Nancy Reuben Primary School

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Nancy Reuben Primary School (URN 152214, voluntary aided school opened 15 September 2025[1]; earlier URN 133533, the predecessor independent school, closed 15 September 2025[2])

The school is run by Nancy Reuben Primary School (company) (Company number 06000294) and Nancy Reuben Primary School (charity) (Charity number: 1117515) |

Partnerships for Jewish Schools supported the school's move from the independent sector to state funding as a voluntary aided school in September 2025.[3]

Mrs Rubin, a teacher at the school, posts in March 2022 about students at the school participating in a Zionist regime propaganda operation encouraging land theft and settler colonialism: 'This afternoon Y5 had a unique opportunity to be in Jerusalem while sitting in our classroom in London: Chemed and the Israel Ministry of Education with the Jewish Agency invited us for an exciting virtual tour in the Kotel tunnels. Children from Israel and al around the world were invited to join the "Aliyah to Jerusalem" tour.'[4]

History

In July 2006 the Jewish Chronicle reported that Od Yosef Hai Primary in Hendon, which "shares premises with Od Yosef Hai Synagogue", was to be renamed the Nancy Reuben School in memory of the mother of David Reuben and Simon Reuben. It said that the complex "is in the midst of a £1.5 million redevelopment project" and that "the school and the Reuben Brothers declined comment on the matter."[5]

Advertisements in the paper in October and November 2006 invited parents to an open morning at "the Nancy Reuben Primary School (formerly known as OYH Primary School)" on Wednesday 8 November 2006 at 9.30am, with application forms available from 48 Finchley Lane, NW4 1DJ.[6]

The Jewish Weekly supplement page on the school, 24 September 2020, p. 28

In September 2020 The Jewish Weekly carried a supplement page on the school, sponsored by Jewish Legacy, which the school posted on its Facebook page.[7][8] It said the school, catering "for boys and girls from 2-11", had seen "a surge in applications" which head teacher Anthony Wolfson put down to "word of mouth", and that its families "are from both Ashkenazi and Sefardi backgrounds". It listed places offered to leavers at Hasmonean High School for boys and girls, Immanuel College, JFS, Yavne College, the Haberdashers' Aske's boys' and girls' schools, City of London and North London Collegiate. The page added that in the previous year two staff had won PaJeS awards and that the school was a member of the Independent Schools Association.[7]

People

Directors

Megan Joy Hill (22 August 2018) | Hacham Yaakov Hillel (16 November 2006) | Dayan Abraham David (16 November 2006) | Reuben Foundation(16 November 2006-) | Patrick Colin O'Driscoll (16 November 2006-22 August 2018)

Trustees

Reuben Foundation | Dayan Abraham David

Head teachers and governors

Anthony Wolfson, "Preventing the summer slide", Jewish Chronicle education supplement, 5 August 2022, signed as head teacher of the school

Anthony Wolfson was head teacher by September 2020,[7] and was still described as head teacher of the school when he wrote for the Jewish Chronicle's education supplement in August 2022.[9]

Letter of 30 March 2023 from the Chair of Governors announcing Rabbi Joshua Conway as head teacher, posted 31 March 2023

On 31 March 2023 the school posted a letter dated 30 March 2023 from Sharon Kelaty-Timsit, Chair of Governors, announcing that Rabbi Joshua Conway, who had been at the school for five years, had been appointed head teacher to succeed Mr Wolfson. The letter said the post had drawn applicants from the UK, America, Israel, Canada and South Africa.[10] The school's letterhead in October 2023 named "Rabbi J Conway" as headteacher.[11]

Zionism

  • 'Our economic education is often in-class activities and also delivered through assemblies as well as links with our JNF partner school in Negev Sinai, Israel.  It also includes the tzedaka (charity) pupils raise during the year for things like the Jewish Care Cake Sale and other charity events including the Camp Simcha Toy Drive for sick children in hospital.'[12];
  • 'This afternoon Y5 had a unique opportunity to be in Jerusalem while sitting in our classroom in London: Chemed and the Israel Ministry of Education with the Jewish Agency invited us for an exciting virtual tour in the Kotel tunnels. Children from Israel and al around the world were invited to join the "Aliyah to Jerusalem" tour.'[4]

