Community
Noam building to a bigger future as growing school holds £100k dinner
Surge of applications in advance of new premises
July 8, 2019 10:15
Surge of applications in advance of new premises
July 8, 2019 10:15Noam Primary has made 30 new places available after a surge of applications following the announcement its new £3.9 million building.
Currently based at the Wembley United Synagogue site, the state-aided Orthodox school has 170 pupils. The roll will expand to 200 in time for the next academic year and grow further when Noam moves to its new premises in Burnt Oak.
The news was announced at a fund-raising dinner at Brent Civic Centre attended by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and 275 other supporters.
Trustee Jeremy Rees said that a combination of state aid, the new premises and continuing strong SATs performance had prompted the surge in demand. The new building, which is due to be completed in January, will be able to accommodate a maximum of around 240 children.
Rabbi Mirvis, whose grandchildren attend Noam, attributed its popularity to “offering our children a Judaism that can outdo everything else they see. Noam Primary is one of the remarkable success stories of Jewish education in Britain today.”
The event honoured Noam’s founders, Tamara and George Weisz. Mrs Weisz said her inspiration to open the school had been a knock on her door by a tearful mother with no Jewish school place for her child. “She told me there were 30 or even 50 children with no Jewish education that year. I couldn’t understand how any child could miss out on this rich opportunity.” Around £100,000 was raised from the dinner.
