Transport to faith schools
Discrimination on grounds of religion and belief is prominent in the provision of both discretionary and statutory home to school transport. We seek equitable school transport policies, free from religious privilege, fair to all families and fair to taxpayers.
Faith Schools Transport Briefing Paper (PDF, 222 Kb)
Related news
Schools must be supported against religious bullies
Posted: Wed, 7 Jul 2021 16:55
Comments from Ofsted's chief inspector highlight the need to help schools resist efforts to shut down teaching which reactionary religious groups deem controversial, says Alastair Lichten.
In a recent speech at the annual Festival of Education conference Amanda Spielman, head of Ofsted, touched on issues with activism in schools. While acknowledging the many positive contributions of activism to education, she criticised "the militant kind" which leads to "confrontational approaches both outside and inside schools".
She went on to talk about the impact on children having to "cross what amount to picket lines outside their school because one group's religious beliefs – protected by law – sit uncomfortably with teaching about another group's sexuality – also protected by law".
We've seen this play out with protests outside school gates and misinformation campaigns organised against relationships and sex education (RSE). In Batley a mob forced a religious education (RE) teacher into hiding over a lesson on blasphemy - and reactionaries have since hounded the Labour candidate during the recent by-election with homophobic abuse, largely because of her support of inclusive RSE.
It's important to cut through the euphemism and talk about the specific subjects and topics that reactionary religious groups are organising around. They want schools to uphold taboos against LGBT identities, contraceptives, sex and blasphemy. They use euphemisms such as protecting children – a longstanding dog whistle used to frame LGBT people as a threat and talk the language of community engagement – when they want to be treated as gatekeepers regardless of what the wider community may want.
Currently it is conservative Islamic groups leading the charge, but this is not confined to one group. Anti-LGBT Christian groups have supported these protests. How long before other religious groups start mobilising on their own pet issues? Some white parents object to schools teaching about racism and colonialism. Some Hindu groups are bitterly opposed to caste discrimination being mentioned in A-level coverage of Hinduism. Where religious authorities control schools, very little outside pressure is needed to enforce such taboos.
The number of schools that will have religious mobs baying at their gates may be relatively small, but many more will be intimidated into silence. We've seen these tactics and the effects they have before. In 2011 researchers at Penn State University published a study showing that only 13% of US science teachers were sympathetic to creationist beliefs, but the real threat to scientific literacy was the 60% who avoided teaching about evolution to avoid conflict or controversy.
RE students tend to be particularly interested in discussions about the conflicts between religious beliefs and wider societal values. Examiners have told me that questions about religious objections to abortion or providing services to LGBT couples are among the most popular options chosen in exams as they are perceived as more relevant than scriptural questions.
If you want to discuss contemporary religious issues, then I can think of very few more pertinent than debates over offending Islamic blasphemy taboos. Any student passionate about RE would love to debate the lines between free speech, religious criticism, and needless offence. After Batley, many won't get the chance. I expect many teachers will be quietly putting that particular lesson plan in the bin.
I suspect that few teachers or schools will actively support Islamic, or other religious, blasphemy taboos or homophobia, but many will seek to avoid this conflict. There are currently structural issues of religious privilege within RE and RSE which encourage this strategy for schools, and which encourage religious parents to demand concessions.
Religious education
Our system of religious education assumes that religious groups should be gatekeepers and producer communities - meaning they should decide, through the system of SACREs and their dominance of the market in resources, how religions are covered.
Good teaching about religion should challenge prejudice against and between people with differing beliefs. Challenging discrimination is not always consistent with protecting everyone's religious feelings. An academic study in 2018 showed that most RE teachers see it as their job to address prejudice by prioritising positive views of religion over critical exploration. Evidence from the same authors, reported last week, suggests this holds regardless of teachers' personal beliefs. This positivity bias primes teachers to back off from topics that might make religions look bad. A lot of discussion of the Batley affair in RE communities had an underlying suspicion of the teacher's motives given this potential.
