A new primary school for Jewish children will help meet the “tremendous need” for school places, according to governors.

Yavneh College hopes to open a primary school next to its existing secondary school site in Hillside Avenue, Borehamwood.

The campaign was originally launched in 2011 but Hertfordshire County Council refused to provide a £4m grant to help pay for the building.

READ MORE: Jewish primary school campaigners disappointed by decision

Governors now hope to bypass the authority by applying directly through the Government’s free school programme.

Malcolm Gordon, joint chairman of Yavneh College Trust, said: “We are in the very early stages of our application and we’ve got a lot to work towards.

“The school will be the same modern, Jewish Orthodox school as the higher school, which has been judged outstanding by Ofsted.

“There’s a tremendous shortage of primary school places in the area, mainly due to the continued building in the area of houses for young families so we think this is necessary.

“Last year Yavneh was the top-performing non-selective school for A-levels and we are proud of that. Children are happy here and those are the values we want to bring to the primary school.”

The 52-year-old father of four became the chairman of the original group that launched Yavneh College in 1999 and stayed on when it was officially opened in 2006.

Governors now hope to submit a free school application this year with a view to opening the school for reception pupils in September 2016.

Hertsmere Borough Council granted planning permission to build on the Hillside Avenue site in 2012 and Mr Gordon, a solicitor, said there were no objections to this.

The campaign for Yavneh Primary School is similar to another campaign to open a Jewish primary school in Borehamwood.

READ MORE: Duo launch campaign to open new Jewish primary school in Borehamwood

Although billed as a Jewish school, 50 per cent of places at the LL Primary School will be available to children of other faiths and cultures.

When asked if there was any friction between the two campaigns, Mr Gordon said: “You’ll have to ask them that – we are two separate groups.

“We’ve had a meeting with them and we have agreed to stay in touch.”

In a letter to parents, chairman of governors Sue Nyman said: “As well as being an incredibly exciting time for the local Jewish community, this is also the next important milestone in the development of Yavneh College and one which we look forward to sharing with you all.”

People are invited to a public meeting about the Yavneh College plans at 7.30pm on Thursday, March 26. To register, visit www.yavnehcollege.org