Torah Temimah Primary School
Encyclopedia
The Torah Temimah Primary School, located in the former Dollis Hill Synagogue
, is a one form entry Voluntary Aided maintained primary school in the London Borough of Brent
. It is a strictly Orthodox Jewish primary school for up to 204 boys aged 3–11. The school includes a Nursery.
studies; moral, spiritual and personal development of pupils to high standards; and a broad secular education to a high standard (including the UK National Curriculum
) compatible with orthodox Jewish values. Its first premises was in Golders Green before moving to Woodside Park Synagogue. Having outgrown the Synagogue premises, in 1996 the school moved to permanent accommodation in what was formerly the Dollis Hill Synagogue
, which the school purchased from the United Synagogue
in 1995 for £360,000.
Originally called just Torah Temimah Primary School, the school name was changed to Avigdor Hirsch Torah Temimah Primary School when the new building was dedicated in memory of the late Avigdor Hirsch, whose family made a substantial donation to the school for this purpose. It is still known as Torah Temimah for most practical purposes but is sometimes listed as Avigdor Hirsch Torah Temimah in official documents and other sources. "Torah Temimah" means "perfect Torah" in Hebrew and the name is taken from Psalms
19:8. The school is sometimes mistakenly confused with the former Avigdor Primary School, also an orthodox Jewish Voluntary Aided primary school, in the Stamford Hill
area of the London Borough of Hackney, which closed in 2005; there was never any connection between the two schools.
The school became voluntary aided in the London Borough of Brent in April 2000. Rabbi Efraim Klyne was appointed as Head Teacher in 1989 and remained in this post until September 2002 when he was promoted to the position of Principal with responsibility for the Religious Ethos and direction of the school. In September 2002, Anthony Wolfson was appointed Head Teacher, a post he held for eight years. Wolfson left in July 2010 to take up the headship of Rosh Pinah Primary School
in Edgware
and was succeeded by Rabbi Yitzchak Freeman, previously Head at Kisharon
.
• To inculcate the boys with מדות טובות and an appreciation that these are fundamental to all aspects of life.
• To ensure that pupils reach the highest possible standards in their קודש and חול studies.
• To encourage positive attitudes and exemplary behaviour in pupils in order to develop high self-esteem and confidence.
• Pupils will become progressively more independent and responsible members of the school community.
• Maturity and greater self-awareness will enable pupils to understand and respect the rights of others.
• To develop links with the wider community of which the school is part.
Ofsted (July 2007) graded every aspect of the school outstanding or good. Torah Temimah Primary is one of the top performing primary schools in the London Borough of Brent and the majority of students achieve above-average levels in SATs
.
category Church/Synagogue
Owen Williams acted as both architect
and engineer for this building project, which, unlike most of the commissions he received in his career, did not have a government body or industrial company as its client. Its design was undertaken at the same time as the larger and more complex Daily Express building in Manchester. The construction of the 1938 Dollis Hill Synagogue
coincided with its elevation to district status with the United Synagogue. Its smaller predecessor, which subsequently served as a community centre, had been affiliated in 1932. The new synagogue was consecrated in 1938. It held 640 people — 324 men at ground level and 316 women at gallery level. The main elements of the building are the hall, a two-storey entrance area with offices and cloakrooms, and a smaller two-storey block at the rear.For Williams, the site had few of the design challenges he was used to — no industrial processes to accommodate, no difficult city centre location, no long spans, no exceptional heights or other engineering problems. Instead, this building called for a sensitive architectural solution.Concrete was Williams' material of choice and here he used reinforced concrete, generally only 125mm in thickness, cast in situ behind a cork lining left exposed as the internal wall finish. With this system, he created a series of vertical planes, zig-zagged in plan to enclose the hall, with similarly folded planes for its roof. With a span of 18.3m, the roof is of sufficient transverse pitch for rainwater drainage, so asphalt weatherproofing was not needed. The hall is the centrepiece of the building and it consists of three bays each 6.1m wide, delineated by the folded planes described. The concrete is thickened at the folds, allowing enough strength for the walls to carry the cantilevered galleries, which sit in the Vs of the chevron-plan walls. The two-storey parts of the complex are rectilinear in plan with flat roofs. The blandness of the outside walls is relieved by two types of emblematic window openings, enclosing the shape of the Star of David (hexagonal) and a seven-candle candelabra (inverted arch). These windows run in horizontal rows around the building. Williams later justified these whimsical features as being of structural relevance to a girder-like concrete element.To cast the concrete, plywood shuttering was used. Because of the limitations of this technique, unintended horizontal bands appear every 1.2m, where the joints between the levels of shuttering were inadequately sealed. There was also some bowing of the plywood under the pressure of the drying concrete, which caused some bowing the wall planes. Dollis Hill Synagogue is considered one of Williams’ least successful ventures into architecture. It was not well received by the client and he was forced to concede a part of his design fee in order to settle with them. The United Synagogue
sold the building to Torah Temimah Primary School in 1996. It is Grade II listed.
