Kisharon becomes first Jewish charity to receive Autism Accreditation
Charity's school recognised by the National Autistic Society following an assessment earlier this month
A Jewish charity’s school for children with learning difficulties was this week awarded Autism Accreditation from the National Autistic Society, making it the first Jewish organisation to get the prestigious stamp of approval.
Kisharon School’s recognition of excellence came after an assessment in early December, and despite only a quarter of the school’s pupils being autistic.
In the NAS report, the Finchley Road school was praised for “placing great value on promoting Jewish values and culture whilst recognising the need to differentiate what is taught so that it has meaning and value to each pupil”.
The assessors added: “This makes an important contribution to the inclusion of each autistic pupil within family and community activities, rituals and festivals.”
The accreditation gives autism-specific quality assurance that is recognised by hundreds of organisations across the world, and the charity’s leaders this week said they were thrilled to receive the good news.
“Being awarded Autism Accreditation for the work that we do is a testament to our commitment to and understanding of the needs of our pupils with autism,” said Sora Kopfstein, headteacher of Kisharon School.
To be recognised by the NAS is extremely encouraging for all of our staff, parents and students and to also be the first Jewish organisation to be accredited demonstrates that we are offering some of the best autism-specific services in the Jewish community.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
