A former deputy head of Immanuel College is to return as its new headteacher in September.

Millan Sachania, who has been headmaster of Streatham and Clapham High School in South London for more than 10 years, was director of Immanuel’s sixth form from 2003 to 2007 and deputy head for the next four years.

The school had originally appointed Joanna Ebner as the successor to Gary Griffin, who retired in December, but she was forced to withdraw after being diagnosed with cancer.

During his tenure at Streatham and Clapham, the school’s roll rose by more than 40 per cent and its exam results put it in the top 20 per cent of independent school. It was rated excellent by the Independent Schools inspectorate in 2019.

Dr Sachania has represented independent schools on the council of UCAS and is a published music scholar.

In a statement on its website, Immanuel said “he strongly believes in the transformative power of education and the role that creativity has in engendering a dynamic and high-achieving school culture”.

He was “hugely excited” at his imminent return to the Bushey school and felt its ethos - encapsulated in its motto “Torah im derech eretz” - interfacing Orthodox Judaism with the modern world, was “strongly embedded in his DNA” from his previous service there.

Immanuel has also appointed Rabbi Yoni Golker, community rabbi at St John's Wood United Synagogue, as its director of Jewish life and learning.