Relationships and sex education
Current government guidance allows schools to teach RSE from a religious perspective. This was designed to appease religious objectors. It allows faith schools to continue to teach the subject in a discriminatory way. This creates the unreasonable expectation that content will be restricted on religious grounds. All RSE should be age appropriate, but this is poorly defined and is used by religious groups to try to push any coverage of LGBT issues out, particularly in primary schools. The current guidance opens the door to this: just this week, Ofsted has said schools want it to be clearer.
The consultation requirements in the guidance and legislation on RSE are intended to help schools form a partnership with parents, understand cultural perspectives and concerns, and tweak their planned content to be most effective. However, these are exploited by religious groups whose real target and demand is getting rid of RSE. They will always demand more consultation and more concessions, not out of a genuine desire to improve the subject, but to sap schools' time and energy to try and intimidate them into giving in.
In both subjects, guidance should make clear that schools are not expected to conform to the prejudices of parents or religious gatekeepers.
We also need a wider cultural change, so that teachers feel confident delivering the curriculum even when some pupils, or their families, may find it challenging or controversial. Parents and communities need to know that although their views will be heard, they do not get a veto. When covering controversial cultural issues teachers need to be given some benefit of the doubt, even when they don't handle an issue perfectly, and they need to know they will be supported.
Image: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com.
Ep 53: Religion and LGBT rights: fifty years of change
Posted: Tue, 6 Jul 2021 08:00
The history of LGBT rights in the UK has involved persistent struggles against prejudice, entrenched views – and organised religion.
In this episode, Emma Park speaks to two leading campaigners for LGBT equality and social acceptance in Britain. Her first guest, Peter Tatchell, has been campaigning on these issues since 1967. Since 2011, he has directed the Peter Tatchell Foundation, which campaigns for human rights around the world. His story has been told in the documentary Hating Peter Tatchell, released this year on Netflix. Emma's second guest, Terry Sanderson, started campaigning for gay rights in 1969. Terry joined the National Secular Society in the 1990s and was its president from 2006 to 2017.
The two speakers talk to Emma Park about their long experience of fighting for LGBT rights from the late 1960s to today. Each of them shares personal memories of what it was like to be gay in those years, and some of the highlights of their campaigning. They also describe the resistance they encountered from religious organisations every step of the way. Finally, Peter discusses the ways in which such organisations continue to oppose LGBT equality today, and Terry considers how far it is possible to be both gay and religious.
Watch this episode on YouTube | Direct MP3 Link | Transcripts
Notes
Faith school with only white ethnicity options in application form to be investigated
Posted: Fri, 2 Jul 2021 11:36
A state-funded faith school in north London will be investigated after the National Secular Society raised concerns about potential racial discrimination in its admissions.
The NSS contacted the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) in May regarding a "school application form" on the admissions page of Lubavitch Girls Primary School, an Orthodox Jewish school.
The OSA, which clarifies the legal position on school admissions policies, has now told the NSS it will consider whether the school's admissions arrangements conform with requirements.
Admission arrangements
The application form asks for prospective pupils' "ethnic background", but only lists "White – Orthodox Jewish", "White – British", "White – European" and "White – Other" as possible answers.
The NSS also raised concerns about the school's admissions arrangements, which state: "Priority in admissions will be given to children who are Jewish according to Halochah (Orthodox Jewish Law)."
Orthodox Jewish law is sometimes interpreted to mean only those who are born to mothers who are ethnically Jewish are considered Jewish. This is a potential breach of the Equality Act 2010 under the grounds of race.
The school admissions code specifies admissions arrangements must "comply with all relevant legislation, including equalities legislation".
The school's admissions arrangements also say in any dispute as to whether a child is Jewish, "the decision of the Rabbinate of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations of the United Kingdom is final".
The NSS said this may breach the code's stipulation that oversubscription criteria must be "clear", "objective" and "procedurally fair" because it does not explain what criteria the rabbinate uses.
