Yavneh Primary School
Orthodox Jewish free school primary in Borehamwood
| Yavneh Primary School
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Academy free school, primary (ages 4–11), Orthodox Jewish religious character |
| Founded | 1 September 2016 |
| Registration ID | URN 142862 (Department for Education) |
| Headquarters | Hillside Avenue, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1HL |
| Key people | Caroline Field (headteacher); Spencer Lewis (executive headteacher); Roz Levin (chair of trust) |
| Website | yavnehprimary.org |
Yavneh Primary School is a mixed primary free school in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. It opened in September 2016 and is part of the Yavneh College Academy Trust.[1][2] The Department for Education records its religious character as Orthodox Jewish.[1] The school describes itself as "an outstanding Modern Orthodox Jewish school".[3] It "shares a site with the Yavneh College", the secondary school run by the same trust.[2]
History
The school opened in September 2016. It is not the same school as the earlier Yavneh Primary School, Wembley, an independent Jewish primary school that ran from 1963 to 1981 at Wembley United Synagogue and whose pupils and staff moved in September 1981 to the new Michael Sobell Sinai School in Kenton, now Sinai Jewish Primary School.[4][5] At its first full inspection, in June 2019, it had 181 pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, and was to "expand by an additional year group each year". It was judged outstanding.[2] At an ungraded inspection in April 2025, Ofsted found that it had "taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection". By then it had 421 pupils and had "grown significantly since the previous inspection".[6] The register records 418 pupils and a capacity of 420.[1]
People
| Year | Headteacher | Executive headteacher | Chair |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Caroline Field | Spencer Lewis | Sue Nyman (chair of trustees); Roz Levin (chair of governors) |
| 2025 | Caroline Field | Spencer Lewis | Roz Levin (chair of trust) |
Religious character
Ofsted reported in 2019 that "the school is of a religious character, that of the Orthodox Jewish faith", and in 2025 that it "has a Jewish ethos", with a section 48 inspection of its religious character in March 2025.[2][6] In 2019 "Personal, social and health education (PSHE) is taught through the Jewish studies curriculum".[2] The headteacher's welcome promises "a love of Judaism, pride in Jewish identity and a commitment to the Jewish people and Israel".[7]
Israel
The school's Limudei Kodesh page says: "We also instil a strong connection to the Land and State of Israel".[8] Ofsted noted in 2019 that "pupils learn Hebrew as a modern foreign language".[2] In March 2020 the school said it was "proud to have Israeli dancing as part of the curriculum", and that "the children gain respect for our Jewish and Israeli cultural identity".[9] In July 2023 pupils marked the Festival of Spoken Ivrit with "a show about Eliezer Ben Yehuda".[10] The school also held a Yom Ha'atzmaut "blue and white day to celebrate all things Israel", with "cooking, dancing, map work and games".[11]
Photograph from the Yavneh Primary School website (pupils' faces blurred; accessed 5 November 2026)
- In May 2024, according to an MDA UK report in The Jewish Chronicle VJCC Supplement (12 July 2024), the MDA UK team took a retired Magen David Adom ambulance to Yavneh Primary, Yavneh Secondary and Clore Shalom School to mark Yom Haatzmaut; "The young students learnt about the work of MDA paramedics in Israel."[12]
Ofsted inspections
| Inspection date | Type | Outcome | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 April 2025 | Ungraded inspection | Standards maintained (Outstanding before September 2024) | 13 May 2025 |
| 26–27 June 2019 | Full inspection (section 5) | Outstanding | 25 July 2019 |
Source: Ofsted.[13]
Related charities
Yavneh Foundation Trust
The Yavneh Foundation Trust (charity 1095796; company 04443267) was incorporated on 21 May 2002 and registered as a charity on 4 February 2003. Its Charity Commission address is Yavneh College, Hillside Avenue, Borehamwood, WD6 1HL, and its registered office is 10 London Mews, London, W2 1HY.[14][15] Its objects are to advance education "by promoting the school and furthering the education of children attending the school under the religious direction of the Chief Rabbi".[16] Its governing document refers to "the school" without naming it. The charity's website is that of Yavneh College.[14] Past directors include Jonathan Arkush (2002–2006) and Lord Polak (2006–2017). Sue Nyman was a director from 2005 to 2024, and Roz Levin has been a director since 24 May 2023.[17]
| Name | Role | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Joanne Grose | Trustee | 1 October 2017 |
| Alex Chapper | Trustee | 27 January 2020 |
| Richard Gilbert | Chair | 1 September 2022 |
| Roz Levin | Trustee | 24 May 2023 |
| Cindy Goldstein | Trustee | 4 February 2025 |
| Joshua Pyzer | Trustee | 5 March 2025 |
| Joshua May | Trustee | 21 May 2025 |
Source: Charity Commission.[18]
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hayley Fraser | Secretary | 1 September 2021 | – |
| Alex Chapper | Director | 27 January 2020 | – |
| Richard Michael Gilbert | Director | 1 September 2022 | – |
| Cindy Goldstein | Director | 4 February 2025 | – |
| Joanne Grose | Director | 25 September 2017 | – |
| Roz Levin | Director | 24 May 2023 | – |
| Joshua May | Director | 21 May 2025 | – |
| Joshua Pyzer | Director | 5 March 2025 | – |
| Daniel Album | Secretary | 1 April 2017 | 31 August 2021 |
| Malcolm Alan Gordon | Secretary | 21 May 2002 | 31 March 2017 |
| Daniel Iain Album | Director | 13 March 2008 | 31 August 2021 |
| Jonathan Harry Samuel Arkush | Director | 21 May 2002 | 24 January 2006 |
| Naftali Yosef Brawer | Director | 13 December 2007 | 24 November 2011 |
| Michael Firestone | Director | 3 January 2021 | 7 October 2024 |
