The school’s motto “A world built on kindness” - עולם חסד יבנה captures what its first headteacher Marc Shoffren and the founders of the school tried to create.
Alma Primary, in north London, opened in 2013, in a wave of new Jewish free schools. Originally proposed by members of New North London Synagogue, the school was designed to be cross-communal and fully inclusive of both Jewish and non-Jewish families.
Shoffren, the founding headteacher, appointed in 2013, started the job only five months before the school opened. He spent those early days recruiting pupils and staff.
“There were a lot of challenges opening a new school,” he recalls in an interview with the JC. “I had to convince parents to sign up before we had recruited the teachers. We didn’t have an agreed site either and ran meetings in people’s houses. And the curriculum was still being written.”
Despite the initial challenges, he describes it as being “an exciting time, and we had a really great group of people engaged and involved in the project.”
The hard work paid off, and Shoffren and his team’s clear ethos and innovative curriculum was well received. When the school opened with 30 pupils, it was already oversubscribed.
The uniqueness of Alma is in its celebration of so many cultures and the nurturing of each child
Alma originally opened in a small building in West Finchley before finding its permanent site in a former police station, where the former cells became the school library. But it was not all plain sailing. When the original builder walked out, the refurbishment plans went on hold and the school temporarily moved to another building on the site of what is now the Archer Academy in East Finchley.
Shoffren specialises in Jewish studies and was previously deputy head at Clore Shalom. He is known for his spiritual and religious assemblies, always accompanied by a large group of student helpers and his guitar.
“One of the things I really love is the way we take Judaism seriously. I think I really brought a passion for Jewish learning.
“The Jewish tradition is fundamental to the operation of the school, but this is done in a broader, more inclusive manner than many schools. Alma respects that families experience their heritage differently, meaning traditional synagogue attendance and specific observance is understood as one of many ways to engage in Jewish life. Ultimately, the goal is simply to help families engage deeply with whichever aspects of Jewish culture and practice resonate with them.”
His approach to Judaism is in keeping with the school’s inclusive environment, where pupils with SEN are encouraged to fully participate, and a number of pupils aren’t Jewish. (Admission of pupils to free schools based on their religion is capped at 50 per cent by the government.)
“The uniqueness of Alma is in its celebration of so many cultures and the nurturing of each child,” says Shoffren.
The school has built strong relationships with other local schools of different religions. Pupils at nearby school Sacred Heart join Alma to celebrate Pesach and Easter, and St. John's welcomes Alma to their nativity play.
When the war with Iran broke out, Alma made sure to offer support to its Iranian pupils, as well as those sympathising with Israel. Shoffren spoke to the Iranian children separately to reassure them that they were safe in the school and would be treated equally.
This year marks the coming of age for Alma, and the annual summer fair was rebranded as the “Almitzvah” in honour of the occasion
Shoffren is proud that Alma encourages creativity in all its pupils and, across its 13-year history, has enjoyed some remarkable achievements, out-performing larger and longer-established schools.
Academically, Alma has always punched well above its weight with some of the best public exam results in Barnet.
Then there are the sporting achievements, such as the 2023 Year 6 football team winning the Pokémon Primary Schools' Cup at the King Power Stadium, along with six other trophies. Recently, the Year 6 netball team represented Barnet at the London Youth Games, as well as winning the Maccabi netball tournament.
A huge range of activities are put on by the parents, including a comedy night, quizzes, fairs and what many regard as the highlight of the year - the camping trip. True to form, Shoffren comes for Friday night kiddush with his guitar to sing in Shabbat.
This year marks the coming of age for Alma, and the annual summer fair was rebranded as the “Almitzvah” in honour of the occasion.
So, what is next for the man who is affectionately known as “The Shoff”? “I’m hoping to re-focus on a doctorate in educational leadership that I started last year. There is huge and growing pressure on school leaders, so I really want to explore what we can do to better support new heads. But before that, I’m looking forward to having some time to think, and a couple of free weeks in September are looking very appealing!”
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