Schools in Jerusalem for English-Speaking Families: Streams, Registration and What to Expect

Three decisions come before any school's name: which stream, which neighbourhood (because municipal schools are zoned), and whether your child starts in Hebrew immediately or via a year of support. Israeli state education is free, the streams are a real choice rather than a label, and registration happens in a winter window for the following September. Because the neighbourhood decides the school, read this alongside the neighbourhoods guide; for the years before first grade see the gan guide.

The streams

• Mamlachti (state): secular, with Jewish history and holidays as culture. Mixed classes.
• Mamlachti-dati (state religious): Orthodox in ethos, prayer and Torah study in the timetable, often separate boys' and girls' classes from some grade; a wide range from open to strict within the stream, and the home of most Anglo religious families.
• Haredi networks (Chinuch Atzmai, Ma'ayan HaChinuch HaTorani, and independent): separate boys' and girls' schools, more religious studies, less secular curriculum in some.
• Special-focus and integrated schools: a few democratic, arts, science, bilingual Hebrew-Arabic and mixed religious-secular schools exist across the city, with their own admission.
• International and private: a handful of fee-paying schools teach in English, among them an Anglican international school near the centre; they suit short postings more than aliyah.

Ages and grades

Gan chova at five, kita alef (first grade) at six, yesodi (primary) grades 1 to 6, chativat beinayim (middle school) 7 to 9, tichon (high school) 10 to 12, ending with the bagrut matriculation exams. Some primaries run to grade 8. Cut-off dates are by the Hebrew calendar year, which can place a child differently from the system you came from.

Registration and zoning

Municipal registration opens in the winter for the following September, online through the city's education department with the child's ID number and proof of address; each address has a registration zone with its default schools per stream, and requests for another school go through a transfer process with no guarantee. Families arriving mid-year apply to the department, which places children where there is room and, for olim, with Hebrew support. Popular schools in the Anglo neighbourhoods fill; a rented address in the zone counts, which is why the neighbourhood decision comes first.

Hebrew support for new arrivals

Schools with enough olim run a kitat klita (absorption class) or extra Hebrew hours, and the ministry funds a set number of support hours for a new immigrant child; ask the school what it provides and push for it. Children under ten usually reach classroom Hebrew within a year; teenagers need more support and sometimes a year in a school with a strong olim programme. The community groups know which schools in each neighbourhood do this well.

The day, the year and the costs

• The day ends in the early afternoon, earlier on Friday; the tzaharon (afternoon programme) and chugim fill the rest for working parents.
• The year runs from the first of September to the end of June for primaries and a little earlier for high schools, with breaks for the festivals, Chanukah, Pesach and the odd day you only learn about from the parents' WhatsApp group.
• Costs: tuition is free; parents pay capped annual fees (tashlumei horim) for materials, trips and insurance, plus uniforms (a logo T-shirt) where required. Extras and private schools are separate.
• Communication runs through the class WhatsApp group and the school's app; the parents' evening (yom horim) is short and to the point.

Special educational needs

Support in mainstream classes, integration hours and special education (chinuch meyuchad) are decided by ministry committees on the basis of assessments; bring translated reports from abroad and start early, because the committees meet on a schedule. Parents' organisations in the Anglo community are the best guides to the process.

Getting there

Children walk, take the bus alone from a young age, or are driven; school buses exist for some schools and for special education. The transport guide explains the Rav-Kav for children.

Hebrew you will meet

• beit sefer — school
• kita — class / grade (kita alef = first grade)
• yesodi / tichon — primary / high school
• harshama — registration
• mechanech / mechanechet — homeroom teacher
• tashlumei horim — parents' payments
• te'udat bagrut — matriculation certificate

More everyday words are in our Hebrew vocabulary guide.

Common questions

When do I register my child for school in Jerusalem?

In the winter for September, through the municipality's online registration; families arriving mid-year apply to the education department for placement.

Are there English-language schools in Jerusalem?

A few fee-paying international schools teach in English; most English-speaking families use state schools with Hebrew support, and children become fluent within a year or two.

What is the difference between mamlachti and mamlachti-dati schools?

Both are free state schools. Mamlachti is secular; mamlachti-dati is religious, with prayer and Torah study in the day and, in many schools, separate boys' and girls' classes from some grade.

How long is the school day?

It ends in the early afternoon on most days and earlier on Friday; a paid afternoon programme (tzaharon) extends it for younger children.

A registration date or rule that changed? Tell us and we will fix it.