The National Secular Society has called on Richmond Council to protect a nonreligious community school at risk of being taken over by the Church of England.
The NSS urged the council to preserve “schooling which welcomes families of all backgrounds and beliefs equally” by preventing a proposed amalgamation between two schools resulting in a single Church of England faith school.
The council is consulting on plans to merge Hampton Wick Infant and Nursery School and St John the Baptist Church of England Junior School into a single school, due to declining pupil numbers in the area.
A key question for the consultation is whether the amalgamated school should be designated as a Voluntary Aided (VA) faith school or as a nonreligious community school.
Responding to the consultation, the NSS said it was “essential” to maintain Hampton Wick Infant’s “inclusive community school ethos”, which “best serves the needs of the diverse local community”.
The NSS highlighted that VA faith schools are legally allowed to discriminate on the basis of religion in 100% of their admissions when oversubscribed, which can exclude families who do not share the school’s faith. St John the Baptist school currently prioritises families who “regularly worship” at two CofE churches in its admissions.
The NSS pointed out that if amalgamation results in a Church of England faith school, 60% of school places in the planning area will be at Christian faith schools, despite Christians being a minority within the local community at just 43% of residents.
The NSS said this “entirely disproportionate” allocation of faith school places could not be justified, arguing that whilst community schools welcome all pupils equally regardless of their family’s religion or belief, Church of England schools “cannot and must not be assumed to be suitable for non-Anglicans, let alone non-Christians”.
The NSS highlighted the promotion of Christianity at CofE schools, which it said “alienates and excludes” families of different backgrounds and beliefs. St John the Baptist School describes its “Christian vision” as “infused within all we do”, and acts of collective worship as an “opportunity” for pupils to “encounter” Jesus Christ and the Christian faith.
The NSS also told the council it was “deeply concerned” by a number of “false promises, factual errors and misleading statements” in the consultation documents.
This includes the claim that “faith will not be a factor” in admissions for the new school “regardless of whether it is designated as a faith school or not”. The NSS pointed out that if the amalgamation results in a VA faith school, the school would be legally entitled to use faith as a factor in admissions “at any time”, with the council having “no say whatsoever”.
The NSS also said claims that career opportunities for existing Hampton Wick school staff would not be affected in the case of a Church of England takeover “misrepresent the legal reality of VA faith schools”, which are permitted to use religious tests in appointing, promoting, disciplining and setting the salary of any teacher.
Senior positions at faith schools generally involve more stringent religious tests. Teachers also do not have the right to personally withdraw from collective worship in VA schools.
The NSS also criticised the council for promising governing body representation from both existing school communities for amalgamated school, which it has “no power to deliver” long term.
NSS: Misleading statements on implications of faith school designation “deeply concerning”
National Secular Society spokesperson Jack Rivington said: “Schools that we all pay for should be equally welcoming to pupils of all backgrounds and beliefs, not discriminate against them in admissions or alienate them by promoting Christian belief.
“Voluntary Aided faith schools do not best serve the needs of our diverse communities. A Church of England takeover of Hampton Wick Infant school would be a disaster for social cohesion and inclusion, reducing inclusive, nonreligious education in a local community where it needs to be expanded.
“It is deeply concerning that Richmond Council has issued a proposal which has potentially misled school parents, staff, and governors regarding the implications of a Voluntary Aided faith school designation. This undermines confidence in the consultation process and outcome, and we urge the council to issue a correction as a priority.”