Applications to London Jewish secondary schools expected to peak in 2026 - The Jewish Chronicle

Competition for places at Jewish state schools in north London next September could be even tougher than last year with applications expected to hit a seven-year peak.

A number of Jewish children are believed to have been unlucky this year, unable to secure a desk at a local Jewish state school following a surge in demand.

According to projections done last year for the Jewish schools’ network, Pajes, which were based on the size of Jewish primary classes, secondary applications for entry in Jewish secondary schools in 2026 were expected to peak in the coming year.

But this autumn’s intake to the five Jewish secondary schools which serve the mainstream community in north-west London and Hertfordshire soared to a six-year high –with more than 100 additional pupils above the official admissions maximum.

Rising demand reflected two factors: fear of antisemitism in general schools which prompted parents to seek security in the Jewish sector: and the imposition of VAT on independent school fees this year, which put private schooling beyond some family pockets.

This year JFS, JCoSS, Yavneh College and the two Hasmonean High Schools accepted 916 year-7 students between them - above their official maximum of 780 and PaJeS’s medium-level projection of 890 applicants.

The medium-level projection made for next September is 899 - but if last year’s trend towards Jewish schooling continues, actual applications could be considerably higher.

Parents, who had to submit applications for 2026 last month, must now wait till March to hear whether they have been successful.

Spencer Lewis, executive head of Yavneh College, which opened a bulge class this year, said, “We do not currently have plans to open a bulge class in 2026 but will look at numbers a little later in the process to assess need.”

JFS’s intake of 340 pupils this year is more than a class above its official maximum of 300.

Chair of governors, Mark Hurst, said: “Numbers for September 2026 are still under review. While we are mindful of the increase in demand for places at JFS we always keep an eye on the demographics and information shared by PaJes and the other schools. We will know more as this term progresses.

“As ever, we will do all we can to accommodate as many as the school can sensibly support – both in terms of physical space but more importantly, the impact on quality of education.”

Hasmonean High School for Boys will again admit dozens of pupils more than its official maximum of 75.

Andrew McClusky, executive headteacher of the Hasmonean Multi-Academy Trust, said: “Our intention is provide a maximum of 135 places at the boys’ school next year. It is too soon to tell how many will apply to the school as the applications have not yet been received.

“The Boys’ School has faced a significantly increased number applying in recent years which is why we opened the middle school at Belsize Park.”

The trust hopes the latest version of its building plans will finally receive permission in the near future, enabling it to add extra boys’ places.

JCoSS, which has added a bulge class in the past, said it had no plans to do so this year.

Pressure on places was partly alleviated this year by additional bursaries offered by the fee-paying Immanuel College,which enabled some students to attend whose families would otherwise have been unable to afford it.

One non-Jewish school, Clarion in Brent, offered to make special arrangements to attract Jewish pupils this year, working with PaJeS to explore the possibility of providing kosher food and Jewish studies classes.

But no Jewish families took up the offer.

In 2020, the five Jewish schools accepted 854 pupils, before numbers dropped to 818 the following year and 816 in 2022. But the numbers leapt to 890 in 2023.

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Topics:

Jewish secondary schools

Admissions

London