Faith schools undermine equality, choice and social cohesion.
Let's build an inclusive education system today, to ensure an inclusive society tomorrow.
Our education system should be open and welcoming to all. That's why we want publicly funded faith schools phased out and an end to religiously selective school admissions.
Around a third of publicly funded schools in England and Wales are faith schools – schools with a religious character. Scottish and Northern Irish schools are still divided along sectarian lines.
Separating children according to religion is divisive and leads to religious, ethnic and socio-economic segregation.
To make matters worse, many faith schools can discriminate against pupils and teachers who do not share the religion of the school.
Parents are entitled to raise their children within a faith tradition, but they are not entitled to enlist the help of the state to do so. The state should not allow the schools it funds to inculcate children into a particular religion.
Faith schools seriously limit choice for parents who do not want a religious education for their children, or do not share the faith of the local school. Our research has found that 18,000 families were assigned faith schools against their wishes in England in 2017 alone.
Despite a consistent and dramatic decline in church attendance, and a growing majority of non-religious citizens, successive governments have paved the way for ever greater religious involvement in education, often to the detriment of inclusive community schools.
A secular approach to education would ensure publicly funded schools are equally welcoming to all children, regardless of their backgrounds.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Please call on your MP to support a secular, inclusive education system for all.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join us
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Faith school continues to fail due to “narrow” secular curriculum
Posted: Wed, 10 Nov 2021 16:38
An independent faith school has failed three consecutive inspections due to its "narrow" secular curriculum.
Talmud Torah Toldos Yakov Yosef (TTTYY), an independent orthodox Jewish school for boys in London, was rated "inadequate" in its most recent inspection, according to a report published today by school inspectorate Ofsted.
It was also rated "inadequate" in its last two inspections in 2019 and 2017.
In its most recent inspection in June, Ofsted found the school's secular curriculum "narrow", and said leaders "give little time to secular subjects on the timetable".
The inspection report said that "pupils spend most of the school day doing Jewish studies" and the standard teaching of secular subjects is "weak". It said leaders and teachers "do not have the expertise to teach the secular subjects well" and "do not have high expectations for pupils' achievement". It added that pupils "struggle to read and write English".
The report said leaders "did not allow inspectors to ask pupils about relationships". It said there is "no evidence" pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships.
It added that the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum is planned in a way that "respects the ethos of the school", and "does not pay due regard to all the protected characteristics" in the Equality Act 2010.
Schools are required to teach about protected characteristics in equality law, including sexual orientation, to secondary-age pupils in an age-appropriate manner.
The report said pupils "are not well prepared for life in modern Britain. It said they "know very little about different cultures" and "do not interact much with people from other backgrounds". Additionally, their knowledge of religions other than Judaism "does not go beyond knowing the names of religions".
Pupils in Years 7 and 8 "do not receive any careers guidance" and so they "have no idea about the choices on offer for them when they leave the school."
TTTYY's previous inspection reports made similar criticisms regarding the narrow secular curriculum, limited opportunities to learn about other cultures, and inadequate careers guidance.
NSS reaction
NSS head of education Alastair Lichten said: "It is very concerning that schools like this continue to operate after repeated inspection failures.
"Many of TTTYY's failings relate directly to its fundamentalist religious ethos. The school doesn't value preparing its pupils for life in 21st century society. Instead, it is preparing them for a life of limited opportunities within an insular and high-control religious community.
"The government must not allow this school to continue to operate if it refuses to address any of the failings identified by Ofsted. We must not permit children to be left behind their peers due to wishes of religious community leaders."
The NSS has long supported improvements to independent school standards, and warned that schools are not facing appropriate regulatory action despite repeating failing inspections.
NSS backs more inclusive faith school admissions in Suffolk
Posted: Wed, 3 Nov 2021 14:27
The National Secular Society has supported plans to end discriminatory admissions policies for some faith schools in Suffolk.
The NSS said it "strongly" welcomes Suffolk County Council's proposals to remove oversubscription criteria for voluntary controlled (VC) Church of England schools that prioritise Anglican families.
The council launched a consultation on the proposals in October. If approved, they would apply to the 2023/24 academic year intake onwards.
Unlike other types of faith schools, admissions at VC schools are managed by the local authority rather than the school itself. It is rare for local authorities to apply faith-based selection for VC schools.
The current admissions arrangements give priority to children whose families "have been practising members of the Church of England (or other church within the Worldwide Anglican Communion)" for a minimum period of one year before the school application closing date.
The proposal to remove this priority was made in response to concerns raised about equality and inclusion.
In the summer term of 2020, at the request of the St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocesan Board of Education, the council adjusted the admissions arrangements for the 2021/2022 school year so that families who were unable to attend church due to COVID-19 restrictions could still be given priority for school places.
To retain this arrangement, the council had to launch a consultation for the 2022/2024 school year. In response, fifteen parents or carers expressed concerns "in terms of equalities and inclusion" about the prioritisation of Anglican families.
This led to the council and the diocese to review these criteria and consult for the 2023/2024 school year.
NSS response
In its response to the consultation, the NSS said religiously selective admissions criteria "send a message that legitimises discrimination and can give the impression that religious adherence is required to attend the school."
It highlighted that 31% of pupils in Suffolk face high or extreme restrictions on the choice of a non-faith primary school, and that in September 2021, 122 pupils were assigned places at faith schools against family preferences for a non-faith school.
It said removing barriers to entry for pupils of all backgrounds would increase all families' access to suitable local schools.
The policy will not affect the 66 voluntary aided and academy faith schools in Suffolk where the council is not the admissions authority, many of which may have faith selective admissions.
The NSS said that it hopes the change "acts as a catalyst" for the council to encourage these schools to end discriminatory oversubscription criteria.
NSS head of education Alastair Lichten said: "By ending discriminatory admissions in schools where they are the admissions authority, Suffolk County Council sends an important message.
"We are glad to see the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich supporting these changes. Diocesan rhetoric concerning a move away from faith-based selection is far too rarely reflected in tangible actions."
The consultation closes on 12 November. More information is available on the Suffolk County Council website.
Image: Juice Verve, Shutterstock.
More information
Protect relationships and sex education
Age-appropriate relationships and sex education should be every child’s right.
Remove religious appointees from Scottish councils
Religion shouldn’t grant people privileged places in local democracy.
Research and reports
The faith schools research bank
The choice delusion: how faith schools restrict school choice
Three in ten families across England live in areas where most or all of the closest primary schools are faith schools and thousands are being assigned faith schools against their wishes.
Power grab: Academisation and the threat to secular education
Academisation has enabled faith groups to increase their influence over all schools, including those with no religious character. With little public debate, religious governance has increased, while secular oversight has diminished.
Religiosity inspections: the case against faith-based reviews of state schools
Faith based inspections of state schools are an unnecessary drain on public finds, frame widely held values as exclusive, and promote biased religious education.
Faith-shaped holes: How religious privilege is undermining equality law (PDF, 1.3 Mb)
