Headteacher’s Welcome

Leeds Jewish Free School set out a decade ago to build and grow a vibrant Jewish secondary school in Leeds offering a first class education.

Our Orthodox Jewish values and ethos, offer a caring, supportive environment which is reinforced by high standards of behaviour, allowing each and every child to develop a lifelong love of learning.

We believe in small class sizes and a balanced curriculum that will help develop a wide range of skill sets to ensure stability and flexibility of learning.

We have the very highest expectations of both staff and students.

We balance individuality with collaboration, helping all students to discover what they love and a direction that will help them flourish in life.  Preparing students for every stage of their school life and beyond is paramount.  We ensure that the curriculum is matched to student needs and that every student is set challenging targets – both for academic work and for personal development.

We aim to create a learning environment which adheres to our strong values and working principles:

Community – the campus is at heart of a thriving Jewish community and growing links and partnerships across Leeds and beyond.

Resilience – flourishing in everyday life and coping when things get tough.

Empowerment – promoting self confidence, helping to discover their ability to make good decisions and thus become independent and self reliant.

Aspiration – ensuring we set ourselves high goals and excel when striving for them

Trust – in supporting all staff and students to achieve at all times and in all that they do.

Excellence – we seek to make excellence a habit and seek to do our best through creativity and effort. Everything is done to achieve the highest possible standards, consistently, and relentlessly.

LJFS will prepare young people to be thoughtful and responsible members of society in an ever changing world, ensuring that they are equipped for lasting success.

We look forward to welcoming you to our school in the near future.

VISION STATEMENT

The Leeds Jewish Free School is a Modern Orthodox Jewish School which aims to offer outstanding educational provision that ensures high academic standards, a strong moral ethic, a joy of learning, high aspirations and an expectation to contribute to the local community.  This is underpinned by its strong Jewish ethos and an innovative educational model.

Every pupil will leave the school having enjoyed their education, achieved well and, if Jewish, proud of their faith, heritage and community. All pupils will see themselves as proud citizens or residents of Britain, respectful and understanding of all other members of its diverse community and contributing at all levels. These aspirations will be key drivers for our curriculum at all Key Stages and in all subjects. Our pupils will have access to education which meets these specific needs without family income being a barrier.

When our pupils apply to university their high academic achievement, matched with their unique educational experience, will ensure that they are always considered as strong applicants for their chosen course and are well prepared for the challenges of university life.

Jewish families relocating will see Leeds as a positive option because a full school life can be envisaged in Leeds, current families will stay for the same reason and all Leeds families, no matter their faith background, will see this school as a first choice for their child.

WE AIM TO:

Offer high quality education within a strong Orthodox Jewish ethos that is available locally, accessible to all irrespective of faith, specific needs or family financial capacity.

We will ensure that no pupil has to leave the city, county and region to access the education their families want, and have an entitlement to.

Ensure that underpinning all aspects of the educational planning will be the need to ensure our pupils are equipped for the world in which they will move into after education.

Ensure that our teaching methods will ensure that they develop the capacity to learn independently, adapt to changing technologies and the demands of a global work place.

Ensure that by operating in an innovative way, with secure partnerships across sectors and organisations the school will model to the pupils the world in which they will live and work.

Meet the needs and aspirations of a community that is committed to Leeds and secure this commitment by providing a full educational path within their home city

Mrs Charlie Kelsey, Interim Executive Headteacher