JNF UK partner school

On 8 July 2019 the school wrote on Facebook that Yonatan Galon, "CEO of JNF UK", and Ruth Wilkinson of the JNF had attended its end-of-term shuk (market), where pupils spent "NRPS Lirot" awarded by their Ivrit teachers. The post said: "We have had a wonderful year as a JNF Partner School - thank you JNF UK!! We look forward to continuing with our JNF Ivrit and Israel Education Projects in 2019/20".[13] JNF UK replied: "We are proud to be partnered with Nancy Reuben. Well done to all the staff and children for truly embracing their Israel education programme. Kol Hakavod!"[13] Photos with the post show "JNF UK wishes you a lovely summer holiday" sun hats for the children[14] and a modern Hebrew sheet headed "Hebrew Summer Market Vocabulary – Nancy Reuben School" (מילון שוק קיץ בעברית – בית הספר ננסי רובין), with phrases such as "How much is it?" and "May I please have a discount?"[15]

Photos posted on 18 July 2019 show a school display board headed "School twinning program: NRPS (UK) and Negev-Sinai (Israel)", with the Hebrew greeting "נעים להכיר!" ("Nice to meet you!"), the British and Israeli flags, the logo of the Negev Sinai state-religious (Mamlachti-Dati) school, a JNF UK logo and a map,[16] alongside a JNF UK banner reading "Supporting Israel for Life" and "Building Israel since 1901".[17]

  • The school's Facebook post of 8 July 2019: "We have had a wonderful year as a JNF Partner School - thank you JNF UK!! We look forward to continuing with our JNF Ivrit and Israel Education Projects in 2019/20"

  • JNF UK's comment on the post, 8 July 2019: "We are proud to be partnered with Nancy Reuben ... for truly embracing their Israel education programme"

  • Paper sun hats reading "JNF UK wishes you a lovely summer holiday", from the school's post of 8 July 2019

  • "Hebrew Summer Market Vocabulary – Nancy Reuben School" sheet for the JNF-linked shuk, 8 July 2019

  • Display board, "School twinning program: NRPS (UK) and Negev-Sinai (Israel)", with British and Israeli flags and a JNF UK logo, posted 18 July 2019

  • JNF UK banner, "Supporting Israel for Life" and "Building Israel since 1901", in the school hall, posted 18 July 2019

Yom HaZikaron

Yom HaZikaron display at the school, 14 April 2021: an Israeli flag, memorial candles, a poster with the IDF emblem and memorial posters for two named fallen Israeli soldiers
The school's Facebook post of 14 April 2021: "Today at school we remembered the fallen of the State of Israel."

On 14 April 2021, Israel's Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day for fallen soldiers), the school posted: "Today at school we remembered the fallen of the State of Israel." The photo shows a table draped in an Israeli flag with memorial candles, in front of a board of posters including one reading "נזכור ולא נשכח! את חללי מערכות ישראל ולוחמי תקומת המדינה" ("We will remember and not forget! The fallen of Israel's wars and the fighters of the state's rebirth") above the emblem of the Israel Defense Forces, and memorial posters for two named Israeli soldiers.[18]

Prayers for IDF soldiers (October 2023)

The school's post of 10 October 2023 introducing its "Tehillim for our Chayalim" list, followed by Psalm 121 (list of names not reproduced)
The school's post of 11 October 2023: "an updated list of NRPS Alumni and friends and family on NRPS Families who are currently serving in the IDF" (list not reproduced)

On 10 October 2023 the school posted a list headed "Tehillim for our Chayalim" (Psalms for our soldiers) on its own letterhead, introduced as "A list of names of NRPS Alumni and friends and family of NRPS Families who are currently serving to protect Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael", followed by the text of Psalm 121. The first version named three alumni.[11] The next day it posted "an updated list of NRPS Alumni and friends and family on NRPS Families who are currently serving in the IDF to protect Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael".[19] The updated list had 77 entries, four of them alumni and 73 family members and friends of school families. Three entries were repeated, giving about 74 different people.[19]

