More than 1,400 people have so far signed an online petition opposing changes to JFS’s entry policy.

The Kenton-based school is proposing to stop reserving ten of its 300 year-seven places for children who live closest to it — and instead to give priority to Sinai and North-West London Jewish Day primaries, which like JFS, are based in the borough of Brent.

JFS governors are now mulling over the results of a consultation on the change.

Since the school has been heavily oversubscribed for many years, parents are naturally anxious about the potential impact of any admissions change.

But how much difference would the proposed switch make?

North-West London now takes up to 35 pupils a year, Sinai can accept a maximum of 90.

In 2016, 47 Sinai children went to JFS; 57 the next year; 46 in 2018; and 43 last year.

Over the same period, 30 went from Sinai to Hertfordshire-based Yavneh College in 2016; 25 in 2017; 24 in 2018; and 32 in 2019. Since Yavneh gives priority to those who live nearest, one can assume that Sinai children who go there live locally and would not opt for an alternative school.

In 2017, 17 out of 24 year-six North-West London pupils went to JFS; 18 out of 40 the following year; and nine out of 27 last year.

What we don’t know is how many children from the two primaries unsuccessfully applied to JFS each year.

The above figures suggest there may be not such a large pool of new candidates for JFS from the two primaries if they become feeder schools.

But when competition is so tight, even five to 10 more Sinai or North-West children taking places at JFS might seem unfair to parents of children at other Jewish primaries.