Rabbi David Meyer, the executive head of Hasmonean High, has announced he will leave the school early next year to take on a new position as executive director of Partnerships for Jewish Schools (PaJeS).

The headteacher, who during his five years in charge won the school "outstanding" reviews from Ofsted and Pikuach, will leave in January 2015. He will replace Alastair Falk as head of the education agency PaJes, a division of the JLC, which Mr Falk set up two years ago to cover curriculum development and teacher training for Jewish schools in the UK.

"I am leaving with mixed feelings," Rabbi Meyer told the JC. "I have been at Hasmonean for 20 years in total and I absolutely love it. My heart is in it, but it has been a long time and an enormous amount has been achieved over the last few years. It is now the right time for a new challenge."

The rabbi began his own education as a pupil at Hasmonean, before returning to the north west London school to teach. He later became head of the boys' school and finally executive head of both the boys' and the girls' schools.

Speaking of his new job at PaJeS, Rabbi Meyer said: "The educational landscape is a very interesting one at the moment. The reality is that schools can no longer just stand on their own and there is a need for us to work in partnership to ensure that the needs of schools are protected and nurtured.

"I think that PaJeS does and must continue to do all that, to really work towards the strategic development of the community."

Moishe Adler, chair of governors at Hasmonean, paid tribute to the outgoing headteacher. "The status of Hasmonean today is ample testament to all his efforts and professionalism," he said.