Staff and pupils past and present gathered for a special reunion as a school prepares to move to a new site.

Ilford Jewish Primary School in Carlton Drive, Barkingside, is moving to new state-of-the-art £10 million premises on the same campus as nearby King Solomon High School this summer.

The school has been in Carlton Drive since moving from Stepney in 1970, and many of those who have passed through its gates came to say goodbye on Sunday.

Current head Roz Levin has been at the school for 14 years, but her association goes back further than that.

She said: “My children went to the school and the eldest started 33 years ago.

“It is emotional to be leaving and there are a lot of memories, but we are tremendously excited about the future and our new start.”

Visitors were treated to food and singing from the school choir, but it was nostalgia which dominated as visitors chatted and looked through old photos.

Former Ilford Jewish Primary governor and Barkingside councillor Ashley Kissin sent both his children to the school and now has grandchildren there.

He said: “My children started there in 1981 and 1985. It was lovely to come back for the goodbye reunion.

“Seeing my son talking to the people he used to go to school with was great. It was nice for us parents to reminisce as well.

“It was very sweet when the children came out and sang the school song, I looked over and my son was singing along.”

Work on the new school on the King Solomon campus in Forest Road is set to finish next month.

Avanti Court Primary School, which opened in September 2012, has been sharing the Carlton Drive site with Ilford Jewish Primary School and will remain there after the move takes place.

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