‘Uncertain’ future for 180 Stamford Hill pupils as Charedi primary school faces closure

The future of 180 pupils at an independent Charedi primary school in Stamford Hill hangs in the balance, as the school fights a planning battle that could force it to shut its doors in January 2027 — despite eight primary school sites lying vacant elsewhere in Hackney.

Talmud Torah London (TTL), which serves the Charedi Jewish community, operates across two sites: an early years school on Upper Clapton Road, which has 60 pupils, and a primary school on Amhurst Park, where 120 boys aged between 5 and 14 are taught.

So far, no alternative premises have been secured for the pupils.

TTL moved to 69 Amhurst Park, a single residential property, in 2020 after outgrowing its original site — and began using it as a school without planning permission.

A retrospective planning application was refused in July of that year.

A second application was rejected in January 2025, citing poor site management, the number of pupils being taught there, and what the council described as “intolerable” noise from the playground, including the use of megaphones and whistles on bank holidays and Sundays.

The council subsequently issued an enforcement notice requiring the school to cease operating from the site by January 2027, and to remove unauthorised works including three outbuildings, a fire escape staircase, a rear roof extension and an area of hardstanding.

The school, which is rated Good by Ofsted, appealed to the Planning Inspectorate — the independent body which handles planning appeals on behalf of the Secretary of State — but the appeal was dismissed in October 2025. A subsequent attempt to challenge the decision in the High Court was also refused. TTL is now seeking to take its case to the Court of Appeal.

Notably, while the Planning Inspector found the site itself unsuitable, the inspector did accept that the development of a Charedi school was “acceptable in principle” given the shortage and “demonstrable need” for school places for Charedi children in the area.

Talmud Torah London has since sought to challenge the High Court’s ruling in the Court of Appeal. And while the pupils, their parents and the school’s 60 members of staff, await a verdict on this appeal, their futures remain unknown.

If the school’s ongoing Court of Appeal challenge fails, the Amhurst Park site will be forced to close at the start of 2027. TTL’s administrator has said the early years school would likely have to close too as a result.

Charedi Judaism refers to a range of orthodox Jewish communities united by strict adherence to religious law. This includes prioritising the study of the Torah, gender segregation, and separation from wider society. State schools are not considered suitable for Charedi education, and if the appeal fails, TTL’s pupils would need to find places in another specialist Charedi school to complete their education.

Yanky Rothschild, TTL’s administrator, said the school had no clear answers for staff, parents or pupils.

“When it comes to the end of the year, and we don’t have a different premise, we will have 120 boys from this building, plus 60 boys from the other premises, who will have to find different education,” he said.

“Staff keep asking what’s happening. Parents keep asking what’s happening. And I don’t have a clear answer. For the boys, it’s unsettling — they hear everything — and they’re also uncertain about what’s going to happen. I doubt very much that Hackney will be able to place them somewhere suitable.”

Activist group Jews United is calling on the council to look at whether any of its eight vacant primary school sites in the borough could be made available to TTL.

Spokesperson Shmili Gratt said: “The argument isn’t that the school was wrong — it has to find a different address and no one has given it one.

“You’re coming after a school of children, sending them an enforcement notice, but you’re not offering them a solution — while you have eight options available.”

Jews United says it has written to Hackney’s mayor Zoë Garbett requesting an emergency meeting to explore whether any of the vacant buildings could be made available to the school, which has indicated it is willing to pay rent. So far, the group says, no response has been received.

A Hackney Council spokesperson said: “This administration is clear that all of our children must be able to learn in a safe, supportive environment that allows them to shine. Young people in the Charedi community are no exception.

“The appeal on the High Court’s decision is ongoing, and we wait for that before commenting further or working out next steps.

“Our education and property teams are working to look into the needs of this particular school community, and explore all options that prioritise the children and their education, alongside planning requirements.”