Gesher, the Jewish special primary school, is moving ahead with plans to extend into secondary education next year.

Parents have been told that it will shortly advertise for a headteacher to develop secondary provision with the hope of being able to start offering it from September 2021.

The Willesden-based primary, which specialises in autism spectrum challenges, was ranked outstanding by Ofsted less than a year after it opened in September 2017.

In a letter to parents, Howard Zetter, the chairman of governors, explained the school needed to have an “appropriate property” to accommodate more than 100 students.

“I am delighted to say that a situation has recently arisen which is enabling us to look upon the possibility of a through school with added confidence,” he wrote.

“We are progressing to the extent that we are about to advertise for a new headteacher to lead the school’s expansion into secondary education and to play a part  in its ongoing development into a centre of excellence.”

Although “quietly confident in moving forward with this very exciting stage of the school’s development,” he emphasised that “we still have a long way to go yet in many respects and if successful we are working towards a start date of September 2021.”

The same leadership team would continue for the next academic year.