jpr / statistical bulletin Institute for Jewish Policy Research
Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools Statistical bulletin for 2015/16 to 2017/18 Jonathan Boyd / January 2019
Introduction
This bulletin, commissioned by the Board of This new report includes data for three Deputies and produced by the Institute for Jewish academic years that have not previously been Policy Research, contains the most recent data on published – 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18 – Jewish school enrolment in the UK. using schools census data in England gathered by the Department for Education and for It builds on previous studies, notably by the schools in Scotland gathered by the Scottish Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) and the Government. It constitutes part of a joint project Board of Deputies of British Jews (2016)1 which of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and included figures up to the academic year 2014/15, JPR to ensure that educational policy makers and the Jewish Leadership Council study (2008), working within and with the Jewish school which included figures up to 2005/06 (mainstream sector have access to data about the numbers secondary and strictly Orthodox) and 2006/07 of children enrolled in Jewish schools, both (mainstream primary).2 They, in turn, built on in order to monitor developments over time, valuable studies, for example by Braude (1981),3 and to inform thinking about the development Hart, Schmool and Cohen (2007)4 and Graham of the field. and Vulkan (2007).5
1 Staetsky, L. D. and Boyd, J. (2016). The rise and rise of Jewish schools in the United Kingdom: Numbers, trends and policy issues. London: Institute for Jewish Policy Research and Board of Deputies of British Jews. 2 Commission on Jewish Schools (2008). The Future of Jewish Schools. London: Jewish Leadership Council. 3 Braude, J. (1981). ‘Jewish education in Britain today.’ In: Jewish Life in Britain, 1962–1977 (eds. Lipman, S. and Lipman, V.). London: Board of Deputies of British Jews. 4 Hart, R., Schmool, M. and Cohen, F. (2007). ‘Jewish day schools in Britain, 1992/3 to 2003/4,’ Contemporary Jewry, 137–155. 5 Graham, D. and Vulkan, D. (2007). Report for the Commission on Jewish Schools. The supply and demand for Jewish day school places in Britain. London: Board of Deputies of British Jews Community Policy Research Group. 2 Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools
Amongst the key findings in this paper are:
• There were 34,547 Jewish children studying in • 58% of Jewish children in Jewish schools are Jewish schools in the academic years 2017/18. in strictly Orthodox schools; 42% in non-strictly Orthodox or ‘mainstream’ Jewish schools. • This represents an increase of 3,633 children since the last figures were published (for the • Three quarters of all Jewish children in Jewish academic year 2014/15), or 11.8%. schools are in schools in the Greater London area or South Hertfordshire. • This increase can be observed in both the mainstream and strictly Orthodox sectors: • This geographical distinction is more the mainstream sector had 1,666 more Jewish pronounced in the mainstream sector children in 2017/18 compared to 2014/15; the (where 85% are in schools in London and the strictly Orthodox sector had an additional 2,367 surrounding area), than in the strictly orthodox children over the same period. one (where the equivalent figure is 67%).
Key statistics
Data gathered over many years demonstrate that the was in a state of decline, falling from an estimated number of Jewish pupils enrolled in Jewish schools 420,000 in the 1950s to about 290,000 by 2001. has been climbing consistently for several decades. Numbers have increased particularly dramatically The numbers enrolled since 1995–96 have since the mid-1990s, although the increase prior increased by an average of about 800 children per to that is arguably more pronounced than it first annum across the primary and secondary sectors; appears, as the overall size of Jewish population of today, the number of pupils is double that found the UK in the second half of the twentieth century in the mid-1990s.
