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
Ofsted recommends allowing failing private Jewish school to expand
Posted: Thu, 23 May 2019 16:37
The education watchdog Ofsted has recommended allowing an independent Jewish school to expand, despite leaders being "open and honest" that they will continue refusing to meet the independent school standards.
Beis Chinuch Lebonos School in the London borough of Hackney was rated 'inadequate' in an inspection last summer after inspectors said the school was restricting the curriculum, particularly in Science. The school was issued with a government warning notice in October.
The school had officially banned references to reproduction and evolution and inspectors said its practice of redaction was "far more widespread than this" in practice. Leaders had redacted photographs of men and women with bare skin, information on animals, the properties of rocks and the dangers of alcohol.
In an additional inspection in April, Ofsted found that there had been improvements in terms of the quality of education, governance and safeguarding. However significant failings remained, as school leaders were apparently refusing to meet the independent school standards.
Ofsted's report said leaders were continuing to redact information relating to "reproduction, the age of the universe, theories that contravene biblical teachings and images which could be interpreted as sexually inappropriate or crude".
It said they were continuing to avoid teaching topics including reproduction and evolution.
It added that the school had "a clearer policy in relation to redaction" than it had previously but leaders were "open and honest" with inspectors that their actions were "non-negotiable".
"They know that the requirements relating to the Equality Act, the preparedness of pupils for life in modern Britain, and leadership and management will not be met until this approach changes."
The Equality Act of 2010 protects people from discrimination on the grounds of protected characteristics, such as their sexuality or religion or belief.
Earlier this month the Department for Education (DfE) watered down requirements on independent schools in England to promote respect for difference, in an apparent sop to religious groups. The National Secular Society responded by warning against further concessions.
In response to the news of Beis Chinuch's likely expansion, the NSS's head of education Alastair Lichten said: "This is a worrying sign that hard-line independent faith schools are exploiting the prevarications of the DfE over whether they can 'pick and choose' which standards apply.
"Leniency where an independent school is failing one or two of the standards but working towards them is one thing. But it's disgraceful that an independent school's leadership can simply refuse to follow legal requirements.
"Allowing this to stand will undermine the DfE's and Ofsted's efforts to hold independent schools accountable, encourage other schools to behave similarly and most unforgivably fail children. Time and again we are seeing schools which deny children access to knowledge and which seek to restrict their choices in life and limit their opportunities. The government must recognise these as a threat to children's rights."
In a separate development Ofsted reported that Yeshivah Ohr Torah School, a Jewish boys' school in Greater Manchester, was continuing to leave pupils not "fully prepared for life in modern Britain".
Yeshivah Ohr Torah, which is in Salford, received a warning notice at the same time as Beis Chinuch Lebonos.
At the time of the last inspection the curriculum was "solely based" on Jewish studies with no secular curriculum and only "limited opportunities" for students to learn how to speak, read and write in English.
While the school had made some progress towards meeting failed standards since then, Ofsted found "there had been no significant changes made to the curriculum". It also said there were "still few opportunities for pupils to experience linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education".
The report said pupils were "still not learning enough about people from different faiths and cultures or being fully prepared for life in modern Britain".
The school refused to allow inspectors to ask pupils questions about people with different protected characteristics and had no information on how it intends "to meet the specific requirements of these standards". Its position was apparently based on the wishes of parents.
The report said pupils do not receive independent careers advice or "work towards recognised relevant qualifications that would open the doors to career or further educational opportunities".
The school was also found to be more than 50% over its registered capacity.
In recent months the DfE has issued a significant number of independent faith schools with warning notices. In the most recently-published round of notices, in March, 10 of the 16 schools warned were faith schools.
Alastair Lichten said: "In this growing crisis we must not forget that the children denied a proper education in these 'schools' are the real victims. We cannot allow zombie schools to keep shambling on through failed inspection after failed inspection. Some of these schools have very little prospect of improvement or willingness to improve and are leaving children unprepared for anything more than a narrow pre-decided religious role in society."
Beis Chinuch is currently in breach of its registration agreement with the DfE as it has 28 pupils more than its registered capacity. But the DFE has agreed to increase this limit subject to Ofsted agreeing that this would not raise health and safety concerns.
Ofsted’s new inspection framework returns focus to inclusion
Posted: Fri, 17 May 2019 11:51
The National Secular Society has welcomed a commitment to inclusion in an updated school inspection framework for 2019 from the education watchdog Ofsted.
The education inspection framework handbook places a duty on inspectors to assess how far schools are compliant with equalities legislation. It also reflects the fact that Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is now statutory.
The framework does not restore a duty to inspect community cohesion, which was removed when it was last updated in 2012.
Inspectors are expected to ensure schools are "developing and deepening" pupils' understanding of "fundamental British values" and "promoting an inclusive environment" in their assessment of schools' contribution to pupils' personal development.
"Fundamental British values" are defined as "democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and mutual respect and tolerance".
Inspectors will specifically look for evidence of "pupils' understanding of the protected characteristics and how equality and diversity are promoted".
As part of the consultation on the new guidance Ofsted was required to carry out an assessment of how it would contribute to its statutory duty to promote equality. In its analysis, Ofsted says the new framework will "ensure that inspection is better able to play its part in advancing equality, diversity and inclusion".
The statement says independent faith schools are able to raise children in a religious tradition, but must also ensure they are "educated about the protections and rights that are afforded to all those with protected characteristics under British law".
Some independent faith schools had raised complaints over "whether it is possible to reconcile the requirement to ensure learners are prepared for life in modern Britain, including respect for all protected characteristics with their ability to teach the tenets of their faith".
The framework notes that Ofsted is "not able to comment on the quality of denominational education, religious education and collective worship" in state faith schools.
The NSS has long called for Ofsted to be given the power to inspect all aspects of maintained schools equally regardless of religious designation, and for an end to state-supported "religiosity inspections" of faith schools.
NSS head of education Alastair Lichten said: "An increased focus on inclusion is to be welcomed. Ofsted has an important role to play in preventing discrimination and narrow teaching within schools.
"Ofsted has been subject to significant lobbying by faith school advocates in the state and independent sector, who have urged inspectors to give special consideration to faith schools, including by overlooking conflicts between their religious ethos conflicts and equalities duties. We are glad the framework does not make such concessions.
"However, it only makes a small step in the right direction. Ofsted can only work within the current framework. As long as faith schools are legally permitted to practice various forms of discrimination, to compel worship, and to promote their religion over others and religion over irreligion, they simply cannot be inclusive.
"The government should restore Ofsted's duty to inspect community cohesion, expand its remit to cover religious education in all state schools and more rigorously examine school policies - particularly those concerning powers exclusively granted to faith schools for their impact on inclusion."
Stephen Terry, who chairs the Accord Coalition – a group which campaigns to make all schools including faith schools more inclusive – also welcomed the changes.
But he warned: "The new framework is not perfect and does not make up for the lower prioritisation given to inclusivity that followed changes in 2012. For example, until then schools were inspected on the extent to which they met their legal duty to promote community cohesion.
"Without schools being inspected on this measure, as the latest framework also does not propose, this important duty remains almost meaningless."
There are almost 11,000 responses to consultation on the draft inspection framework between January and April this year. The new framework will come into effect on 1 September 2019.
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)
