About Us

Children Ahead offers children and young people with learning and emotional difficulties a wraparound package of specialist intervention and support.

We also work with families and schools to help them create and sustain supportive environments for children.

Our Story

Children Ahead is the tale of two organisations, both setting out in July 2010.
One led by parents with first-hand experience of children with learning difficulties; the other launched by a group of educators and school governors whose students struggled to access the support they needed, locally.

Situated around the corner from each other in Hackney, North London, neither knew about the other. Each was determined to find a solution to the growing numbers of Orthodox Jewish children with learning difficulties facing barriers accessing mainstream provision.

What happens when the two organisations cross paths?

They meet. And meet again. They put their individual legacies aside to explore community needs and discuss shared organisation goals and ambitions. They consider financial sustainability, staffing, strategic aims and governance models.

In February 2013, they formally join as one organisation to become a force for greater good.

Since then, Children Ahead has changed the lives of over 6,000 children and their families.

Parent-led Organisation

2010

Educator-led Organisation

2010

Parent-led Organisation

Educator-led Organisation

2013

2023

Over 6000 children helped

Years
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Children
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Services
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It’s a privilege to be a mentor at Children Ahead. The boy I mentor has lost his father and it’s thrilling to see his eyes light up each week as he chooses his activity. It’s a vital opportunity for him to get away from his challenging life. I also learnt to be more sensitive and attuned to the needs of vulnerable children.

E.L, Mentor

Our Core Values

Putting Children First

Placing children at the heart of all services helps them own their journey of growth.

Giving Voice

Advocating for children’s needs and giving them a voice, ensures they can access the services and resources they are entitled to.

Working Together

Internal collaboration, as well as with parents, schools and other voluntary and statutory organisations, achieves the best outcomes for children.

Intervening Early

Supporting at an early stage means we avoid problems escalating.

Aiming Higher

Setting ambitious goals for the children bolsters their belief in themselves.

Delivering Excellence

Having outstanding qualified practitioners deliver only recognised and high-quality interventions is the way we can ensure consistent positive outcomes.

Building Inner Confidence

Our ‘child-centered approach’ means we build a network of supportive people, therapies, and services around each child. The goal is always to build the child’s belief in himself.

Helping schools to create the best environments for learning and wellbeing.

Giving parents tools to empower their child.

Setting goals and helping the child reach them through therapies and other services.

Setting goals and helping the child reach them through therapies and other services.

Helping schools to create the best environments for learning and wellbeing.

Giving parents
tools to empower
their child.

It’s not just that I’m able to join conversations during break time and class discussions. It’s that I’ve become a different person since working with Shana every week. And in a good way. I know who I am and I know what I’m good at.

Miriam, 11

How do we know we’re successful?

We use the GO system, our bespoke 5- point progress-rating tool to track each child’s growth.

94% show significant progress in a 12-week intervention block.

Understand our evaluation process;

We were very unsure about sending Yoni to Children Ahead for help. We worried about yet another programme with endless sessions, endless time and no real progress. Then the therapist explained their GO system to us - Yoni would get targets and we would be able to track his development with tangible outcomes. We felt so relieved and empowered that this was a journey we could join, track, and really get Yoni the help he needed.

Mr. S.L, Yoni’s father

Board of trustees

Rabbi Jehudah Baumgarten

Treasurer and founding trustee

Mrs. Esther Issacharoff

Trustee

Mr. Israel Kahan

Trustee

Mr. Ahron Klein

Founding trustee

Mr. Samuel Spitzer

Chair

Executive Leadership Team

Mr. Yehuda Hartman

Mrs. Matty Beck

Service Management Team

Mrs. Sarah Alter

Service Manager

Mr Pinchas Weingarten

Head of Services

Mrs Leah Bitton

Project Manager

Clinical Leadership Team

Mr Yoel Orgel

Psychotherapy Clinical Lead

Mrs Reisy Kohn

Psychotherapy Clinical Lead

Mrs Zippy Leigh

Speech and Language Clinical Lead

Mrs Varda Poliakov

Occupational Therapy Clinical Lead

Mrs Debbie Weissbraun

Specialist Teaching Lead

Mrs Rachel Konig

Occupational Therapy Clinical Lead