Lubavitch School in London Earns Top Marks From Government Agency

Government inspectors from the United Kingdom's Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills praised the Lubavitch House School for Senior Girls in the London neighborhood of Stamford Hill for its high standards and multiple achievements.

The report, which was authored by lead inspector John Godwood, pronounced that the "pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding."

It also noted the school's nurturing and caring environment: "Pupils feel safe and trust the staff, who care for them well," the report concluded.

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Students with special needs have "good individual support," while gifted students have the opportunity to compete in advanced mathematics programs and study competitions.

And while the Jewish Studies program, which unlike at other UK Jewish institutions takes up a full half of the school day, was lauded as offering "a high level of challenge and debate," the report pointed out that the 107 students are "very aware and tolerant of other cultures.

Rabbi Shmuel Lew, headmaster of the school, praised the students'

achievements, but also attributed much credit to his "fantastic and highly motivated" staff, which "gets everyone to perform as well as they can."

Teachers give much attention, for instance, to students from the Former Soviet Union so that they can, at the same time, master English and excel in Jewish and secular studies.

Head teacher Helen Friedman expressed the staff's sentiments when she said that all were "very proud of the school," which was founded in 1959 for girls aged 11 to 17.

"We are delighted," stated Friedman.

When it came to academic performance, the study published statistics showing that students who were tested in math, English, biblical Hebrew and religious studies enjoyed a 100 percent pass rate; 79 percent scored A or B on their examinations, while more than 93 percent scored between an A and a C, exceeding the national average by 30 percent. Overall grades at the school were equally excellent: 60 percent of the marks earned by students were either an A or A plus, whereas the national average stood at 19.5 percent.

This week, a report from Edexcel, the largest academic qualifying body in the United Kingdom, corroborated some of the government's findings when it announced that two of the top 10 students who took a national science test came from the Lubavitch school.

But while the grades are proof enough of a high quality institution, said one student, "this is a good school because we learn and have fun."