Figure 1. Number of Jewish pupils enrolled in Jewish schools in the United Kingdom, 1954–2018 (rounded numbers)
34,500 35,000 32,200
30,000 24,700 25,000
20,000 16,700 14,700 15,000 12,700 10,400 10,000
Number of pupils enrolled 5,200 5,000
0 1954–58* 1965–66 1975–76 1985–86 1995–96 2005–06 2015–16 2017–18 Academic year
* Estimated number at these points in time. Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools 3
Figure 2. Total enrolment of Jewish pupils in Jewish schools, 1995/96–2017/18
35,000
30,000 34,547 33,578
25,000 32,195 30,914
20,000 27,767 24,659 24,185 23,650 23,174 22,472
15,000 21,351 20,568 18,664 18,148 17,213 10,000 16,725 Number of pupils enrolled 5,000
0 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2010/11 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 Academic year
Note. Data not available for missing years.
Figure 3. Number of Jewish children in Jewish schools in the UK, by sector, 2014/15–2017/18
35,000
30,000 34,547 33,579
25,000 32,195 30,914
20,000
15,000 19,881 19,121 18,062 10,000 17,514 14,666 14,457 14,133 Number of pupils enrolled 13,400 5,000
0 Total Mainstream Jewish Strictly Orthodox Jewish
2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18
The rise shown when figures were last published The rise in recent years has occurred both (for academic year 2014/15)6 has continued; the within the strictly Orthodox and the mainstream actual increase over just the three academic years sectors, although the strictly Orthodox shows that have passed since that time amounts to an a faster rate of growth – on average, 4.3% extra 3,633 pupils. per annum over these years – compared to
6 See: Staetsky and Boyd (2016), op.cit., pp.26–28. We estimate that approximately half of all strictly Orthodox boys aged 13–15 (i.e. post-bar mitzvah, but pre-conclusion of compulsory schooling) do not appear in official Department for Education statistics. In the academic year 2017/18, this figure is estimated to amount to about 900. 4 Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools
an average of 3.1% p.a. in the mainstream Education figures, as has been demonstrated sector. The most recent figures (2017/18) reveal in previous studies.7 that there are over 5,000 more Jewish children enrolled in strictly Orthodox (haredi) schools Geographically, three-quarters of all these children than mainstream ones. In the mid-1990s, there are in Jewish schools in Greater London and South were more Jewish children in mainstream Hertfordshire (shown collectively as ‘London’ Jewish schools than strictly Orthodox ones, in Figures 5 and 6). The next most populous area but parity occurred around 2005, and today, the is the North West – mainly Manchester, but also split shown in these figures is close to 60–40 in Liverpool – which comprises one-fifth of the favour of the haredi sector. In fact, the disparity total. The North East region relates exclusively to is even greater than this, as a significant number Gateshead – one of the key centres of the strictly of haredi teenagers are known to be studying in Orthodox community. Numbers are revealed to yeshivot that are not included in Department for have increased in all regions of the country shown.
Figure 4. Compositional change of pupil population in Jewish schools, 1995/96–2017/18
60 58 50 55 56 49 51 40 45 44 42 30 Percent 20 10 0 1995/96 2005/06 2015/16 2017/18 Academic year
Mainstream Strictly Orthodox
Figure 5. Enrolment of Jewish pupils in Jewish schools by geography, 2014/15–2017/18
35,000
30,000 34,547 33,578
25,000 32,195 30,914 20,000 25,764 25,114 24,086
15,000 23,140
10,000 7,099 6,792 6,517 6,377 5,000 Number of pupils enrolled 1,051 1,126 1,179 1,187 493 497 0 346 466 Total London North West North East Other
2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18
7 Ibid., pp.26–28. Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools 5
Figure 6. Where Jewish children in Jewish Determining precisely how many children are in schools are, by geographical the primary and secondary sectors is complicated region, 2017/18 by the fact that many schools, particularly in the strictly Orthodox sector, cross the line between 3.4% 1.4% the two stages. Furthermore, as previously London noted, children enrolled in strictly Orthodox North West yeshivot, all of whom are of secondary school 20.5% age (particularly boys aged 13 and over), are not North East shown in the figures below. Nevertheless, the Other numbers show how many children of primary school age (i.e. 4–11 years, or Reception to Year 6) 74.6% and secondary school age (i.e. 11–18 years, or Years 7–13) are in official government statistics.
