Shalit march planned

The Zionist Federation is organising a march and meeting in London on September 21 to publicise the plight of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.   

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Essex woman knocked down

A Chigwell, Essex, mother of three was badly injured after she was knocked down by a car while on holiday in France. Sharon Bowman, 55, was due to be flown home to the UK this week.

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Charities ‘not being open enough’

Jewish charities are the worst in the country at being transparent and open about their work, according to a survey by an independent agency.

Intelligent Giving (IG), a not-for-profit organisation which monitors charities, has examined this year's accounts and annual reports of around 500 charities, including 23 focused on Jewish causes. Each is given a percentage score after being judged according to a set of 43 criteria.

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Ofsted critical of Charedi teachers’ secular lessons

More than a third of the strictly Orthodox independent schools which have been inspected this year have been criticised for the quality of their secular education.

In five out of 14 independent Charedi schools so far examined in 2008, Ofsted inspectors have said the secular curriculum lacks breadth or is inadequate.

Although independent schools - unlike state schools - do not have to teach the national curriculum, a change in the law five years ago has brought them under closer government scrutiny.

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Racist attack in Llandudno

A man was punched and had his kippah knocked off in what police describe as a racist attack.

The 24-year-old was wrestled to the ground by two men and hit in the face during the assault in Llandudno, North Wales, last week.

He had been walking close to a Chabad-run community centre on the outskirts of the town when the men attacked him. They removed his skullcap before running away.

The victim, who has not been named, was treated for shock and minor injuries.

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Headteachers delighted with a 'stunning' set of GCSE results

The community's schools this week reported another impressive set of GCSE results, with three schools which released their results early to the JC achieving an overall pass rate of 100 per cent.

As well as a 100 per cent pass rate, pupils at Manchester's King David High School achieved 78 per cent of its passes at grades A* to B.

Joshua Rowe, chair of governors, said he was delighted with the results.

"They are outstanding. I never know what to expect when the results come out and these are stunning results.

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Celebrations as six schools achieve 100 per cent pass rates in A-levels

Jewish schools across the country are again celebrating spectacular A-level results with six schools achieving a 100 per cent overall pass rate.

Hasmonean School in North-West London, which was one of those recording a 100 per cent overall pass rate, also achieved a 77 per cent pass rate at A- and B-grades.

Among their outstanding pupils are Anne Guetta and Gabriella Lebrecht, who both achieved five A-grades. Anne has been offered a place at Cambridge to study land economy and Gabriella is to study maths at Imperial College, London.

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Stars shine through in mainstream schools

Jewish students at mainstream schools around the country also produced outstanding results in their A levels.

Shaun and Ollie Newton, who attend Merchant Taylors' School for Boys in Northwood, Middlesex, both achieved A-level marks for fine art that put them in the top five in the UK.

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500 attend funeral of backpacker

More than 500 people attended the funeral of Sarah Bond, the 23-year-old Essex woman who was killed in a quad-bike accident in New Zealand.

In an emotional tribute to Miss Bond, her father, Jack, 55, described his daughter as an eshet chayil - a woman of worth - and praised her determination and love of life.

Miss Bond died when her bike plunged 150ft down a steep incline near the Waitomo Caves on the county's North Island. She was 10 days into a 10-month backpacking trip.

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TV lawyer bailed over poisoning claims

A high-profile divorce lawyer and TV pundit has been arrested for allegedly lying to police about a plot to poison her.

Vanessa Lloyd Platt, whose North London-based company, Lloyd Platt & Co, is one of the UK's leading family-law and divorce firms, regularly appears on shows including GMTV and Richard & Judy to discuss celebrity separations.

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