‘Life Changing’ Gesher School maintains its Outstanding rating 

12th October 2022Website Admin

Gesher School in Pinner is delighted  to share it has maintained its Outstanding Ofsted rating after an inspection in late September. 

Gesher is an all-through school for young people with mild to moderate learning needs. The school was last inspected in 2018 when it only had 13 pupils aged 4 to 7 based on a smaller site in Kilburn. This inspection was conducted at the school’s new site in Pinner with more than 50 pupils aged 4 to 14.

This is the school’s second Outstanding rating since opening.  Ofsted recently changed its inspection framework making it much more challenging for schools to achieve this status.

Based on the latest inspection, Ofsted said: 

Pupils receive an exceptional quality of provision. Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum which is taught by the school’s expert staff. 

Together, the curriculum and therapies encourage pupils’ independent living skills and emotional well-being very successfully. 

Therapists, teachers and teaching assistants work together seamlessly as one team. They truly understand how to meet pupils’ varied special educational needs. While staff are nurturing, they also have high expectations of all pupils. As a result, pupils work hard and learn well.  

Ofsted also drew attention to positive comments made by parents through the online survey they were asked to complete: “Parents often commented that their children are thriving at Gesher. They described the school’s work as ‘in a different league’ and ‘life changing’”. 

Download: Gesher Ofsted Report 2022

Leadership at Gesher was also described by Ofsted as “exceptionally strong” with “senior leaders are supported and challenged in equal measure by the school’s governing body”. 

Gesher’s Co-Heads, Tamaryn Yartu and Nikeisha Webb-Hardy said ‘We are extremely thrilled and proud of the hard work and commitment that our staff has shown resulting in such a phenomenal achievement. Our students have made us very proud, and we are delighted to share in this outstanding achievement with our parents and wider community. We remain resolute in ensuring that we remain a flagship school- leading the path to success for all our students. 

“What began as a small project and primary school has grown into a thriving all-through school. Under Tamaryn and Nikeisha’s stewardship the school’s innovative approach to education has taken root with students happy and flourishing. This recognition by Ofsted is important in cementing Gesher as an exceptional school in the community and we are truly thrilled and excited for what the future holds for our students” say Ali Durban and Sarah Sultman, Co-Founders Gesher School.

 

Gesher School proud to introduce Co-Headteachers to oversee their next phase of growth

12th September 2022Website Admin

Gesher School is delighted to announce the introduction of a Co-Headship model as it continues its expansion from a primary school for young people with mild to moderate learning differences, to an all-through school. The Co-Headship will be a partnership between Gesher’s current Headteacher, Tamaryn Yartu, and Nikeisha Webb-Hardy. Tamaryn has been the Headteacher at Gesher since 2020, and will oversee the primary phase of the school, while Nikeisha, who has already spent a year at Gesher as a Deputy Head, will be responsible for the secondary phase of the school. The partnership will also ensure that Gesher continues to efficiently progress through its next phases of development.

In September 2021, Gesher School expanded into an all-through school, catering for students from Reception to Year 11. Currently, the school has 51 students, and over the next five years will grow to over 100. A key milestone for the development of Gesher over the coming years will be the expansion of the secondary phases of the school, while also retaining the high standards set within the primary phase. Having a Co-Headship model will facilitate expertise within each phase and ensure that there is continuity and an effective transition for students as they progress throughout their time at Gesher. 

The Co-Headship has also been designed to support Gesher’s ambition of developing into a ‘Centre of Excellence’, within the education system. Specifically, the model of Co-Headship will allow for the capacity of both heads to engage in their outreach work. In turn, it is hoped this will create many more opportunities for collaboration and development than could be achieved under a single headteacher. 

Speaking about their new joint roles, Tamaryn and Nikeisha said:

“We are deeply committed to supporting the holistic development of all students at Gesher, and will put the needs and well being of students at the heart of all decisions made. We are very excited about co-leading Gesher through the next phase of its development”.

Siddur Lakol: Far & Wide

24th June 2022Website Admin

As you are aware over the last year, Gesher School has been working in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Rabbi, the United Synagogue and the Daniels Family to create a new siddur; Siddur Lakol. Siddur Lakol, which translates to ‘A Siddur for Everyone’. As part of our involvement with the project, our primary classes were joined by members from the United Synagogue, the Office of the Chief Rabbi, the Daniels Family and the Chief Rabbi himself to participate in our inaugural Chaggigat Siddur. During our Chaggigat Siddur, each child was gifted a personalised siddur signed by the Chief Rabbi, and participated in a beautiful tefillah ceremony to celebrate the occasion.

News of Siddur Lakol has spread far and wide. You can read about it here:

Jewish News

The Jewish Chronicle

Israel Hayom

Israel National News

Jewish News Syndicate

The US

 

 

 

‘Trek for Gesher’ in Jan 2023

26th April 2022Website Admin

’Trek for Gesher’ in Jan 2023 For those of you who know me, you will know that I am a keen and avid trekker. It ticks all of my boxes of adventure, camaraderie, head space and physical activity.

Back in October 2018 (pre Covid!), 20 marvellous women trekked with me to Matchu Pitchu via a High Andes Pass to raise over ÂŁ70,000 for Gesher.

The Next ‘Trek for Gesher’ will take place JANUARY 2023 (19th-29th). We will be trekking in Colombia following the trail to Thet Lost City and having a shabbat experience in Bogata.

Bookings are open and anyone over the age of 18 is invited to join.  All the details including costs/itinerary can be found on the link below.

https://www.ultimatechallenges.co.uk/challenges/south-america/gesher-colombia-trek/

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

Hope you will consider joining us!

Best, Sarah

 

Pesach: A Visit from the Chief Rabbi

26th April 2022Website Admin

Gesher moved to its new home in Pinner in September 2021. Since then we have been very fortunate to welcome The Chief Rabbi to the school on three occasions.

The first was to put our mezzuzahs up in our original building!  The second was to record the Shabbat UK 2022 song with the students and the third was in April when the school transformed itself into a sensory immersive Pesach experience replete with animal sounds, live locusts and plenty of frogs. Three of our students hosted The Chief Rabbi and other guests along the ten plagues learning walk culminating in a freedom party in the school hall.

It was a really special afternoon and we are truly grateful for the time, support and interest The Chief Rabbi has shown to Gesher. We very much look forward to his next visit next term.

Drums Donated to Gesher Students

22nd April 2022Website Admin

Over the last year, Gesher has been lucky enough to have received regular visits from a young man called Leo. He has been fundraising prior to his Bar Mitzvah so as to able to support Gesher pupils in accessing music through drumming and percussion, something which is a huge passion of Leo’s. Subsequently, he raised over £700 and has kindly used this to purchase a number of instruments which Leo has donated 

to Gesher. Alongside this, Leo has also been investing his time in coming to demonstrate how to use the drums and provide introductory lessons for our pupils. We cannot understate how incredibly grateful we are to Leo for the kindness and generosity he has displayed, and it is a testament to what an outstanding citizen he is within the community. Thank you, Leo – our pupils cannot wait to get their hands on our new drum kits!

There is more to a classroom than a square box

17th March 2022Ali Durban

The physical design of classrooms in the UK typically focuses on how teaching will be delivered, rather than the learning needs of students. As part of Gesher’s relocation and expansion into an all-through special school we have been working with the team at Planning Learning Spaces to design inspiring and purposeful learning spaces that inspire and empower our students and facilitates their outputs and outcomes.

One of these spaces is our exciting new Makerspace which will come to life this summer and was made possible thanks to the generosity of The Wolfson Family Charitable Trust – you can find out more about the space and the process here.