Figure 7. Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools by educational stage, 2015/16–2017/18*
35,000
30,000 34,547 33,578
25,000 32,195
20,000
15,000 21,166 20,766 19,917 10,000 Number of pupils enrolled 13,382 12,813 5,000 12,279
0 Total Primary Secondary Educational stage
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18
* Note that the numbers shown only include those in schools registered in the annual school census. This fails to capture some children in unregistered yeshivot in the secondary stage age band. Numbers do not sum precisely to totals due to rounding.
Mainstream Jewish sector
Focusing on the mainstream sector specifically, However, geographically, the picture within the growth seen in recent years continues the this sector is changing. Whereas pupils based trend seen over the course of the past generation in London schools comprised about 70% of and beyond. There are over 5,000 more children the total in the mid-1990s, today they comprise in mainstream Jewish schools today compared 85%. Thus, the London/regional balance is to the mid-1990s, an increase of close to 60%. clearly shifting over time in favour of London. 6 Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools
Figure 8. Enrolment of Jewish pupils in mainstream Jewish schools, 1995/96–2017/18
15,000
12,500 14,666 14,457 14,133 13,400
10,000 12,750 12,101 11,755 11,523 11,303 11,038 10,576 9,852 10,283
7,500 9,683 9,434 9,258
5,000
Number of pupils enrolled 2,500
0 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2010/11 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 Academic year
Note. Data not available for missing years.
Figure 9. Geographical change of pupil population in mainstream Jewish schools, 1995/96–2017/18
100
80 84 85 78 71 60
Percent 40
29 20 22 16 15 0 1995/96 2005/06 2015/16 2017/18 Academic year
London Rest of country
Strictly Orthodox sector
Enrolment in strictly Orthodox schools Orthodox yeshivot, so all figures here should continues to increase dramatically over time, be regarded as underestimates. We estimate increasing by 166%, or over 12,000 children, the annual growth rate based on these figures since the mid-1990s. Moreover, as stated at about 4.2%, which is largely in line with previously, the figures in this report fail to other data on population growth rates among capture haredi children in unregistered strictly the strictly Orthodox.8
8 See, for example: Staetsky, L. D. and Boyd, J. (2015). Strictly Orthodox rising. What the demography of British Jews tells us about the future of the community. London: Institute for Jewish Policy Research. Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools 7
Figure 10. Enrolment of Jewish pupils in strictly Orthodox Jewish schools, 1995/96–2017/18
20,000
17,500 19,881
15,000 19,121 18,062 17,514 12,500 15,017 10,000 12,558 12,430 12,127 11,871
7,500 11,434 10,775 10,285 8,792 5,000 8,465 7,779 7,467 Number of pupils enrolled 2,500
0 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2010/11 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 Academic year
Note. Data not available for missing years.
Figure 11. Geographical change of pupil population in strictly Orthodox schools, 1995/96–2017/18
100
80
72.4 60 67.4 67.4 67.1
Percent 40
20 25.1 26.3 26.9 18.7 7.5 6.2 6.0 8.8 0 1995/96 2005/06 2015/16 2017/18 Academic year
London Manchester (+ Leeds) Gateshead
In contrast to the situation in the mainstream is seen to be shifting slowly to Manchester, sector, the proportion of haredi children in schools which today has 27% of all haredi children in in London compared to elsewhere has been Jewish schools, an increase from the 19% found declining over time, falling from 72% to 67% in the mid-1990s. Of course, the actual numbers since the mid-1990s (Figure 10). The balance continue to increase in both places. 8 Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools
Figure 12. Numbers of children enrolled in strictly Orthodox schools, by geography
20,000
17,500 19,881
15,000 19,121 18,062 17,514 12,500
10,000 13,340 12,871 12,180 7,500 11,803
5,000 Number of pupils enrolled
2,500 5,354 5,071 1,126 1,179 1,187 1,051 4,756 4,660 0 Total London Manchester (+ Leeds) Gateshead City
2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18
Methodological notes
The previously unpublished data contained students enrolled in Jewish schools. Schools within this report (for academic years 2015/16, captured in these new data are listed below; 2016/17 and 2017/18) are primarily drawn from note that some of the schools shown were the statistics on pupils in England as collected only operational for one or two of the academic in the relevant school censuses conducted by years 2015/16, 2016/17, and 2017/18. Historical the Department for Education, and in Scotland data come from previous reports on enrolment by the Scottish Government. Numbers have in Jewish schools, most notably Staetsky and been adjusted to account for non-Jewish Boyd (2016) (see footnote 1).