The application form also asks for details about parents' marriage. Requesting information about marital status is prohibited under the code.
The school describes itself as "strictly orthodox" and says it aims to provide a "Torah-true education". It became state-funded in 2004.
Many state-funded faith schools are allowed to operate discriminatory admissions policies due to loopholes in equality legislation. The NSS campaigns for the end of religious discrimination in admissions.
NSS comment
NSS head of policy and research Megan Manson welcomed the OSA's decision to investigate the school.
"We are pleased to see the OSA is taking our concerns seriously.
"It is unacceptable for any school to imply that only children from certain ethnicities need apply.
"Unfortunately, the link between faith-based admissions criteria and ethnic segregation is well-established. Religious discrimination in admissions must be abolished to ensure children suffer no barriers in attending their local school due to their ethnicity."
Racial discrimination and segregation at Jewish schools
- In 2009 the Supreme Court found the Jewish Free School in London had broken the law by refusing to admit a boy whose mother was a convert to Judaism. The school had directly discriminated against the boy on the basis of race under the Race Relations Act 1976.
- More recently, the OSA upheld a complaint against Menorah Primary School, also in north London, which asked rabbis to confirm that applicants were "halachically Jewish".
- Research consistently demonstrates that faith schools tend to be more ethnically segregated. In 2013 Humanists UK found that Asian pupils are under-represented in Jewish schools. And a 2017 report found more than 84% of non-Christian faith schools were considered to be segregated because of their disproportionate ethnic makeup.
Plan to open discriminatory C of E school approved in Kingston
Posted: Wed, 23 Jun 2021 12:27
A proposal to open a Church of England secondary school with an exclusive religious ethos in Kingston-upon-Thames has been approved by the local council.
A Kingston Council committee voted to approve plans to open the faith school at a meeting last Thursday, despite substantial local opposition and concerns over a lack of transparency.
The school, which will have voluntary aided (VA) status, will be able to select up to one third of its pupils based on faith if it is oversubscribed. That proportion could theoretically rise in future.
VA faith schools are allowed to teach faith based religious education and relationships and sex education. They are also often particularly assertive in enforcing daily acts of denominational worship.
The No More Faith Schools campaign is supporting local residents in opposition to the plan to open the faith school and has urged the council to pursue inclusive, secular alternatives.
Criticisms of plan
Evidence submitted to the committee highlighted the discriminatory nature of the school's admissions and parts of its curriculum.
There was also criticism of a consultation process around the plans, which was largely controlled by the C of E diocese proposing the school. The diocese encouraged supportive responses to its plans.
Meanwhile local head teachers have robustly challenged claims that a new faith school is needed to deliver new school places in the area. There are now suggestions that the capacity at the school may have to be scaled back.
Earlier in the process the council was also forced to rerun a period where representations could be heard, after originally outsourcing this to the diocese.
The NMFS campaign has raised concerns over the lack of transparency around proposals to open new faith schools around England.
Meanwhile concerns have been raised that personal information on those who responded to the council's consultation may have been disclosed. The NMFS campaign is seeking clarification on these claims.
NMFS campaign comment
NMFS campaign coordinator Alastair Lichten said the decision to approve the faith school was "deeply disappointing".
"Kingston Council's decision will suit the Church of England's interests but the case for opening any new school here, let alone a faith school, is extremely weak.
"Local residents would be best served by places in inclusive, secular schools which teach children together regardless of their families' beliefs, and which don't push religious worldviews on children.
"There's also been a lack of meaningful consultation over, and transparency around, these proposals. This is part of a national problem, which means faith schools are being foisted on communities who don't need or want them.
"However, as in all such cases, we are continuing to work with local supporters to make the argument against this divisive and damaging proposal. We're exploring all avenues as we consider our next steps. There may still be a very long way to go for this campaign."
Ep 52: A new Catholic school for Peterborough
Posted: Tue, 22 Jun 2021 08:00
A new Catholic primary school is about to be constructed in Peterborough. It will be the first state-funded Catholic school in England for a decade.
