NW Jewish parents seek Ilford school places

Hertfordshire parents are contemplating sending their children on a daily cross-London journey to ensure them of Jewish school places.

Over two dozen people attended a meeting at Borehamwood Synagogue at which Ilford Jewish Primary head Roz Levin and governor Howard Kemp talked about the school and its ethos. Unlike in Herts, where many families face disappointment over Jewish school applications, IJPS has 17 places available in its reception class.

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Muslim group objects to Zionism in schools

A Muslim campaign group has written to the new Education Secretary Michael Gove to object to state-aided Jewish schools promoting Zionism.

Mohammed Asif, the chief executive of Engage (not to be confused with the antisemitism monitoring group of the same name), said he was "more than a little surprised" to see Zionism included as part of the ethos of several Jewish schools.

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JLC retracts new Jewish school in Borehamwood

An announcement of a new Jewish school opening in Borehamwood in September 2011 has been mysteriously retracted by the Jewish Leadership Council.

Parents in Borehamwood have been campaigning to establish another school because of the oversubscription of Hertsmere Jewish Primary.

An email was circulated on May 3 to those registered with the JLC's findajewishschool website on the subject: "Plans for a new school in Borehamwood for Sep 2011."

It said the JLC "hope to bring news, in the next week or so, of a plan to open a new school in the Borehamwood area for September 2011".

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School may get 40% non-Jewish entry

King Solomon High School in Essex is facing an increase in non-Jewish students this autumn in line with the predicted impact of more Jewish school places available elsewhere.

As many as 40 per cent of first year entrants to the state-aided comprehensive could be non-Jewish, according to rumours circulating at a Jewish education conference last week.

Spencer Lewis, King Solomon's head teacher, declined to release figures this week, but suggested that the composition of the intake would be exceptional this year.

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UJIA hosts conference on education

UJIA's first conference on research in Jewish education proved so popular that organisers had to find an alternative venue.

"I thought it would be a small seminar for 20 people," said UJIA research and evaluation director Helena Miller. "In the end, we had 100." The event was due to be held at UJIA's Kentish Town headquarters but had to be moved to Avenue House in East Finchley.

Believed to be the first conference devoted to the subject in the community, it drew educators from secular to strictly Orthodox.

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Mill Hill Jewish primary school plan

Parents in Mill Hill are gauging interest for a new Jewish nursery and primary school.

Adam and Debbie Dawson, who have two children under the age of three, have organised a meeting this month.

A Facebook group, Interested in a new Jewish Primary School in Mill Hill, attracted over 200 members in just three days.

Mr Dawson, a 34-year-old barrister, said that local Jewish primary Mathilda Marks is heavily over-subscribed, as are Rosh Pinah in Edgware and Sinai in Kenton.

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