The Government and the schools inspectorate should challenge discriminatory practices at faith schools, the National Secular Society has said.
The Department for Education and Ofsted are consulting on reforming how schools in England are inspected, and on adopting a “stronger approach to school improvement”.
The Government said its school system will “drive high and rising standards, across every school and for every child, breaking down barriers to opportunity”.
But the NSS said faith schools create barriers through faith-based admissions and other policies.
Schools with a religious character are permitted to select 100% of their pupils based on religion when oversubscribed. In free schools, this is capped at 50%.
Ofsted said it will increase its focus on “disadvantaged children and learners, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who leaders have identified as being particularly vulnerable”.
The NSS argued faith schools which select pupils based on religion are failing these children. Recent research has revealed faith schools admit fewer children from deprived backgrounds and children with SEND. They also create barriers for looked-after and previously looked-after children. Additionally, faith schools segregate children according to religion and, frequently, ethnicity.
The NSS added the Government should “prioritise collecting and publishing information about which schools operate faith-based admissions”.
In 2021, the DfE admitted to the NSS it does not know how many schools use faith selection in admissions, even though it does collect and publish data on which schools operate academic selection.
The NSS said that without this data, it is “extremely difficult to further explore the link between faith-based admissions and barriers to inclusion”.
The NSS also expressed disappointment that neither Ofsted nor the DfE addressed the issue of ‘religiosity inspections’ at faith schools.
Religious education and collective worship at faith schools are inspected by religious institutions rather than Ofsted. The NSS said these inspections pressure schools to evangelise to children and maintain an exclusive religious ethos which can alienate pupils who do not share the school’s religion. Additionally, because RE is not inspected by Ofsted at faith schools, this can lead to distorted forms of relationships and sex education being taught via RE which may discriminate against LGBT children and their families.
Ofsted’s new ‘toolkit’ for inspections includes a focus on inclusion, and requires that schools make pupils “feel welcome, valued and respected” and that they “belong within the school community”. The NSS said many faith schools will be “unlikely” to truly achieve this, because pupils who do not share the faith “often feel marginalised in RE, collective worship and other aspects of school life where the religious character dominates”. Recent research highlighted how children feel Christian privilege in schools is “unfair”.
NSS: “Missed opportunity” to tackle inequality caused by faith schools
NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: “We welcome the Government and Ofsted’s aim to improve the lives and education outcomes of the most disadvantaged children.
“But the lack of consideration of how faith schools limit inclusivity is a missed opportunity.
“Government aims to break down barriers for all children, whatever their background, cannot be achieved while a significant proportion of our schools are allowed to discriminate against children on the basis of faith”.