PaJes tells parents to hold tight as more secondary spaces are set to open up between now and September
Jewish parents of primary school pupils without a confirmed place at a Jewish secondary school are becoming increasingly anxious as the end of the school year looms.
Despite the final official round of lottery allocations having already taken place at Jewish state schools, a number of children remain without a place at one for September.
Raisel Freedman, assistant director of Jewish schools network PaJeS, acknowledged the strain in a recent email to parents recognising “how difficult and distressing this period must be”.
But she urged families to be patient. “From our experience, movement does continue throughout the admissions cycle, and places can open up as families make final decisions, sometimes as late as the start of term in September or even beyond… Unfortunately, the admissions process often takes time to unfold.”
PaJeS, which has no formal role in admissions, initially tracked 60 families on their waiting list still seeking places in a London Jewish state school after the first round of admissions, but Freedman said that number was “dropping week by week”.
However, that is not enough to assuage the concern of waiting parents. Despite circulating rumours of over 100 children on the waiting list for a place, Freedman insisted the number was “significantly lower”.
The high demand for places at a Jewish secondary has been driven by a perfect storm: the impact of October 7, growing concerns about antisemitism in mainstream educational settings and the government’s introduction of VAT on private school fees.
In response to the “unprecedented demand for places at Jewish schools”, Immanuel College in Bushey, whose fees are over £28,000 a year, has expanded its bursary provision, offering means-tested support, including full fee remittance. Daniel Levy, chair of the Immanuel board, said: “No child who would thrive in our environment is turned away due to financial constraints.”
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