The Jewish schools’ network, PaJeS, has reported an increase of 6.1 per cent from last year in first preference applications for September, exceeding projected forecasts.
Rabbi David Meyer, PaJeS chief executive, said, “This is the first admissions cycle to occur entirely after October 7, 2023, and the record high preference for Jewish schools likely reflects worrying concerns about antisemitism in other educational settings.
“While we welcome the increased demand for Jewish schools we are concerned that due to antisemitism parents and students are avoiding mainstream non-Jewish schools and seeking the safety and community of Jewish educational environments.”
He added: “While our schools are responding appropriately to handle the increased demand, we recognise that the significant redistribution of preferences presents both opportunities and challenges across our school network.”
Yavneh College in Hertfordshire had already announced it would be offering a bulge class this autumn, increasing its year-7 intake from 150 to 180. Two other schools are understood to be offering more places than their regular maximum.
But while parents were notified on Monday whether their children’s applications were successful or not, it will be several weeks until the number of available places will be known.
Some children, for example, may have been offered a place at a Jewish state school but they may opt for private education instead.
However, the imposition of 20 per cent VAT on private school fees may already be deterring some families from choosing that option.
PaJeS said, “It is likely that we are also already seeing the beginning of movement from the independent sector into our state schools, but predict that this is likely to increase significantly in the next academic year as families respond to the recent tax changes affecting independent education.”
The organisation is keeping a close watch on the availability of Jewish school places and encourages parents whose children are on a waiting list to notify it.
It has found “dramatic changes” in parental preferences among secondary schools, with some experiencing a substantial increase in demand while others a decline.
Read the article here
