Noam pupils go back to school in a new £4m home
V NOAM PRIMARY School opened its new £3.9 million building in North London this week — and helped hundreds of African schoolchildren through the move.
Pupils attended the single-storey facility in Burnt Oak for the first time on Wednesday. Its eight large classrooms feature interactive screens. There is “break out” space, a library, hall, playground and a dedicated early years play area.
After two decades of financial struggle and uncertainty while located on the Wembley United Synagogue site, the new building has been privately funded by parents and donors.
Pupil numbers have swelled to beyond 200 since the building plans were announced and Noam secured state aid a year ago.
Through the efforts of the school’s business manager, Marilyn Gerson, the furniture from its former premises has been sent to Ghana. The 200 chairs, 100 desks, cupboards and printers will equip a school there.
Noam parents have launched a £150,000 fundraising drive to purchase modern equipment for the Burnt Oak site, with the first £50,000 being matched by a benefactor for contributions made in the next few weeks.
Governors’ chair Mike Levene said the move was “a dream made true by the indomitable faith and perseverance of governors, parents, teachers, pupils and generous donors.
“Opening just two weeks after Chanukah is a fitting time for the culmination of a Maccabean-like struggle benefiting generations of Jewish children. We thank everyone who stuck with us.”
Headteacher Chaya Posen said the building had been “designed to match our ethos of maximising potential, right down to the innovative walls of cupboards which double as huge whiteboards. We’re so proud of Noam’s achievements and can only imagine what pupils and teachers can now achieve with a state-ofthe-art building.”