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Church schools 'distinctive and inclusive'

 

School admissions policies have been a major discussion point for the past year, while the Education and Inspections Act was debated in Parliament. The level of scrutiny of church school admissions policies has never been so high, writes the Church of England’s outgoing Chief Education Officer, John Hall.

In response to the debate, the Bishop of Portsmouth, chairman of the Board of Education, wrote to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in October, reaffirming the Church of England’s commitment to distinctively Christian and inclusive schools, with places not only for practising Christian families but also for those of other faiths and none who live near the school. He said that all new Church of England schools should offer at least 25 per cent of places on a local priority basis, without faith-related criteria. Almost all recently opened secondary (‘Dearing’) schools have admissions policies that either offer 50 per cent or 100 per cent of places on a local priority basis.

The Government’s draft Admissions Code imposes strict controls on what are acceptable criteria for school admissions, but does not prevent schools offering places on a faith priority basis.

Now that the legislation has been approved, the issue is likely to die down in public debate – but not in importance for the Church. We hope that our commitment to inclusive schools will be better planted in the public mind, a point that will be reaffirmed when the Board of Education issues fresh guidance on schools admissions to dioceses in the New Year.

Canon John Hall, the Church of England’s Chief Education Officer from 1998, becomes Dean of Westminster Abbey this month