No noticeable change in teaching provision, vows Immanuel chair
Daniel Levy tells parents that restructuring process is about to conclude and sets out four key priorities for school
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
The new chair of governors of Immanuel College, Daniel Levy, has told parents that “a restructuring process affecting a small number of teaching colleagues” is about to conclude, but has assured them that “that there will be no noticeable change to the teaching provision, the set sizes, and the commitment to teaching excellence across the whole curriculum, or, the safeguarding and wellbeing of all the family at Immanuel”.
Levy’s letter to parents follows on the heels of a similar communication last week by interim head Mike Buchanan, who confirmed “long-overdue structural changes” to “ensure that we are on a firm financial footing.”
Since Buchanan made clear that the “majority” of the school’s expenditure was on staffing, it seems that a number of unidentified teachers will be leaving the Bushey-based school.
Levy said that he and the rest of the governors had a four-fold set of ambitions for Immanuel. First, to ensure financial stability and to maintain and improve the school buildings; second, to welcome Jo Ebner, who takes up her post as the new head teacher in September; thirdly to recruit specialist governors who will challenge the school to continue to be the very best and more, both in terms of Jewish ways of life and overall education and pastoral care. Finally, to build a master plan, to aspire to create facilities that match the needs of our extraordinary pupils and to the expectations of those who choose to teach here.
Acknowledging that “this has been a really difficult time for teachers, parents and students alike”, Levy said that the good news was that there were a number of people who had expressed serious interest in financially supporting the school. He and the current governors had made “a substantial personal commitment” to Immanuel, he said, and he thanked parents for their “patience and support” for the school.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
