value of Christian faith schools

what does the UK have a lot of?

faith schools, these are primary and secondary schools affiliated with a religious tradition. In England and Wales these are called ‘schools with a religious character’ and in Scotland and Northern Ireland these are known as ‘denominational schools’

define the term faith schools.

a school that is associated with a religious tradition, many of these schools are state funded, though many independent schools also have an association with religion

what are most faith schools affiliated with and how much do they account for in the UK?

Christianity and in some regions of the UK account for 30% of all schools

where dot here schools receive funding from?

a religious organisation, which may own the school buildings and the land

what is appointed to represent the school’s religious ethos?

governors

what are governors, instead of local authorities, responsible of?

the school’s admission policy and appointing staff. This means that there can be a preference for hiring teachers and support staff who adhere to the school’s religion

in terms of admission, who might religious schools prioritise?

students who are affiliated with the school’s faith. They may ask fir a baptismal certificate and/or a letter from a religious leader certifying their family’s attendance at worship to strengthen their application

what has this led to?

some families attending church to simply get a place at the school to the detriment of those who live nearer to the school but do not have a religious affiliation

what have many faith schools done to avoid this issue?

removed any faith criteria from their admissions policy

what must faith schools follow?

the National Curriculum in all subjects, however in RE these schools can focus on their religious tradition, though many do present other religions

who regularly inspects faith schools?

Ofsted

what several advantages are there to those who support faith schools? (1)

• parents who want their children to have a religious grounding in their education can have this need met

• faith schools tend to be amongst the best-performing state schools

what several advantages are there to this who support faith schools? (2)

• they add an element of diversity and choice to the educational landscape

• the values and ethics of the religious tradition these schools represent fosters inclusivity, tolerance, love and justice

what does the British Humanist Association actively campaign against?

faith schools and invites the public to petition the government against the creation of new faith schools and urges the existing faith schools to be made more inclusive

what does the British Humanist Association believe about faith schools?

by their very nature they contradict the principle of a fully inclusive and integrated education system that does not exclude staff, students or governors based on belief

what does this mean in other words?

faith schools create a segregated future and public funds should not be used to promote religion

what objections has the BHA raised in faith schools in relation to the curriculum at faith schools? (1)

• the teaching of religious education in faith schools is not specifically inspected by Ofsted

• religious education aims to instruct children in the doctrine and practices of a particular religion rather than taking a more objective approach

• religious education in faith schools does not have to cover other religions and ‘almost certainly fails to give a fair account of non-religious views’

what objections has the BHA raised in faith schools in relation to the curriculum at faith schools? (2)

• ethical issues such as abortion or assisted dying might be approached from an explicitly religious perspective

• personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) might teach the sex and relationship components in a way that is homophobic or gender discriminatory

• some faith schools have taught creationism snf intelligent design as scientific theories

according tot he research conducted by Linda Woodhead, why do parents send their children to faith schools?

• academic standards 77%

• location 58%

• discipline 41%

• ethical values 23%

• prestige 19%

according tot he research conducted by Linda Woodhead, why do parents send their children to faith schools? (2)

• exposure to a faith tradition 5%

• transmission of belief about God 3%