An emergency meeting of Jewish secondary school heads and chairs of governors in London was convened yesterday by Partnerships for Jewish Schools (PaJeS) to co-ordinate help for Immanuel College pupils after the announcement of its closure at the end of the summer term earlier this week.
Immanuel parents, looking for school places for their children next year, are being encouraged to register on an online portal set up by PaJeS so it can gauge the level of demand for places in the Jewish state sector.
There is no figure on how many places are likely to be available next year in the five Jewish state secondary schools serving north-West London but PaJeS has asked the schools to provide details of vacancies as well as the cost of expanding places.
PaJeS chief executive Rabbi David Meyer said its job was to do “everything in our power” to support Immanuel families.
“We cannot make promises we cannot keep, but we can ensure that no family is left to flounder alone,” he said. “The Jewish schools community is coming together in a way that I find genuinely moving, and I am confident that together we will find the best possible path forward for every child.”
JCoSS and JFS have reopened applications for their sixthform next year for Immanuel students.
Yavneh College is to hold an open evening for Immanuel famiiies on Monday.
JCoSS co-chairs Emma Cravitz and Jon Bryk said they were in contact with the college and “together with other schools in the community, will offer support wherever we can during this challenging period”.
Andrew McClusky, chief executive of the Hasmonean Multi-Academy Trust, said its two high schools would “try to accommodate as many pupils as possible and will be working with PaJeS to to do so.”
Families who wish to apply to Hasmonean should be in touch with admissions officer Tammy Meduna-Scott, he said, while teachers looking for new jobs contact Jo Grant, senior administrator for recruitment.
Some local private schools are offering sessions for Immanuel families.
Immanuel leaders say they wil continue tuition for students due to take GCSEs and A-levels next year, provided two-thirds of the relevant cohort sign up for these by early May.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said news of the college’s closure was an “incredibly sad moment for Anglo-Jewry. For the past 35 years, the school has served our community with distinction, and I know how hard its leadership have fought, on behalf of their staff and students, to avoid this outcome.
“I have been assured that every effort is now being made to find the best possible onward pathways for the Immanuel students. Nevertheless, I know how devastating this news is for so many Jewish families, and my heart goes out to each and every one of them. We will offer support to them in any way we can.”
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