The Orthodox community's newest school opened its doors to pupils in Finchley this week.

Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks joined the Morasha Jewish Primary's first eight reception-class pupils in a singalong before performing the official opening.

The fee-paying school - set up by Finchley Synagogue members - will accept a further seven pupils during its first year. Up to 25 additional pupils will enrol for the 2009/10 acdemic year.

Morasha's honorary president is educational philanthropist Benjamin Perl, whose Huntingdon Foundation purchased the site.

"We only bought the building four months ago and today we have eight sets of parents backing us," Mr Perl told the JC. "With 20 more already signed up for next year, we know the school will be a success. Our community is fully behind faith schools."

Governors' chair Ian Kamiel explained that a new form would be added for the next six years until the school reaches full strength, with classes from reception age until year six.

"Our capacity here is for three classes, so we are hoping to find additional sites or one new, larger site for all ages."

School principal and Finchley minister Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis declared: "This is certainly one of the most important events in the development of our community. There is nothing more important to Jewish survival than Jewish education.

"We are blessed to have visionary individuals who have transformed a dream into reality. It's fantastic."

Itzhak Hajioff, one of the first parents to sign up a child for the school, said: "Morasha has an ethos we agree with. Our son Joshua will have a lot of attention because of the small class size. It's important to send him here for his future.

"His new friends will play a big role in his life and we wanted to start him off on the right track."