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JFS headteacher resigns after leave of absence

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Jonathan Miller has resigned as headteacher of JFS, it has been announced.

In an email to parents today, chair of governors Steven Woolf said: “I regret to inform you that the school has accepted Mr Miller’s resignation which will take effect at the end of the school year and his leave of absence will continue until that time.”

Mr Miller had taken a “leave of absence” from the school in April with Debby Lipkin, a consultant headteacher who works with Brent Council, brought in to run the school alongside deputy headteacher Simon Appleman, who took over as acting head.

In a further email parents, Mr Woolf told parents that Mrs Lipkin would be taking over as exective head.

He wrote: “The governing body have asked Mrs Debby Lipkin, who has been working as consultant headteacher for the past few weeks, to take on the role of executive headteacher.

“Mrs Lipkin will lead the school and work in partnership with Mr Simon Appleman in his role as headteacher.
Mr Woolf added: “These are interim appointments, and will be in place until August 2017, whilst we undertake a wide ranging search for the highest calibre leaders.

“Mrs Lipkin and Mr Appleman will work with an expanded Senior Leadership Team to continue to drive the school forward.”

The school was knocked by a critical Ofsted report two years ago after an unexpected inspection.

Having been rated as an "outstanding school" in 2009, it dropped two inspection grades to a school "requiring improvement".

Mr Miller described the Ofsted report as "not an accurate reflection of the school we know".

A follow-up inspector's visit a few months later recorded that the school's leadership had acted "resolutely" to make improvements.

It noted that the local authority had contracted an unnamed "independent school improvement adviser" to work with JFS.

With around 2,000 pupils JFS, in Kenton, north-west London, is Europe's biggest Jewish school.

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