“The discipline is so good in faith schools”

Having taught in non-faith schools, I'd say that the discipline in faith schools is much better, although that could be because the children are well brought up
Katie Dutnall, parent

• There are more than 7000 state faith/church schools in the UK today

• Before 1997, most faith schools within the state system were Christian - Anglican, Catholic - or Jewish

• There are now Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Greek Orthodox and Seventh Day Adventist schools

Katie Dutnall never had any doubts about choosing a primary school for her sons, Jake and Will. She wanted them to attend a popular local Church of England primary in High Wycombe, the very same school that Katie and her brothers attended when they were younger. Happily, Katie got her wish, but not because she lives just a few hundred yards from the school. She attended church regularly as a child but had lapsed and had to resume attendance for years to get Jake and Will into the school. “The fact that I lived nearby was of no importance at all,” she says. “The school was extremely popular with more than 80 children competing for 30 places.”

Katie is representative of many parents in the UK today who will do what it takes to get their children into a faith school in the state system. Excellent results and good standards of discipline are a combination that few can resist, however faith schools have received wide criticism recently for being too selective and not taking vulnerable children. With their children’s education at stake, though, few parents will mull over the moral dilemma.

Top performers

In October 2008, the Sunday Telegraph analysed which were the single most oversubscribed schools in different areas throughout the country. The paper found that 60 per cent of these schools were selective secondaries, academies and voluntary-aided and foundation schools run by charities or religious organisations.

“It’s clear that parents don’t want bog standard state schools and that if they cannot afford to go private, they want schools run by non-state providers, be they faith, grammar or academies,” said Sam Freedman, head of education at the Policy Exchange think tank.

But why exactly are parents so drawn towards faith schools? Leaving aside for a moment the question of religious convictions, most have pragmatic reasons for their choices: the schools are perceived to be better at delivering a combination of discipline and academic results. Figures seem to bear out parents’ perceptions. Two-thirds of the top-performing primaries in recent league tables were Anglican, Catholic or Jewish schools. Exam results and discipline, though, are only ever part of the educational story. Many parents are also attracted by the schools’ emphasis on spiritual development.

How faith schools work

These schools are either voluntary-controlled or voluntary-aided. In voluntary-controlled schools, the local education authority employs the staff and sets the admissions criteria. The land and buildings, however, are owned by a charity, often a religious organisation, and this appoints several of the governors. In voluntary-aided schools, the arrangements are roughly the same, except that governors choose staff and admissions criteria (see below for more on admissions).

That’s not to say that governors can choose any criteria that take their fancy. The government has issued guidelines partly designed to promote faith schools’ social mix...

• Schools aren’t allowed to ask for evidence of parents’ employment, marital status or education

• Requests for voluntary contributions are banned

• Interviews are banned, in case they are used to ensure that the applicants subscribe to a distinctive ethos or point of view

Nevertheless, the government believes that some schools have flouted these rules, with some research even indicating that poorer children are weeded out by charging up-front fees. The Church of England, though, disputes this, saying it urges schools to give places to local children rather than wealthier ones from outside the area. Further, a report for the church The Way Ahead: Church of England schools in the new millennium by Lord Dearing suggested that places should be reserved for children of other faiths and of no faith at all. These are the kind of high ideals that you’d expect of a faith school, but in practice is it being born out? Let us know your experience by posting a message below.

A nurturing environment

One the many things that faith schools seem to excel in is nurturing children and providing a friendly environment. “I’ve seen excellent pastoral care in Anglican schools,” says Simeon Willson, a teacher at St Gilbert’s Primary School, Stamford. “Although the children’s spiritual development is integral, the school is required to cover the local education authority’s religious education curriculum, so they receive a rounded education. In my experience, such schools encourage diversity because the pupils learn about many different cultures.”

At the state-funded Krishna-Avanti school in Harrow, the faith may be different but headteacher Naina Parmar largely echoes Simeon’s words, “Hinduism is a very inclusive faith and I want the school to be a haven of peace,” she says, adding that the school aims to promote sustainable projects based on Hindu culture and philosophy, while also encouraging integration within the community.

Critics, though, remain worried that faith schools don’t take enough pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. These aren’t just critics from such organisations as the National Secular Society, ideologically opposed to faith schools. “Church schools should be leading the way in taking vulnerable children,” says Jonathan Bartley, co-director of the religious think tank Ekklesia. “Instead, evidence suggests that they’re taking far fewer.”

Flourishing schools

Despite such concerns, the government remains enthusiastic about faith schools and the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, has endorsed them as a way of promoting social cohesion.

In other words, expect faith schools to continue to flourish. Faith schools are not only important within the state system. Many independent schools are affiliated to religious organisations. These set their own curriculum and admissions policies. Most are run as charitable trusts by a board of governors. Admissions procedures vary considerably, but most of the primaries select by parental interview and the senior schools by common entrance.

As long as they do genuinely flourish, parents will continue to choose the schools. Just ask Katie Dutnall. “Being faith-based, I felt the children were very protected,” she says of her local Anglican primary. “Also, having taught in a number of non-faith schools, I’d say the discipline was a great deal better – although that could be because the children were well brought up!”

Have your say

Do you think it's wrong that people who don't believe in religion to go to church just to get their children into a faith school, or is it a sign of the times? Post your comments below