Two Orthodox Jewish primary schools have been awarded more than £3 million in grants for building improvements and renovation from the Department for Education.
The United Synagogue-backed Jewish Community Academy Trust helped Wolfson Hillel Primary School in Southgate secure more than £2 million, while Hertsmere Jewish Primary School in Radlett is to get over £1 million.
Adam Goldstein, JCAT’s chief executive, said: “This is brilliant news for both schools and a real testament to the quality of support JCAT offers. Successfully bidding to the DfE for this funding is very difficult and I’d like to say thank you to all our team for the huge efforts they put in to secure such great results on behalf of our schools.”
The grant, from the 2025/6 Condition Improvement Fund, will enable Wolfson Hillel to revamp heating across the school, improve classroom insulation and energy efficiency, as well as cover new internal and external lighting, updated electrics and a brand new fire alarm system.
HJPS can now afford a full rewire throughout the school, revamped internal and external lighting, as well as a new fire alarm system.
In order to meet the DfE’s challenging criteria for funding, the trust brought in outside experts to help identify the highest priority building needs.
Wolfson Hillel’s co-heads Alex Kingston and Laura Russel said:‘We’re hugely pleased about this successful bid. The funding will be so important to sustaining the quality of our children’s learning experiences as well as continuing to ensure our school is a great working environment for all our staff.”
HJPS Rita Alak-Levi, headteacher of HJPS described the funding as a “game-changer. It will make a huge difference in ensuring a safe and modern learning environment for our pupils. We are thrilled that this grant will also support our sustainability goals and help us continue our upward trajectory in academic achievement and overall school development.”
