festivals.[13] Clubs include an Israeli Breakfast Club.[14]
  • In the nursery and pre-prep, children develop "a love for Israel and Jewish culture".[15]
  • One of the school's houses, Ramon House, is named after Ilan Ramon, "Israel's first astronaut and a highly respected fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force".[16]


Yom Hazikaron and "IDF-style" activities

A Year 6 class blog of about 2 May 2025 described a Yom HaZikaron ceremony "to remember the soldiers and civilians who have lost their lives in service to the State of Israel", at which the class "lit a memorial candle, listened to the siren broadcast from Israel", and for Yom Ha'atzmaut "our special IDF-style PE lesson".[17] On 15 October 2024 the same blog thanked those who joined a memorial tefillah after the first anniversary of 7 October.[17] In May 2025 Jewish News reported Kerem's Israel Week after Yom Hazikaron "which honours the soldiers who gave their lives for the country's safety and freedom", with a Yom Ha'atzmaut charity for Leket Israel "especially in the wake of the October 7 attacks".[18]

  • Photograph from the Kerem School website (June 2025 gallery; pupils' faces blurred; accessed 5 November 2026)

  • Photograph from the Kerem School website (pupils' faces blurred; accessed 5 November 2026)

Beit Halochem UK

Beit Halochem UK, a British charity that raises money for the Beit Halochem rehabilitation centres for disabled Israeli soldiers and victims of attacks in Israel,[19] lists both "Kerem Early Years Unit" and "Kerem School" among the schools that took part in a non-uniform day in its aid. The charity's "For Schools" page, as archived in February 2025, thanked the schools listed "for showing solidarity with our soldiers".[20] The page also invites schools to host a veteran who will speak to pupils about "courage and resilience" and "the sacrifices made by our soldiers". By November 2026 the wording had become "our veterans", and the page said such visits had been "particularly meaningful" around Yom Ha'atzmaut and Yom Hazikaron.[21] In November 2026 the school's logo was among those displayed on the charity's schools page.[21]

The chair of Beit Halochem UK is Andrew Wolfson, who according to the charity has been a trustee since April 2016 and chairman since May 2018. The same page says he is also a trustee of The Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust.[22]

Inspections

As an independent school, Kerem is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). Its ISI inspection of 26 to 28 March 2024 found that all the relevant Independent School Standards were met. It recommended that leaders make teaching and behaviour management in lessons more consistently effective.[23] The school has also published ISI reports from 2014, 2016 and 2019.[24] Earlier Ofsted reports from 2003 and 2008 are held on the Ofsted website.[25] In 2008 Ofsted quoted the school's aim "to help pupils become observant Jews who are thoroughly at home in both contemporary society and in every aspect of Jewish life".[26]

See also

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ Department for Education, Kerem School (URN 101381), Get Information about Schools, accessed 1 November 2026.
  2. ↑ Ofsted, Kerem School: inspection report, inspection of 10 November 2003, accessed 1 November 2026.
  3. ↑ Companies House, KEREM SCHOOLS (03391872): Company overview, accessed 1 November 2026.
  4. ↑ Charity Commission, KEREM SCHOOLS - 1063815, Register of Charities, register data extract of 13 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
  5. ↑ Charity Commission, KEREM SCHOOLS - 1063815: Trustees, Register of Charities, register data extract of 13 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
  6. ↑ Companies House, KEREM SCHOOLS (03391872): People, accessed 1 November 2026.
  7. ↑ Companies House, KEREM SCHOOLS (03391872): Persons with significant control, accessed 1 November 2026.
  8. ↑ Independent Schools Inspectorate, Kerem School: Focused Compliance and Educational Quality Inspection, December 2019, accessed 1 November 2026.
  9. ↑ The Jewish Chronicle, 1 July 1977, p.4, archive, accessed 6 November 2026.
  10. ↑ The Jewish Chronicle, 20 May 1983, p.25, archive, accessed 6 November 2026.
  11. ↑ Values and ethos, keremschool.co.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
  12. ↑ Home, keremschool.co.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Prep curriculum, keremschool.co.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
  14. ↑ School clubs, keremschool.co.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
  15. ↑ Nursery & Pre-Prep, keremschool.co.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
  16. ↑ Houses, keremschool.co.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Year 6 class blog, kerem-school.secure-primarysite.net, c. 2 May 2025, accessed 2 November 2026.
  18. ↑ Sharon Walters, A day of joy, pride and love for Israel at primary schools, Jewish News, 7 May 2025, accessed 2 November 2026.
  19. ↑ Charity Commission, BEIT HALOCHEM UK - 1146950, Register of Charities, register data extract of 13 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
  20. ↑ Beit Halochem UK, For Schools, bhuk.org, archived by the Wayback Machine on 12 February 2025, accessed 1 November 2026.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Beit Halochem UK, For schools, bhuk.org (page text and school logos), accessed 1 November 2026.
  22. ↑ Beit Halochem UK, Trustees, bhuk.org, accessed 1 November 2026.
  23. ↑ Independent Schools Inspectorate, Kerem School: school inspection report, 26 to 28 March 2024, accessed 1 November 2026.
  24. ↑ ISI Inspection, keremschool.co.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
  25. ↑ Ofsted, Kerem School (URN 101381), Ofsted reports, accessed 1 November 2026.
  26. ↑ Ofsted, Kerem School: light touch inspection, inspection of 30 October 2008, accessed 1 November 2026.
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