Israeli flags, May 2025

On 1 May 2025 the school posted photos of pupils in its playground with Israeli flags. One shows a class group in front of a large Israeli flag; the other shows several hundred pupils gathered in the playground, holding Israeli flags, with more flags hung on the surrounding fences.[20][21][22]

  • A class group in front of a large Israeli flag in the school playground, posted 1 May 2025

  • Pupils gathered in the playground with Israeli flags, more flags hung on the fences, posted 1 May 2025

  • The Facebook photo page, dated 1 May 2025; the post gives no occasion

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,[23] lists Nancy Reuben Jewish Primary 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".[24] 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.[25] In November 2026 the school's logo was among those displayed on the charity's schools page.[25]

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.[26]

Donations

Resources

Annual reports

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Department for Education, Nancy Reuben Primary School Get Information about Schools, URN 152214, accessed 31 October 2026.
  2. ↑ Department for Education, Nancy Reuben Primary School Get Information about Schools, URN 133533, accessed 31 October 2026.
  3. ↑ Simon Rocker, Nancy Reuben becomes first state Sephardi school Jewish Chronicle, 22 September 2025, accessed 31 October 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Nancy Reuben Primary School, post by "Mrs. Rubin" (signed "Morah Sari") on the school's "School Story" feed in its parent messaging app, March 2022, screenshot at File:483478260 9389139891168373 4714002816771678744 n.jpg, uploaded 8 September 2025, accessed 1 November 2026.
  5. ↑ "Reuben school", Jewish Chronicle, 14 July 2006, p. 17.
  6. ↑ Advertisement, Jewish Chronicle, 27 October 2006, p. 48; repeated 3 November 2006, p. 58.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Nancy Reuben Primary School", The Jewish Weekly, 24 September 2020, supplement, p. 28.
  8. ↑ Nancy Reuben Primary School, Photo: Jewish Weekly supplement page on the school Facebook, 24 September 2020, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  9. ↑ Anthony Wolfson, "Preventing the summer slide", Jewish Chronicle, 5 August 2022, education supplement, p. 6.
  10. ↑ Nancy Reuben Primary School, "Exciting news about our new headteacher!" Facebook, 31 March 2023, reproducing a letter of 30 March 2023 from the Chair of Governors, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Nancy Reuben Primary School, "Tehillim for our Chayalim" Facebook, 10 October 2023, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  12. ↑ https://archive.ph/yy5gr
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Nancy Reuben Primary School, Post on the school's end-of-term shuk Facebook, 8 July 2019, with comment by JNF UK, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  14. ↑ Nancy Reuben Primary School, Photo: JNF UK summer hats Facebook, 8 July 2019, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  15. ↑ Nancy Reuben Primary School, Photo: Hebrew summer market vocabulary sheet Facebook, 8 July 2019, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  16. ↑ Nancy Reuben Primary School, Photo of the school twinning display board Facebook, 18 July 2019, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  17. ↑ Nancy Reuben Primary School, Photo of the JNF UK banner Facebook, 18 July 2019, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  18. ↑ Nancy Reuben Primary School, Photo: Yom HaZikaron display Facebook, 14 April 2021, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Nancy Reuben Primary School, "Here is an updated list of NRPS Alumni and friends and family on NRPS Families who are currently serving in the IDF" Facebook, 11 October 2023, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  20. ↑ Nancy Reuben Primary School, Post with Israeli-flag photos Facebook, 1 May 2025, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  21. ↑ Nancy Reuben Primary School, Photo: pupils with Israeli flags Facebook, 1 May 2025, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  22. ↑ Nancy Reuben Primary School, Photo: pupils with Israeli flags Facebook, 1 May 2025, accessed 2 November 2026 (screenshot supplied).
  23. ↑ Charity Commission, BEIT HALOCHEM UK - 1146950, Register of Charities, register data extract of 13 October 2026, accessed 1 November 2026.
  24. ↑ Beit Halochem UK, For Schools, bhuk.org, archived by the Wayback Machine on 12 February 2025, accessed 1 November 2026.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Beit Halochem UK, For schools, bhuk.org (page text and school logos), accessed 1 November 2026.
  26. ↑ Beit Halochem UK, Trustees, bhuk.org, accessed 1 November 2026.
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