The school is to be built in the growing housing development of Hampton Water. It has been pushed through despite strong opposition from local residents – even though their money has been used to help fund the construction.
In this episode, Emma Park speaks to a member of Peterborough City Council, Terri Haynes, along with Tracy Butler, a resident who was involved in the campaign against the school. They discuss some of the problems both with the principle and the process. These include their encounters with the Catholic Diocese of East Anglia, which proposed the new school, and the obscurity of the Department for Education's reasons for refusing a bid put forward by Hampton Academies Trust for a community ethos (non-faith) school. They also discuss why many parents of different faiths and none would have been happier with a non-denominational school for their children.
Emma is then joined by Alastair Lichten, the NSS's head of education and co-ordinator of the No More Faith Schools campaign, to put the Hampton Water case in the wider national context.
Watch this episode on YouTube | Direct MP3 Link | Transcripts
Notes
- Local anger over discriminatory new Catholic school in Peterborough
- No new faith school in Hampton Water
- Challenge to new selective Catholic school in Peterborough rejected
- Hampton residents angered by decision to approve new Catholic school
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Podcast produced by Emma Park for the National Secular Society (2021). All rights reserved.
Plans to open new faith school in Kingston face local opposition
Posted: Thu, 17 Jun 2021 13:21
Plans to open a discriminatory Church of England school in Kingston-upon-Thames have come under fire from locals, as Kingston Council prepares to decide whether to approve them.
On Thursday a council committee is due to consider a proposal to fund a new C of E secondary school with voluntary aided (VA) status in the borough.
The meeting comes amid substantial opposition from local school leaders, residents and councillors, with particular concerns over the school's admissions policy and a lack of transparency around the plans to open it.
The No More Faith Schools campaign has been supporting local residents in calling on the council to support an inclusive alternative. The campaign has written to councillors ahead of the meeting to share its concerns.
VA faith schools are allowed to enforce a particularly exclusive religious ethos. They act as their own admissions authorities and can in principle apply a religious test for up to 100% of places.
They can also teach faith based religious education and relationships and sex education, and are often particularly assertive in enforcing daily acts of denominational worship.
Despite claiming the school will be open "to all faiths and no faith", the statutory proposal to open the school in Kingston makes clear that up to one third of places will be "foundation places".
This means if the school is oversubscribed, up to a third of pupils could be selected based on faith. That number could also theoretically rise in future.
Opposition from local heads
The head teachers of all of Kingston's existing secondary schools have issued a joint paper in response to a council consultation on the plans. The paper robustly challenges claims from the local C of E diocese that the faith school is needed to deliver new places.
Modelling from the heads shows that the funding set aside for the faith school could increase school capacity more efficiently if it was instead used at multiple locations.
The paper also refutes claims that secondary school headteachers were formally consulted on the proposals in their own right.
The paper was not included in information for the committee before it makes its decision, and the council has been asked to explain why.
Other local opposition
Kingston councillor Sharron Sumner, of the Green party, expressed her concern at the "lack of publicity" around the consultation and the discriminatory nature of the school.
Councillor Sumner said she only received information on the consultation through correspondence from her child's school. She added that accompanying wording was "extremely leading" and "only encourages views from those who support the application".
Some residents also expressed opposition in response to the council's consultation on the plans.
One urged the council to "seek opportunities to provide the school places needed in a secular environment".
Others questioned the fairness of the school's proposed admissions policy and expressed concerns about the impact on social cohesion. One asked: "Why would we divide our children's and grandchildren's education according to belief?"
NMFS campaign comment
NMFS campaign coordinator Alastair Lichten said the council should reject the proposal and explore inclusive alternatives.
"The council should note the very valid concerns of local head teachers and residents around the proposal to open this school.
"The Church of England's desire to promote its ethos should not be prioritised over children's genuine educational needs, or the needs of families of all faiths and none in Kingston. Children and the local community would be better served by inclusive, secular school places.