Dollis Hill Synagogue
The Dollis Hill Synagogue is a former Orthodox Jewish house of worship in Dollis Hill, London, England.The congregation first came together in the early part of the 20th century, following an increase of Jewish immigration from the European continent to London...
, is a one form entry Voluntary Aided maintained primary school in the London Borough of Brent
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
. It is a strictly Orthodox Jewish primary school for up to 204 boys aged 3–11. The school includes a Nursery.
History
The school was opened in 1989 when a group of parents found that local Jewish schools in north west London were becoming overcrowded, and who in addition wanted a school that aligned more closely than other available schools to the style of education that they wished for their children - a single-sex boys' school synthesising: uncompromising orthodox Jewish practice; pre-eminence given to a high standard of Jewish TorahTorah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
studies; moral, spiritual and personal development of pupils to high standards; and a broad secular education to a high standard (including the UK National Curriculum
National Curriculum
The National Curriculum was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act 1988. Notwithstanding its name, it does not apply to independent schools, which may set their own curricula, but it...
) compatible with orthodox Jewish values. Its first premises was in Golders Green before moving to Woodside Park Synagogue. Having outgrown the Synagogue premises, in 1996 the school moved to permanent accommodation in what was formerly the Dollis Hill Synagogue
Dollis Hill Synagogue
The Dollis Hill Synagogue is a former Orthodox Jewish house of worship in Dollis Hill, London, England.The congregation first came together in the early part of the 20th century, following an increase of Jewish immigration from the European continent to London...
, which the school purchased from the United Synagogue
United Synagogue
United Synagogue is an organisation of London Jews that was founded with the sanction of an Act of Parliament, in 1870. , it remains the largest religious grouping within the British Jewish community and indeed in Europe, covering 62 Orthodox Jewish communities...
in 1995 for £360,000.
Originally called just Torah Temimah Primary School, the school name was changed to Avigdor Hirsch Torah Temimah Primary School when the new building was dedicated in memory of the late Avigdor Hirsch, whose family made a substantial donation to the school for this purpose. It is still known as Torah Temimah for most practical purposes but is sometimes listed as Avigdor Hirsch Torah Temimah in official documents and other sources. "Torah Temimah" means "perfect Torah" in Hebrew and the name is taken from Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
19:8. The school is sometimes mistakenly confused with the former Avigdor Primary School, also an orthodox Jewish Voluntary Aided primary school, in the Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill is a place in the north of the London Borough of Hackney, England, near the border with Haringey. It is home to Europe's largest Hasidic Jewish and Adeni Jewish community.Stamford Hill is NNE of Charing Cross.-History:...
area of the London Borough of Hackney, which closed in 2005; there was never any connection between the two schools.
The school became voluntary aided in the London Borough of Brent in April 2000. Rabbi Efraim Klyne was appointed as Head Teacher in 1989 and remained in this post until September 2002 when he was promoted to the position of Principal with responsibility for the Religious Ethos and direction of the school. In September 2002, Anthony Wolfson was appointed Head Teacher, a post he held for eight years. Wolfson left in July 2010 to take up the headship of Rosh Pinah Primary School
Rosh Pinah Primary School
-External links:*On 1 December 2002, Reverend Amias died at the age of 95. He wrote this in 1996 for the 40th anniversary celebrations at the school, which describes exactly how the school came into being....
in Edgware
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
and was succeeded by Rabbi Yitzchak Freeman, previously Head at Kisharon
Kisharon
Kisharon is a British charity, founded in 1976 by Chava Lehman. Its resources are all in London. Kisharon specialises in caring for and educating Jewish children and adults with disabilities....
.
Mission statement
Torah Temimah Primary School exists to provide boys from the Orthodox Anglo-Jewish Community with a high quality Orthodox Jewish Education coupled with National Curriculum studies imbued with Torah values enabling all boys to take their place in and contribute to society.School Aims
• To give the boys אהבת התורה ומצות• To inculcate the boys with מדות טובות and an appreciation that these are fundamental to all aspects of life.