Name of School Local Authority Sector
Ahavas Torah Boys Academy Salford Strictly Orthodox Aim Habonim Salford Strictly Orthodox Akiva School Barnet Mainstream Alma Primary Barnet Mainstream Ateres Girls High School Gateshead Strictly Orthodox Avigdor Hirsch Torah Temimah Primary School Brent Strictly Orthodox Beis Aharon School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Beis Chinuch Lebonos Girls School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Beis Hatalmud School Salford Strictly Orthodox Beis Malka Belz Girls School Salford Strictly Orthodox Beis Malka Girls’ School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Beis Medrash Elyon Barnet Strictly Orthodox Beis Rochel d’Satmar Girls’ School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Beis Ruchel D’Satmar London Hackney Strictly Orthodox Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools 9
Name of School Local Authority Sector
Beis Ruchel Girls School Manchester Strictly Orthodox Beis Ruchel Girls School Salford Strictly Orthodox Beis Soroh Schneirer Barnet Strictly Orthodox Beis Trana Girls’ School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Beis Yaakov Girls School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Beis Yaakov High School Salford Strictly Orthodox Beis Yaakov Primary School Barnet Strictly Orthodox Beit Shvidler Primary School Barnet Mainstream Beth Jacob Grammar School for Girls Barnet Strictly Orthodox Bnei Zion Community School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Bnois Jerusalem Girls School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Bnos Beis Yaakov Primary School Brent Strictly Orthodox Bnos Yisroel School Manchester Salford Strictly Orthodox Bnos Zion of Bobov Hackney Strictly Orthodox Brodetsky Primary School Leeds Mainstream Broughton Jewish Cassel Fox Primary School Salford Strictly Orthodox Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School Bury Mainstream Calderwood Lodge East Renfrewshire Mainstream Clore Shalom School Hertfordshire Mainstream Clore Tikva School Redbridge Mainstream Eden Primary Haringey Mainstream Edgware Jewish Girls – Beis Chinuch Barnet Strictly Orthodox Etz Chaim Boys School Manchester Strictly Orthodox Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School Barnet Mainstream Gateshead Jewish Boarding School Gateshead Strictly Orthodox Gateshead Jewish High School for Girls Gateshead Strictly Orthodox Gateshead Jewish Nursery School Gateshead Strictly Orthodox Gateshead Jewish Primary School Gateshead Strictly Orthodox Getters Talmud Torah Hackney Strictly Orthodox Haskel School Gateshead Strictly Orthodox Hasmonean High School Barnet Mainstream Hasmonean Primary School Barnet Mainstream Hertsmere Jewish Primary School Hertfordshire Mainstream Immanuel College Hertfordshire Mainstream Independent Jewish Day School Barnet Mainstream JCoSS Barnet Mainstream JFS Brent Mainstream Kantor King Solomon High School Redbridge Mainstream Kerem School Barnet Mainstream Kerem Shloime Salford Strictly Orthodox King David High School Liverpool Mainstream King David Junior and Infant School Birmingham Mainstream King David Primary School Liverpool Mainstream King David Primary School Manchester Mainstream 10 Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools
Name of School Local Authority Sector
Kisharon School Barnet Mainstream Leeds Jewish Free School Leeds Mainstream Leeds Menorah School Leeds Strictly Orthodox Lubavitch House School (Senior Girls) Hackney Strictly Orthodox Lubavitch Junior Boys Hackney Strictly Orthodox Lubavitch Ruth Lunzer Girls Primary School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Lubavitch Senior Boys’ School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Lubavitch Yeshiva Ketanah of London Barnet Strictly Orthodox Manchester Jewish School for Special Education Manchester Strictly Orthodox Manchester Junior Girls’ School Salford Strictly Orthodox Manchester Mesivta School Bury Strictly Orthodox Mathilda Marks-Kennedy Jewish Primary School Barnet Mainstream Mechinoh School Salford Strictly Orthodox Menorah Foundation School Barnet Strictly Orthodox Menorah