"This is also just the latest example which shows that the lack of transparency around faith school proposals raises serious concerns. The Department for Education provides no transparency over how claims of inclusivity are assessed, and evidence for new school need is often weak or non-existent."
Image: Juice Verve/Shutterstock.com.
Parents’ religious wishes must not trump children’s safety and education - Opinion Out Loud Ep 009
Posted: Tue, 15 Jun 2021 08:30
Every child has been withdrawn from sex education classes at an independent faith school. Megan Manson says the parental right of withdrawal is incompatible with children's right to an education that keeps them safe.
Is the C of E ashamed of discrimination in school admissions?
Posted: Fri, 28 May 2021 11:36
Research suggests the Church of England downplays the extent of religious discrimination in admissions to the schools it runs. Its embarrassment shows the need to end this practice, says Alastair Lichten.
There is a widespread misconception, encouraged by the Church of England, that 'its' faith schools are open to all and do not religiously discriminate in admissions.
Like the C of E's efforts to avoid church schools being described as faith schools, efforts to downplay or obfuscate discriminatory admissions have various motivations.
Firstly, it is true that compared to other faith – but not community ethos – schools, C of E schools practice far lower levels of religious selection and are more interested in reaching beyond their own faith community.
Secondly, the C of E is more relaxed about efforts to reduce religious selection in admissions - although again only when compared to other faith groups. There are also voices within the church itself calling for a total end to religious selection.
Thirdly, and a cynic might say most importantly, the C of E simply recognises that religious discrimination in admissions is deeply unpopular, particularly in new school proposals.
For example, a new C of E faith school has been proposed in Kingston upon Thames. The local diocese claims the school will be open "to all faiths and no faith", and "children from families of any faith or no faith will be able to gain admission". This downplays the fact that up to a third of places will be selected based on religion. Similar language has been used in other C of E school proposals.
A row in the local press in Oldham this week has been revealing for similar reasons. Those behind a proposal to open a discriminatory C of E faith school have claimed its admissions policy is "specifically designed to be very inclusive". Local campaigners have rightly criticised these claims.
So, does the rhetoric match the reality? We looked at a random sample of 110 C of E schools' admissions policies to examine the extent of these practices. We found that 44 of those schools – 40% – had some sort of religious discrimination or selection in their admissions. And eight of those schools used potentially misleading language to obfuscate or downplay their religious selection.
Several schools emphasised how open they were to children from the local area, even when that was a low priority within their admissions criteria. For example:
- A school which said "admissions are prioritised for siblings and children living nearest to the school before offering places more widely". In reality, locality was fifth on its list of admissions criteria, below attendance at either a specific church, or any local Christian church.
- A school which claimed it "serves the local community and extends a warm welcome to all children whose parents live or work in the area". In reality, locality was seventh on its list of admissions criteria, below three other religiously selective criteria.
- A school which said "not being a church goer will not prevent your children from having a place", "you don't have to be a Christian or attend church to apply for a place", and "we welcome all children (of any & no faith)". In reality, locality was sixth on its list of admissions criteria, below attendance at either a specific church, or any local Christian church.
Other examples included:
- A school that said it was "inclusive" and it "welcomes children from all backgrounds". In reality, if it was oversubscribed, its criteria for admission included: "A commitment to the ethos of the Church of England. The criteria for this will be a letter from a minister confirming attendance of at least three times per year."
- A school that said: "We welcome children of all faiths or no faith". In reality, its oversubscription criteria give priority to those whose parents are "either practising members of the Church of England or practising members of another Christian denomination".
- A school that said: "We are a school rooted in the community and welcome applications from all." In reality a third of places at the school are foundation places (subject to specific religious selection) and for the remaining places locality is the bottom criterion, below attendance at specific local churches.
Defenders of these discriminatory practices may protest that they do not preclude those of other faith backgrounds from gaining places. They may claim that prioritising those of specific faiths does not indicate that those of other or no faith backgrounds are not welcome at all. And they may say that in practice undersubscription and low levels of religious adherence mean selection is lower than policies would theoretically permit.
