| Established | 6 September 2010 |
|---|---|
| Religion | Judaism |
| Headteacher | Jeremy Stowe-Lindner |
| Specialism | Science |
| Location | Castlewood Road New Barnet London EN4 9GE England |
| Students | 1360 (target) |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Website | www.jcoss.org |
JCoSS (Jewish Community Secondary School) is a state-funded Jewish secondary school in New Barnet, London. Established in 2010, it is the first Jewish cross-denominational secondary school in the UK.[1] It was established after a mother observed that while her son had gone to JFS (Jewish Free School), many of his friends had not been able to attend because of oversubscription and halachic requirements, and initiated in 2001 the ultimately successful proposal for a new British faith school.[2][3] Construction of the school began in April 2009.[4]
JCoSS is opening a year at a time, with up to 180 students joining Year 7 each year until 2017, when the school will have about 1310 students. Its sixth form is scheduled to open in 2012. The school has specialist status in science.[5] The school cost £50 million to build, £36 million of which was funded by the government, and is the most expensive state-funded secondary school to be built in the UK.[2] The headteacher is Jeremy Stowe-Lindner, who was appointed in 2009.[6] Gerald Ronson, a business tycoon and philanthropist, helped in the fundraising drive and is the president of the JCoSS Trust.[7] The Pears Special Resource Provision (PSRP) at the school has places for up to 50 children (seven places each year) with autistic spectrum disorders. Norwood, a Jewish charity, is providing some of the services at the PSRP.[8]
Before the school opened, several Orthodox rabbis expressed concern over JCoSS's compatibility with their faith.[9] At the construction ceremony, Ed Balls, who at the time was schools secretary, said the school would play an important role in dealing with discrimination and prejudice.[10]