Jewish Community Secondary School

The Jewish Community Secondary School (JCoSS) is a state-funded Jewish secondary school in New Barnet, London. Established in 2010, it is the first cross-denominational secondary school in the UK.[1] It was established after a mother observed that while her son had gone to JFS, a nearby Jewish school, many of his friends had not been able to attend because of oversubscription and halachic requirements, and initiated in 2001 the ultimately successful proposal for a new faith school.[2][3] Construction of the school began in April 2009.[4]

The Jewish Community Secondary School
Address
Castlewood Road

East Barnet
,
London
,
EN4 9GE

England
Coordinates51.6563°N 0.1718°W / 51.6563; -0.1718
Information
TypeVoluntary aided school
Mottoאלו ואלו (Hebrew)
Religious affiliation(s)Judaism
Established6 September 2010 (2010-09-06)
Local authorityBarnet
Department for Education URN135747 Tables
OfstedReports
PresidentGerald Ronson
ChairStephen Clayman
Head teacherPatrick Moriarty
GenderMixed
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1360
Websitewww.jcoss.org

JCoSS opened a year at a time, with up to 180 students joining Year 7 each year until the school was fully populated with around 1360 students. Its sixth form opened in 2012. The school, whose headteacher is Patrick Moriarty,[5] has specialist status in science.[6][7] It cost £50 million to build, £36 million of which was funded by the government, and is the most expensive state-funded secondary school to be built in the UK.[2] Gerald Ronson, a business tycoon and philanthropist, helped in the fundraising drive and is the president of the JCoSS Trust.[8] The Pears Special Resource Provision (PSRP) at the school has places for up to 49 children (seven places each year) with autistic spectrum disorders. Norwood, a Jewish charity, is providing some of the services at the PSRP.[9]

Before the school opened, several Orthodox Rabbis expressed concern over JCoSS's compatibility with their faith.[10][11] At the construction ceremony, Ed Balls, who at the time was schools secretary, said the school would play an important role in dealing with discrimination and prejudice.[12]

In 2019, JCoSS was named the Sunday Times' London State Secondary School of the Year, in recognition of their record breaking results in GCSE and A Levels.[13]

References
  1. "Our School". JCoSS. Accessed 3 April 2011.
  2. Kessler, Sarah. "A Cross-Denominational Approach to High School in the U.K.". The Forward. 21 January 2009. Accessed 3 April 2011. Archived 2011-04-03 at WebCite 2 April 2011.
  3. "JCoSS timeline". JCoSS. Accessed 3 April 2011.
  4. Lowe, Rebecca. "Ed Balls kicks off JCoSS construction". times-series.co.uk. 22 April 2009. Accessed 11 April 2011.
  5. Galbinski, Alex. "'Outstanding' head appointed". thisislocallondon.co.uk. Accessed 8 August 2011.
  6. Bradford, Kevin. "Record crowds turn out for open days at JCoSS school in New Barnet". times-series.co.uk. 15 October 2010. Accessed 3 April 2011. Archived 2011-04-03 at WebCite 2 April 2011.
  7. "Science Specialist Status @ JCoSS". JCoSS. 4 March 2011. Accessed 3 April 2011.
  8. McSmith, Andy. "Millionaire jailed in fraud scandal leads school fundraising mission". The Independent. 4 January 2008. Accessed 3 April 2011.
  9. "Pears Special Resource Provision". JCoSS. Accessed 17 April 3011.
  10. Rocker, Simon. "JCoSS worries Orthodox rabbis". The Jewish Chronicle. Accessed 3 April 2011.
  11. Harvey Belovski writing in The Jewish Chronicle. "JCoSS is non-Orthodox, not 'cross-communal'". The Jewish Chronicle. 25 June 2009. Accessed 3 April 2011.
  12. Dysch, Marcus. "Balls praises JCoSS ethos". The Jewish Chronicle. 23 April 2009. Accessed 8 August 2011.
  13. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-secondary-schools-in-london-8p3fz8b2b

Further reading
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