How to prepare for primary applications

The second part of our guide to admissions looks at primary schools

IN AN ideal world, the application rules for Jewish primary schools would be standard everywhere and parents’ lives a lot easier.

Jewish primaries, however, show a greater diversity in entry policies than secondaries. That is largely because there are many more primary schools — close to 30 state-aided Jewish schools in London as well as four independents serving the mainstream sector, not to mention an increasing number of Charedi independents. Outside the capital, there are eight state-aided Jewish primary schools in the Midlands, north of England and Scotland.

Individual primaries may cater for a particular local community — a few are linked to particular synagogues — which is reflected in their admissions rules. And since primary schools have a smaller intake than secondaries, they may need a more finely graduated entry policy to sift candidates.

But there is plenty of time to get on top of the details. The deadline for applications for places in reception at state-aided primary schools for autumn 2017 is not until January 15.

The Find A Jewish School website, run by Partnerships for Jewish Schools, is a helpful directory which links directly to the schools’ own sites. The vast majority have published their admissions policies for next year online.

In the first instance, schools give priority to those who qualify as Jewish according to a practice test operated by the particular school. That might involve a required minimum number of synagogue attendances a year or involvement in a Jewish educational or communal activity.

The further right you go, the more stringent the practice test becomes. For example, Avigdor Hirsch Torah Temimah, a state-aided Strictly Orthodox primary in north-west London, asks parents to guarantee, among other things, that children have no access to TV or the internet. Another Charedi- orientated school, Menorah Foundation, questions parents whether they tovel keilim (ritually immerse new utensils) or observe shmirat lashon (avoid gossip).

Since most schools have more Jewish applicants than places, they will then use other criteria to decide who takes precedence. This will commonly be “looked-after” children (who have been in care); children with special needs who have an educational and health care plan that specifies the school in question; children of staff or siblings of existing pupils

The order may vary from school to school. Some will also include siblings of former pupils. And then, in each category, if there are more applicants than places, the school will use a “tiebreak” system, usually decided on who lives closest to the school.

In the past, schools often gave preference to children who had attended their nursery but this has become far less frequent since the Office of Schools Adjudicator, the body which regulates schools admissions, tends to regard it as unfair.