Grammar School Barnet Strictly Orthodox Menorah High School for Girls Barnet Strictly Orthodox Menorah Primary School Barnet Strictly Orthodox Mosaic Jewish Primary School Wandsworth Mainstream Naima Jewish Preparatory School Westminster Mainstream Nancy Reuben Primary School Barnet Strictly Orthodox North Cheshire Jewish Primary School Stockport Mainstream North West London Jewish Day School Brent Mainstream Oholei Yosef Yitzchok Lubavitch Schools Salford Strictly Orthodox Pardes House Grammar School Barnet Strictly Orthodox Pardes House Primary School Barnet Strictly Orthodox Peninim Barnet Strictly Orthodox Rimon Jewish Primary School Barnet Mainstream Rosh Pinah Primary School Barnet Mainstream Sacks Morasha Jewish Primary School Barnet Mainstream Side By Side School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Simon Marks Jewish Primary School Hackney Mainstream Sinai Jewish Primary School Brent Mainstream Talmud Torah Bobov Primary School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Talmud Torah Chaim Meirim Wiznitz School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Talmud Torah Chinuch Norim School Salford Strictly Orthodox Talmud Torah London Hackney Strictly Orthodox Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Talmud Torah Tiferes Shlomoh Barnet Strictly Orthodox Talmud Torah Toldos Yakov Yosef School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Talmud Torah Yetev Lev Hackney Strictly Orthodox Talmud Torah Yetev Lev Salford Strictly Orthodox Tashbar of Edgware Barnet Strictly Orthodox Tashbar of Manchester Salford Strictly Orthodox The Gateshead Cheder Primary School Gateshead Strictly Orthodox Numbers of Jewish children in Jewish schools 11
Name of School Local Authority Sector
The King David High School Manchester Mainstream The Moriah Jewish Day School Harrow Mainstream The Noam Primary School Brent Mainstream Tiferes Salford Strictly Orthodox Tiferes High School Barnet Strictly Orthodox Torah Vodaas Barnet Strictly Orthodox Toras Emes Salford Strictly Orthodox TTD Gur School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Vishnitz Girls School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Wiznitz Cheder School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School Redbridge Mainstream Wolfson Hillel Primary School Enfield Mainstream Yavneh College Hertfordshire Mainstream Yavneh Primary School Hertfordshire Mainstream Yeshiva Lezeirim Preparatory Academy Gateshead Strictly Orthodox Yeshivah Ohr Torah School Salford Strictly Orthodox Yesodey Hatorah School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School Hackney Strictly Orthodox Yesoiday Hatorah School Bury Strictly Orthodox The Institute for Jewish Policy Research is a London-based research organisation, consultancy and think-tank. It aims to advance the prospects of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom and across Europe by conducting research and informing policy development in dialogue with those best-placed to positively influence Jewish life.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews is the voice of British Jewry – the only organisation based on cross-communal, democratic, grassroots representation. It is the first port of call for Government, media and others seeking to understand the Jewish community’s interests and concerns.
Author
Dr Jonathan Boyd is Executive Director of JPR. A specialist in the study of contemporary Jewry, he is a former Jerusalem Fellow at the Mandel Institute in Israel, and has held professional positions in research and policy at the JDC International Centre for Community Development, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the United Jewish Israel Appeal and the Holocaust Educational Trust. He holds a doctorate in education from the University of Nottingham, and an MA and BA in modern Jewish history from University College London. He is the author of numerous reports on British and European Jewish life, a Board member of the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry, and a columnist for the Jewish Chronicle.
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