King David Primary School, Manchester
Orientation to Zionism
The school declares that it is 'a Jewish, Modern Orthodox, Zionist School'.[1]
Overview
King David Primary School in Crumpsall, north Manchester, became an academy on 1 June 2013. In 2026 it had 381 pupils and its headteacher was Stacey Rosenberg.[2] The 2018 Pikuach report said about 20% of curriculum time is given to Jewish studies, and that the school "serves Jewish families from a broad spectrum of Jewish knowledge and observance. The majority of pupils come from non-observant homes."[3]
Israel
- Under the heading "Identification with Israel", the school's home page says: "We instill a love for Israel in our pupils. Children learn about the language and culture of Israel in weekly sessions led by our Israeli gap year students. Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) is a major event in our school diary. We raise money each year for Israeli charities."[4]
- Its charity page says that "on Yom Ha'atzmaut we raise money for UJIA". After "the tragic events in Israel in recent years" the school held an Israel fair that raised over £1,200 for people displaced by the war, and pupils "took part in a special Israel mitzva mission via Chabad".[5]
- The school's account of Iyar 2024 describes a Yom HaZikaron assembly at which pupils stood in silence "to honour all soldiers who have perished defending the Land of Israel and civilians killed in terror attacks", and a Yom Ha'atzmaut assembly "full of singing and flag waving", followed by "an imaginary trip to Israel for reception", Israeli dancing and an Israeli lunch.[6]
- Ofsted's 2019 languages visit noted that "Pupils learn about the geography and history of Israel and about their Jewish heritage" and that Modern Hebrew is taught by a specialist from Year 1 to Year 6.[7]
- The 2018 Pikuach report described an assembly that "was concluded with the National Anthem and the Hatikvah (National Anthem of Israel)", and "displays showing a strong connection with Israel".[3]
Chabad
The Israel mitzvah mission described above was run "via Chabad".[5] For Chabad's schools and outreach work see Chabad Lubavitch schools in the UK.
Governance
The academy trust, The King David Primary School (company number 08424154), has ten directors at Companies House.[8] The 2018 Pikuach report named Nadia Joseph and Steven Wiseglass as co-chairs of governors.[3]
| Name | Appointed |
|---|---|
| Lauren Amy Clyne | 1 September 2020 |
| Susan Fagelman | 1 September 2020 |
| Zoe Frost | 27 November 2020 |
| Benjamin Marc Jacobson | 9 March 2023 |
| Aaron Leib Lowe | 30 October 2024 |
| Benjamin Simon Morrison | 15 March 2023 |
| Stacey Anne Rosenberg (headteacher) | 1 September 2020 |
| Abigail Malka Shapiro | 1 September 2020 |
| Daniel Yonatan Walker | 1 September 2020 |
| Steven Wiseglass | 5 June 2018 |
Inspections
| Date | Inspectorate and type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 19–20 April 2023 | Ofsted, ungraded inspection | Continues to be outstanding[9] |
| 28 November 2019 | Ofsted, no formal designation inspection (languages) | Outstanding judgement unchanged[7] |
| 26–27 February 2018 | Pikuach (section 48) | Overall effectiveness outstanding (grade 1)[3] |
The full inspection history is published by Ofsted.[10]
Commentary
In December 2024 David Miller wrote an article for the Islamic Human Rights Commission journal The Long View arguing that British Jewish schools have a "Zionist ethos – as opposed to a simply Jewish faith ethos".[11] Miller included "the King David Schools (primary and secondary) in Manchester" among the schools he said were "under the authority of the United Synagogue" and "all effectively Zionist".[11]
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".[12] Bear quoted the school's statement that "we instil a love for Israel in our pupils" and its weekly sessions "led by our Israeli gap year students".[12]
See also
Notes
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240812100929/https://kingdavidprimary.manchester.sch.uk/assets/Documents/Attachments/Ethos-and-Values-KDPS-updated-March-2024.pdf
- ↑ Department for Education, King David Primary School (URN 139497), Get Information about Schools, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Pikuach, King David Primary School Manchester: inspection report, inspection of 26–27 February 2018, pikuach.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ King David Primary School, kingdavidprimary.manchester.sch.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tzedakah, kingdavidprimary.manchester.sch.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Iyar 2024, kingdavidprimary.manchester.sch.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ofsted, King David Primary School: inspection letter, inspection of 28 November 2019, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Companies House, THE KING DAVID PRIMARY SCHOOL (08424154): People, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Ofsted, King David Primary School: inspection report, inspection of 19–20 April 2023, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Ofsted, King David Primary School (URN 139497), Ofsted reports, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 David Miller, "How do we De-Zionise British schools?", The Long View vol. 6 no. 4, Islamic Human Rights Commission, 3 December 2024, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Nate Bear, "Majority Of Jewish Schools In The UK Teaching Kids To 'Love Israel'", ¡Do Not Panic!, 27 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.