• To ensure that pupils reach the highest possible standards in their קודש and חול studies.
• To encourage positive attitudes and exemplary behaviour in pupils in order to develop high self-esteem and confidence.
• Pupils will become progressively more independent and responsible members of the school community.
• Maturity and greater self-awareness will enable pupils to understand and respect the rights of others.
• To develop links with the wider community of which the school is part.
Ofsted (July 2007) graded every aspect of the school outstanding or good. Torah Temimah Primary is one of the top performing primary schools in the London Borough of Brent and the majority of students achieve above-average levels in SATs
National Curriculum assessment
National Curriculum assessments are a series of educational assessments, colloquially known as Sats or SATs, used to assess the attainment of children attending maintained schools in England...
.
Architecture of the building
Associated engineer - Sir Owen Williams date 1936 - 1938 - Era Moderncategory Church/Synagogue
Owen Williams acted as both architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and engineer for this building project, which, unlike most of the commissions he received in his career, did not have a government body or industrial company as its client. Its design was undertaken at the same time as the larger and more complex Daily Express building in Manchester. The construction of the 1938 Dollis Hill Synagogue
Dollis Hill Synagogue
The Dollis Hill Synagogue is a former Orthodox Jewish house of worship in Dollis Hill, London, England.The congregation first came together in the early part of the 20th century, following an increase of Jewish immigration from the European continent to London...
coincided with its elevation to district status with the United Synagogue. Its smaller predecessor, which subsequently served as a community centre, had been affiliated in 1932. The new synagogue was consecrated in 1938. It held 640 people — 324 men at ground level and 316 women at gallery level. The main elements of the building are the hall, a two-storey entrance area with offices and cloakrooms, and a smaller two-storey block at the rear.For Williams, the site had few of the design challenges he was used to — no industrial processes to accommodate, no difficult city centre location, no long spans, no exceptional heights or other engineering problems. Instead, this building called for a sensitive architectural solution.Concrete was Williams' material of choice and here he used reinforced concrete, generally only 125mm in thickness, cast in situ behind a cork lining left exposed as the internal wall finish. With this system, he created a series of vertical planes, zig-zagged in plan to enclose the hall, with similarly folded planes for its roof. With a span of 18.3m, the roof is of sufficient transverse pitch for rainwater drainage, so asphalt weatherproofing was not needed. The hall is the centrepiece of the building and it consists of three bays each 6.1m wide, delineated by the folded planes described. The concrete is thickened at the folds, allowing enough strength for the walls to carry the cantilevered galleries, which sit in the Vs of the chevron-plan walls. The two-storey parts of the complex are rectilinear in plan with flat roofs. The blandness of the outside walls is relieved by two types of emblematic window openings, enclosing the shape of the Star of David (hexagonal) and a seven-candle candelabra (inverted arch). These windows run in horizontal rows around the building. Williams later justified these whimsical features as being of structural relevance to a girder-like concrete element.To cast the concrete, plywood shuttering was used. Because of the limitations of this technique, unintended horizontal bands appear every 1.2m, where the joints between the levels of shuttering were inadequately sealed. There was also some bowing of the plywood under the pressure of the drying concrete, which caused some bowing the wall planes. Dollis Hill Synagogue is considered one of Williams’ least successful ventures into architecture. It was not well received by the client and he was forced to concede a part of his design fee in order to settle with them. The United Synagogue
United Synagogue
United Synagogue is an organisation of London Jews that was founded with the sanction of an Act of Parliament, in 1870. , it remains the largest religious grouping within the British Jewish community and indeed in Europe, covering 62 Orthodox Jewish communities...
sold the building to Torah Temimah Primary School in 1996. It is Grade II listed.
External links
- http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-1722599652207564506&q=torah+temimah&total=1&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0 Video of school Gala Dinner audiovisual presentation 2006
- http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/pdf/?inspectionNumber=293885&providerCategoryID=4096&fileName=\\school\\131\\s5_131916_20070720.pdf Ofsted report 2007
- http://schoolsfinder.direct.gov.uk/_profiles/_pdf/3043603.pdf Schoolsfinder UK government web site
- http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/school_07.pl?No=3043603&Mode=Z&Type=SC&Phase=p&Year=07&Base=p&Num=304 DCSF UK government performance tables 2007
- http://www.jstor.org/pss/1568790 Jstor article on Anglo-Jewry and Synagogue Architecture
- http://www.education.gov.uk/establishments/urn/131916/avigdor-hirsch-torah-temimah-primary-school Department for Education profile & key data of the school