A group representing the majority of Hertsmere's Jewish residents this week appealed to the county council for the right to establish a new secondary school in Borehamwood.

The orthodox United Synagogue (US) organisation, which includes Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue, is seeking to buy the site of Hillside School, when it is vacated early next year.

It aims to open the borough's first Jewish secondary school at the premises, and offer the site's existing sports and recreation facilities for public use outside school hours.

Hertfordshire County Council, which owns the land, had intended to sell part of the site for housing in order to recoup money it has spent reorganising Borehamwood's schools.

Rabbi Alan Plancey, of Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue, said a Jewish secondary school was needed to cater for the growing number of young people of the faith living in the borough.

"It is very important to Jewish people that they are given the choice to be able to bring their children up in a Jewish environment," he said.

The US organisation has synagogues in Borehamwood, Radlett and Bushey, and has at least 4,200 adult members in Hertsmere.

Another 1,500 adults are members of progressive or reform synagogues in the borough.

The community is worried children at Hertsmere Jewish Primary School, in Radlett, which opened in 1999, will not have a Jewish secondary school to go to when they start to leave in three years' time.

Jonathan Arkush, from the steering group which is managing the school bid, said two coach-loads of children from Borehamwood and Edgware were already being taken to a secondary school in Redbridge, Essex.

The proposed school would be open to all Jewish children living in the Hertsmere area, and not just those who are orthodox Jews.

Mr Arkush said the US was willing to pay the market price for the site, and would not expect a subsidy from the county council.

But he said the county had a legal duty to provide education for all the children in its area.

"The Jewish community sees the same benefits in a Jewish faith school as the Church of England or Roman Catholic faiths do.

"Faith schools teach values and traditions and teach pupils about their culture. A non-faith school can never hope to offer that in the same way."

The county council aims to sell land at the three Borehamwood school sites which are being vacated to recover some of the £19million it has spent on the town's schools.

A council spokeswoman said: "Any formal proposals from the community would be assessed by members of the county council, against the potential impact on schooling in the area and the county council's need to recoup the expenses incurred in establishing Hertswood School with its excellent new facilities."

October 31, 2001 15:19

CHARLES WHITNEY