These excuses are not always relevant, but they are always unpersuasive. A school which reserves the right to discriminate sends a damaging message, regardless of the extent it does so in practice.
In undersubscribed faith schools, discriminatory admissions criteria may not be applied. However, this increases the opposite problem of pupils being assigned faith schools against their families' wishes.
And our researchers also found that in 13 of the schools, language strongly suggested that parents would have to accept all aspects of the school's religious ethos. Examples included:
- "The governors welcome applications from all members of the community and ask all parents to respect the Christian ethos of the school and its importance to the community. Therefore, the governors hope that all pupils will take part in the Christian worship of the school and will attend Religious Education lessons."
- "Governors hope that parents who have chosen this school for their child have done so with the knowledge that it is a Church of England school with a distinctive Christian ethos. Governors, therefore, expect parents to give their full support to the ethos of the school."
- "We ask all parents applying for a place here to respect the ethos and its importance to the school community."
Parents attempting to withdraw their children from confessional religious education or collective worship often find such language is used to claim they have accepted all aspects of the school ethos. This can further dissuade non-Christian families, regardless of admissions.
Many may also assume that C of E faith schools will probably have voluntary controlled (VC as opposed to voluntary aided, VA) status. VC schools can only rarely religiously select, when permitted by their local authority. But there are 90% as many VA C of E faith schools as VC ones: 1,443 and 1,604, respectively. And in 2017 researchers found that 69% of C of E secondary schools practice some form of religious selection, affecting 50% of places across these schools.
Organising a school around an exclusive religious ethos fundamentally undermines claims of inclusivity. However, genuinely open admissions can at least reduce social segregation and force greater efforts towards inclusion.
The C of E is clearly embarrassed enough about religious selection to try sweeping it under the rug. It's time it was consigned to the dustbin.
Image: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com.
NMFS campaign: seek inclusive alternatives to Kingston faith school
Posted: Fri, 28 May 2021 11:11
The No More Faith Schools campaign has urged the local council in Kingston-upon-Thames to reject a proposal to open a discriminatory Church of England school in the area.
The council is considering a proposal to open a voluntary aided (VA) C of E secondary school, which would discriminate on religious grounds in a third of admissions if it is oversubscribed. In future that proportion could rise.
VA schools are allowed to enforce a particularly exclusive religious ethos. They act as their own admissions authorities and can in principle apply a religious test for up to 100% of places.
They can also teach faith based religious education and relationships and sex education, and are often particularly assertive in enforcing daily acts of denominational worship.
NMFS objections
The NMFS campaign has now submitted an objection to the proposals in response to a consultation from Kingston Council.
The campaign objected on the grounds that the school's faith ethos will be exclusive, despite claims in the proposal to open the school that it would have "a community ethos".
The campaign also said the school's discriminatory admissions would exclude children from families with no faith or the 'wrong' faith if it was oversubscribed.
It added that if the school was undersubscribed, more families could be assigned to faith schools against their wishes. In September 2020, 110 pupils in Kingston were assigned a faith school having preferred a non-faith option.
The campaign also objected to the school's ability to push its religious ethos on several other grounds, including that:
- The school may apply a religious test in hiring, promoting or retaining senior staff - and theoretically could do so for any teaching position.
- A majority of trustees would be selected by the church to promote the school's religious ethos.
- The school would teach religious education in a way that promotes its religious ethos, and may teach relationships and sex education through a religious lens, with potential discriminatory effects.
It also argued that there had insufficient consideration of inclusive alternative options, noting that:
- The school would be entirely funded from public money. Usually religious organisations behind VA faith schools are expected to make a 10% contribution towards the school's capital costs, but in this case the council is providing that money.
- There had been a lack of meaningful engagement with the concerns of local residents over the proposals.