| Malcolm Alan Gordon | Director | 21 May 2002 | 31 March 2017 |
| Rebecca Jane Hilsenrath | Director | 27 April 2003 | 13 July 2010 |
| Sarah Penelope Isaacs | Director | 1 January 2019 | 25 November 2024 |
| Chaim Kanterovitz | Director | 1 April 2017 | 11 February 2019 |
| Natalie Leon | Director | 2 October 2022 | 25 May 2023 |
| Susan Annette Nyman | Director | 5 December 2005 | 31 May 2024 |
| Benjamin Eliezer Perl | Director | 20 January 2005 | 22 May 2024 |
| Stuart Polak | Director | 24 February 2006 | 31 March 2017 |
| Jerome Scott Reback | Director | 10 April 2011 | 4 March 2025 |
| Alan Rubenstein | Director | 4 December 2011 | 13 May 2020 |
Source: Companies House.[17]
| Financial year end | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 31 August 2021 | £1,313,176 | £1,080,558 |
| 31 August 2022 | £1,489,248 | £1,546,482 |
| 31 August 2023 | £1,456,582 | £1,635,191 |
| 31 August 2024 | £1,213,279 | £1,558,584 |
| 31 August 2025 | £1,065,937 | £1,231,985 |
Source: Charity Commission.[19]
Yavneh Primary School PTA
The Yavneh Primary School PTA (charity 1173930) was registered on 24 July 2017. Its address is 39 Furzehill Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 2DJ. It raises funds for the school "through holding events such as supper quizzes, movie days/nights, summer fayre's and fetes".[20]
| Financial year end | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2021 | £3,473 | £989 |
| 31 December 2022 | £19,989 | £6,639 |
| 31 December 2023 | £9,471 | £6,376 |
| 31 December 2024 | £13,168 | £8,907 |
| 31 December 2025 | £13,416 | £16,324 |
Source: Charity Commission.[21]
Yavneh College Academy Trust
The Yavneh College Academy Trust, which runs the school, (company number 07643712) was incorporated on 23 May 2011. It was previously named Yavneh College (until 2 April 2016).[22] Its current directors are Richard Michael Gilbert (appointed 14 November 2018), Cindy Goldstein (appointed 5 March 2025), Aaron Paul Kaye (appointed 16 September 2019), Natalie Leon (appointed 3 October 2022), Roz Levin (appointed 23 May 2016), Spencer Lewis (appointed 1 September 2013), Daniel Braham Morris (appointed 5 March 2025), Jacqueline Rudolph (appointed 20 May 2019) and Susan Stone (appointed 11 March 2019).[23]
Contact
- Web: yavnehprimary.org
- Address: Hillside Avenue, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1HL[1]
- Telephone: 020 8736 5580[2]
- Email: admin@yavnehprimary.org[2]
External links
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Department for Education, Yavneh Primary School (URN 142862) Get Information about Schools, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Ofsted, Yavneh Primary School: inspection report Ofsted, inspection 26–27 June 2019, published 25 July 2019, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Yavneh Primary School, Mission and Values Yavneh Primary School website, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ About Yavneh, Yavneh – Wembley (former pupils' website), accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ The History of Sinai School, sinaischool.com, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Ofsted, Yavneh Primary School: inspection report Ofsted, inspection 1 and 2 April 2025, published 13 May 2025, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Yavneh Primary School, Headteacher's Welcome Yavneh Primary School website, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Yavneh Primary School, Limudei Kodesh Yavneh Primary School website, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Yavneh Primary School, Israeli Dancing Yavneh Primary School website, archived by the Wayback Machine on 13 August 2020, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Yavneh Primary School, Festival of Ivrit Yavneh Primary School website, archived by the Wayback Machine on 11 December 2023, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Yavneh Primary School, News – Yom Ha'atzmaut (17 July 2023) Yavneh Primary School website, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Jewish Chronicle VJCC Supplement, 12 July 2024, p.004, "Nationwide roadshow brings Magen David Adom to the UK", archive, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ Ofsted, Yavneh Primary School – inspection reports Ofsted reports, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Charity Commission, Yavneh Foundation Trust – charity overview Register of Charities, charity number 1095796; register data extracts of 13 and 16 October 2026, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Companies House, Yavneh Foundation Trust – company overview (company number 04443267) Find and update company information, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Yavneh Foundation Trust – governing document Register of Charities, charity number 1095796; register data extracts of 13 and 16 October 2026, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Companies House, Yavneh Foundation Trust – officers (company number 04443267) Find and update company information, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Yavneh Foundation Trust – trustees Register of Charities, charity number 1095796; register data extracts of 13 and 16 October 2026, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Yavneh Foundation Trust – financial history Register of Charities, charity number 1095796; register data extracts of 13 and 16 October 2026, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Yavneh Primary School PTA – charity overview Register of Charities, charity number 1173930; register data extracts of 13 and 16 October 2026, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Yavneh Primary School PTA – financial history Register of Charities, charity number 1173930; register data extracts of 13 and 16 October 2026, accessed 29 October 2026.
- ↑ Companies House, YAVNEH COLLEGE ACADEMY TRUST (07643712): Company overview, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Companies House, YAVNEH COLLEGE ACADEMY TRUST (07643712): People, accessed 1 November 2026.