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New initiative considered to help children with no Jewish secondary school place

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Partnerships for Jewish Schools is considering a new idea to help children who have no Jewish secondary school to go to in north-west London next month.

The educational agency is exploring the possibility of offering a Jewish programme at a non-Jewish school, believed to be in Barnet, which is willing to take the children.

Rabbi David Meyer, Pajes chief executive, said that it was “actively exploring long-term solutions as well as various options for additional provision in the short term”.

One option was, he said, “accommodating Jewish students in a mainstream school which would include a Jewish studies provision. We are currently investigating whether there is sufficient demand to implement this for September.”

The latest figures from Pajes said there are 10 children currently without places.

Niki Goorney’s son James, who left Rosh Pinah Jewish Primary School last month, has remained on the waiting list of Yavneh College in Hertfordshire since May.

“It is the most stressful and upsetting situation to be in,” she said. “He made a lovely group of friends [at Rosh Pinah]. Now he is left and has watched all of his friends find out they are going to the school they want and going to be together.”

Since he is top of the Yavneh list, people she has spoken to have reassured her that he is likely to get a place eventually at the school during the year. But till then, he may have to attend a local comprehensive.

While she acknowledged the Pajes plan to cater for a group of Jewish children at a non-Jewish school, she said that one problem could be that as vacancies opened at Jewish schools during the year and children moved, the few that remained could be isolated.

She said that families in the same boat as hers needed better communal support and called for an official network to be set up to help them. “I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve been through. It’s horrible,” she said.

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