Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has hailed Simon Marks Primary as “an excellent school that truly draws out the potential of every child”.

Rabbi Mirvis was at the Stoke Newington school on Wednesday to open a state-of-the-art building for nursery and reception children.

He unveiled a plaque at the William Sharron Early Years Building, named after one of the school’s most devoted supporters, who died in 2013.

Rabbi Mirvis was particularly impressed by the extensive outdoor space, including raised troughs for pupils to plant their own herbs and vegetables, as well as a large, covered outdoor area for year-round play.

Governors’ chair Howard Pallis said the new facility was “a huge step forward. Following Ofsted’s recent rating of Simon Marks as a good school and the appointment of our excellent head Gulcan Metin, we’re going from strength to strength. Billy Sharron would be thrilled to see what’s happening at a school he truly loved.”