Schools consider expansion
AT LEAST one state-aided Jewish secondary school in north London is understood to be considering expansion to meet an anticipated rise in demand for places.
Partnerships for Jewish Schools (Pajes), the Jewish Leadership Council’s education division, said earlier this year that it is “beyond the means” of existing schools to increase their intake enough to cope with the projected demand.
Despite that, rumours have continued to circulate around the Jewish education world that schools are considering expanding. Responding this week to those rumours, Rabbi David Meyer, Pajes’ executive director, said: “It is true that school options are being reappraised.”
Pressure on places in the past two years has left a number of children in Jewish primary schools in London without a local Jewish secondary school to go to.
But the shortfall could rise to 135 places over the next six years, according to projections done for Pajes.
Asked about expansion, a spokesman for JFS issued a guarded comment. “As a significant stakeholder in
ensuring the long-term provision of secondary school education we remain committed to talking and working with all relevant parties to ensure a community-wide solution is offered to current challenges.”
If JFS were to expand, it would have to go up by two classes rather than one, because of its timetabling arrangements. That would be insufficient on its own to meet future numbers if the estimates are correct.
But Spencer Lewis, headteacher and Sue Nyman, chairman of governors of Yavneh College in Borehamwood — which this year opened a bulge class — said: “We can confirm Yavneh has no plans for expansion and that we have no plans to have another bulge class next year.” Cross-communal JCoSS refused to comment.
Meanwhile, the Department for Education is considering two applications to open a new Orthodox Jewish free school in north-west London within two years; one from the United Synagogue-backed Kavanah College, the other from Barkai College.
They are expected to hear shortly whether they will be given interviews to pursue their bids. If the government fulfils its pledge to lift the cap on faith place at free schools, a Jewish free school would be able to grant priority for all places to Jewish pupils.