In September 2016 the Government announced plans to change many of the rules surrounding admissions to and the opening of new faith based free schools and academies. These proposals include allowing new and existing faith free schools to religiously select 100% of their pupil intake.

Proposal

Allowing 100% religious discrimination in school admissions (previously capped at 50%).

Background

Since 2010 all new academies and free schools with a religious designation have had a 50% cap on the number of places where they can apply religious discrimination in admissions. The remaining 50% of admissions must be open to pupils from all faith and belief backgrounds. The cap was intended to continue to allow faith schools and "to support inclusivity and tolerance" while preventing segregation. The Government now wants to scrap the cap so that new faith-based academies can apply 100% religious discrimination.

The cap has been criticised by some groups who will only open schools if 100% religious discrimination is permitted, and by others for failing to prevent segregation in minority faith schools.

What do we want?

The 50% cap isn't perfect but it is the first meaningful effort in modern times to address the problems of religious discrimination in school admissions. The existing cap should be protected, with serious consideration given to extending it to other faith-based schools. If the Government chooses to remove the cap, then any alternative should aim to reduce overall religious discrimination.

Proposal

Requiring faith schools to prove that there is demand for school places from parents of other faiths.

Background

Previously, new faith schools were just required to do tokenistic outreach to people of other faiths and none and claim their school would be attractive to such parents. However there are no stipulations on how this should be done. The new proposals include the need to "prove that there is demand for school places from parents of other faiths…Faith schools should be required to prove, through local consultation and signatures, that parents of other faiths would be happy to send their children there."

What do we want?

On the surface this presents an opportunity for local parents to challenge new religiously based/discriminatory schools. In practice it is likely to work more against minority faith schools - for which there is less demand. However if these proposals are enacted we would want them to be rigorously adhered to. It shouldn't be enough for proposed schools to gather a few signatures, they must genuinely demonstrate that there is demand for their school (rather than just for a new school or a good school) and that they will be inclusive in meeting this demand and better than alternatives - in practice it should be recognized that any school based on partisan religious beliefs or discrimination will have problems being "tolerant" or "inclusive".

Proposal:

Requiring faith schools to establish a twinning arrangement with other schools, either of different religions or of none.

Background

These could be required in new faith academies' funding agreements, although what form they could take is unclear. It could include exchange trips, joint lessons or assemblies.

What do we want?

There is some evidence that such schemes could be effective. However they are no substitute for the ongoing real world interactions of properly integrated schools. There is also some evidence that such schemes might encourage pupils to see each other as members of separate (religiously defined) groups.

Proposal

Encouraging faith-based organisations to take over non-faith community schools through mixed multi academy trusts.

Background

This proposal will not be binding. The Government are enamoured with faith groups' supposed ability to improve non-faith schools. Along with a shortage of academy sponsors this has led to them encouraging mixed multi academy trusts (MATs) (groups of academies containing both religious and non-religious schools). The Government believes that the opportunities for schools within a MAT to work together could bring together pupils from different backgrounds.

What do we want?

The NSS has been on the forefront of exposing how religious organisations have used academisation to gain control and influence in an increasing number of non-religious schools. Despite government assurances, there are no meaningful safeguards to prevent religious organisations to undermine the religiously-neutral ethos of community schools in mixed multi academy trusts. Indeed, the Church of England has made clear that it sees such arrangements as an important tool in advancing its interests in community schools.

Proposal

Encouraging faith-based academy trusts to have a member or director of a different or no faith.

Background

This proposal will not be binding. As religious based academies have moved towards smaller governing bodies (encouraged by the Government for efficiency) and without local authority oversight, religious influence has been less 'balanced out' than in the past. There are also concerns that small cliques can undermine effective governance.

What do we want?

We worry this change could be tokenism and simply lead to religious enthusiasts of different stripes on each other's boards.

A better solution would be to protect the role of parent governors and to (as with voluntary controlled faith schools) limit foundation governors (those appointed for religious reasons) to 25%.