Residents' concerns
The campaign highlighted objections from several local residents, including:
- Dominic, the parent of a 10-year-old, who said: "To select school places based on the faith of the parents is discrimination and is obscene."
- Louise, who said selecting children based on their parents' religion "isn't right" and "won't help create a cohesive community".
- Sedar, who was among those to object to the council's use of taxpayers' money in place of a contribution from the local C of E diocese.
- Penny, who described another faith school as "the worst possible option for Kingston" and said there should instead be a school with a "true community ethos".
NMFS campaign comment
NMFS campaign coordinator Alastair Lichten said the council should reject the proposal.
"A new voluntary aided faith school would divide children in Kingston by their parents' religion and send a damaging message. It would allow public funds to be used to advance the Church of England's interests, at the expense of those of local residents.
"No convincing case has been made for using public money to fund this discriminatory school. Claims that it will have a 'community ethos' are not borne out by reality, and taxpayers will get a bad deal.
"Children and families in Kingston would be best served by a school which serves the local community fairly. The council should now rigorously pursue alternative options, so any new school places which are provided are inclusive and secular."
Faith schools and government plans
- The school in Kingston was proposed as part of a wave of new VA schools which the government plans or hopes to open in England.
- It was also one of four C of E faith schools which moved closer to opening in February.
Image: Ben Molyneux/Shutterstock.com.
Campaigners criticise discriminatory faith school planned in Oldham
Posted: Wed, 26 May 2021 17:22
Local campaigners have criticised plans to open a new Church of England school which will be allowed to select 50% of its pupils on religious grounds in Oldham.
The proposed Brian Clarke C of E Academy, which is set to open in west Oldham in September 2022, will reserve half of its places on the basis of faith.
In response the group Fair Schools for Oldham (FSO) has said there should be no faith-based selection at the new school.
In a statement on its website, the group has said faith-based selection is an "arbitrary and grossly unfair way to determine a child's life chances".
It's added that there is "a wealth of evidence that religious selection results in a greater proportion of children from better-off, middle-class backgrounds".
The No More Faith Schools campaign is working to support FSO's efforts to ensure new school places in Oldham are inclusive, and has said the plans highlight wider problems with faith-based schooling.
FSO rejects claims school will be 'inclusive'
In a comment reported in The Oldham Times this week, the school claimed its admissions policy is "specifically designed to be very inclusive", as half of its places are not reserved on a religious basis.
But in response an FSO spokesperson has told the NMFS campaign that the school "simply can't reserve any places for children from faith backgrounds without putting other children at a disadvantage".
The spokesperson added: "To suggest otherwise is disingenuous."
The FSO campaign also said a consultation held by the Cranmer Education Trust, a C of E-affiliated body which is proposing the school, had been badly publicised.
Elsewhere the trust has claimed the school will "serve all the communities of Oldham" and "truly serve the whole borough".
NMFS campaign response
NMFS campaign coordinator Alastair Lichten welcomed the Fair Schools for Oldham campaign's work.
"New school places in Oldham should serve the needs of the local community, not the interests of faith groups. That means opening inclusive community schools which serve children equally and fairly.
"Schools which are funded by the taxpayer should be equally welcoming to all children, regardless of their religious background. Religious discrimination is unfair to those who miss out on suitable school places and a disaster for social cohesion.
"Our campaign will continue to support local groups campaigning for inclusive schools. We'll continue to work together to challenge the lack of transparency over proposals for new faith schools.
"And the valid objections to the school in Oldham also highlight the need to scrap religious discrimination in school admissions nationally - and to move towards a secular education system without state-funded faith schools."
'Complicated' admissions arrangements
The school will split half its places into three geographical zones, on the basis of distance from the school, with the other half reserved on religious grounds.
FSO has described the admissions arrangements as "complicated" and questioned whether they will lead to "a fair distribution of places".
It's also said the admissions arrangements are designed to "avoid" the school reflecting the make-up of the town, despite it being "marketed as a multi-faith, multi-ethnic, inclusive school".
