Building work begins on new £12.5m Kisharon school in Hendon

Builders have begun work on the new £12.5 million Kisharon School in Hendon for children with learning difficulties, with pupils thrilled to be given a practical demonstration of a digger and dump truck.

The charity, which helps children aged 4-19 with complex learning disabilities, said it was “thrilled” to finally begin work on the project, which is due to be finished in 2020 and will result in new state-of-the-art facilities.

Funding for the new Parson Street development, which will cater for 72 school-aged pupils in four units, has almost been met, with £1 million still to find, and Kisharon chairman Philip Goldberg said the new facilities were “much-needed”.

They will include indoor and outdoor teaching space with breakout rooms, an Early Years Assessment Unit, a Profound and Multiple learning disability area and an Autistic Zone.

Classrooms will be ambient temperature-controlled to support learning and pupils will have access to multiple therapy rooms, a food technology unit, a multi-purpose school hall and shul, and a hydrotherapy pool.

Last month longstanding chief executive Dr Beverley Jacobson announced that she would be leaving Kisharon to head up Norwood, but is to take part in “one last mad sponsored endurance challenge” to raise £75,000 to endow a classroom in memory of her late father, Dr Bentley Phillips.