The headteacher of Immanuel College, Dr Millan Sachania, is stepping down as headmaster after a little over two years in charge of the Jewish public school, it was announced today.

Daniel Endlar, who has been second master since January this year, has been appointed acting head with immediate effect.

Dr Sachania, 52, who returned to lead the school in September 2022, will serve as a consultant for it till the end of the academic year.

In a statement today, the Bushey-based school said that Dr Sachania had notified the govenors that he wished to step down as head before the beginning of the next academic year.

A music specialist, in his previous spell at the school he had served as director of its sixth form and then as deputy head for four years until 2011.

In a statement, Daniel Levy, chair of governors said, “We would like to place on record our thanks and gratitude to Millan for all that he has done for Immanuel College across his many roles dating back to 2003. His reshaping and development of the Senior Leadership Team has been transformational.”

He added, “We are excited to appoint Daniel Endlar as the acting head, a role in which we are sure he will excel. After our excellent public examination results and successful ISI inspection, Immanuel College is well placed to continue to inspire a new generation of confident, creative and curious minds.

“These are challenging and exciting times and we believe we have an outstanding platform on which Daniel and his team can build.”

New acting head of Immanuel College Daniel Endlar (photo: Ian Jones)

Dr Sachania said, “It has been a privilege to lead Immanuel College. During my time I have prepared the school for a full inspection, a challenging process in light of the new inspection framework. My other goals were to stabilise the staff body following restructures, strengthen and renew the senior leadership team, maintain and improve excellent public-examination results, and place the school on the local and national map.”

This had been evidenced by recent shortlistings for TES and Independent School of the Year awards, he said. “Having achieved these ends, I feel that the time is right to empower the new leadership team to take the school into the future,” he said.

Mr Endlar had previously served as director of studies and in academic leadership for six years at Brentwood School and taught for six years at Haberdashers’ Boys School.

Immanuel was the top-performing of the Jewish schools that reported their A-level and GCSE results this summer.

But the school has been facing the challenge of falling numbers. According to its previous Independent Schools Inspectorate report in 2019 – the most recent report is yet to be published – the school had 681 pupils aged from four to 19 on its books.

According to the government’s Get Information about Schools website, the pupil roll currently stands at 584.