Angry parents say they were not given enough warning of preschool closure

Known for its Forest School accreditation and its ability to prepare children for a smooth transition to neighbouring Akiva primary school, Gan Alon has, over the years, held a special place in the hearts of many local families.

However, some told the JC that the closure would cause disruption to their children’s lives.

"I feel very let down," said one parent, whose child has a speech and language delay and is awaiting an autism assessment.

The paying member of NNLS revealed how their child struggled with transitions due to special educational needs.

“I had carefully planned for him to start Gan Alon this year and go full-time next year. Had I been told about the closure [sooner], I would never have enrolled him in September. I would have sent him elsewhere,” the parent added.

"It’s a gradual process introducing them to preschool, and then full-time next year. Now, we have to start from scratch, which is a big difficulty,” they said, adding: “A child from Israel, who had to go to another preschool for a few months, has finally settled in [at Gan Alon] and now has to change again, which is hard for an immigrant family." 

New North London Synagogue hit the headlines last year, when some members of the community objected to language used by NNLS rabbi Lara Haft Yom-Tov to describe Israel’s political leaders in an article in a publication not connected to the synagogue. Challenged by these members, the shul reportedly spent £75,000 on independent legal advice.

The NNLS families affected by Gan Alon’s closure said they were now “questioning the shul’s financial priorities”. 

Since 2021, the preschool's enrolment figures have steadily declined, with current numbers at just 14 children, compared to 31 in 2019, when it had a capacity of 34. In keeping with national childcare trends, many parents now opt instead for wrap-around care.

But one parent told the JC that Gan Alon needed only four extra children on its roll next year to break even and stay open.

They said: “If the shul had told us earlier on that there was a risk of closure, we could have encouraged families we knew were planning to register in the summer term to do so sooner”, adding that families would have been willing to pay more to keep Gan Alon open until 2026.

Another said: "Why was I never asked to contribute more? If the synagogue had asked for a donation, we would have contributed. Instead, we’re left with no options.”

Further anger has been sparked by the synagogue’s decision to introduce families to a new nursery which has yet to have an Ofsted inspection as it was registered only last September. 

Some of the families involved said they felt as though their concerns had been disregarded by the synagogue leadership, who, they claimed, had made little effort to engage with them about the closure. "Trust is gone," said one parent. "No one knew about the closure until it was too late."

Responding to the uproar, an NNLS spokesperson said: “It was a difficult and painful decision to close Gan Alon Preschool at the end of this academic year...The decision was made after extensive research and careful deliberation, involving surveys of young families at NNLS and consultation with educational specialists.

“We fully acknowledge the disappointment felt by parents and have offered support in finding alternative nursery places...We strongly refute any suggestions that we have not explored every option to keep Gan Alon open or that NNLS has behaved in any way that lacks propriety or transparency."