New Jewish cross-communal secondary school JCoSS has hosted two open days for September 2011, with 2,600 parents and students attending.

The voluntary-aided, co-education school in Barnet opened last month to 148 Year seven pupils. It has 180 places for 11-year-olds next year. Two-thirds of the intake are believed to have come from non-Jewish primary schools.

The school has specialist status in science and special provision in a unit for autistic children.

JCoSS headteacher Jeremy Stowe-Lindner told parents: "JCoSS is an academic school, offering a friendly and supportive atmosphere.

"We expect the best from our students and our staff and have established a framework to enable each
and every individual to fulfil their potential."

Chair of governors Mike Grabiner, added: "For the best part of ten years, we have been planning for this moment: finding a site, raising money, recruiting the very best staff, building and equipping a state-of-the-art facility, garnering support from across the community.

"Now, overnight, we have gone from nowhere to, without any siblings, the second most popular Jewish school in the country, with students from every section of our community."