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".

On Tuesday, however, the JLC sent another email suggesting the previous statement "may have inadvertently led to some confusion".

It went on: "The creation of a new school is one of the ideas currently being discussed by interested groups who are looking to find the most effective solution to current concerns about school places."

Elsewhere, a working group of the Hertfordshire Education Forum is trying to establish a state-funded Jewish primary in Hertsmere. Jewish Primary Education in South Hertfordshire (J-PESH) is collobarating with the United Synagogue to find a site.

Educational philanthropist Benjamin Perl said: "I know that the demand for Jewish primary school places in south Hertfordshire far outstrips supply and I am delighted that J-PESH is taking the first steps to respond to the demand.

"I am fully behind this project and will endeavour to pull together all financial resources in order to bring this exciting new school to fruition as soon as possible."