Church schools take in fewer disadvantaged pupils
-18/09/06
Church schools are taking i
Church schools take in fewer disadvantaged pupils
-18/09/06
Church schools are taking in far fewer pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds than other schools and more than their share of bright pupils, according to the most detailed research published on admissions.
The news comes after the Church of England, amongst others, defended the admission’s policies of some church schools which many feel discriminate unfairly.
Many church schools give priority in admissions to the children of parents who attend churches linked to the school.
Earlier this year the Archbishop of Canterbury claimed that statistical evidence publicly available ‘made it plain’ that the proportion of Church of England schools with significantly high numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds was much the same as the average within the community sector.
But the new study, which covered all primary and secondary schools in England, revealed that voluntary-aided schools – mainly run by churches – were taking in fewer children entitled to free meals than other schools in their neighbourhoods.
In addition, church secondary schools admit a far higher proportion of children who have done well in their 11-year-old national curriculum tests than the percentage in the communities they serve.
The research, covering every state school in England and carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), calls for an investigation to determine whether they are “overtly or covertly” selecting their pupils, reports the Independent newspaper.
The NFER says there can only be two reasons for its findings: either parents with a religious faith have more intelligent children and are richer than the rest of the community or the voluntary aided schools are indulging in forms of selection.
“Even by compensating for the wider geographical area that such schools may serve, it does not explain the reason for the proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals admitted to voluntary-aided schools. Further research could investigate whether there are lower numbers of children with a particular religious affiliation within the group eligible for free school meals or whether some of these schools are overtly or covertly selecting out children with particular background characteristics.”
The figures showed that – whereas 19 per cent of all pupils living in postcodes served by voluntary aided primary schools were entitled to free school meals – only 14 per cent of their pupils were. The figures were the same for secondary schools.
Tamsin Chamberlain, who conducted the research for the NFER, said: “Further research is needed to provide the reasons for those differences – for example why some community and voluntary-aided schools appear to admit a lower proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds than might be expected.”
Church schools take in fewer disadvantaged pupils
-18/09/06
Church schools are taking in far fewer pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds than other schools and more than their share of bright pupils, according to the most detailed research published on admissions.
The news comes after the Church of England, amongst others, defended the admission’s policies of some church schools which many feel discriminate unfairly.
Many church schools give priority in admissions to the children of parents who attend churches linked to the school.
Earlier this year the Archbishop of Canterbury claimed that statistical evidence publicly available ‘made it plain’ that the proportion of Church of England schools with significantly high numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds was much the same as the average within the community sector.
But the new study, which covered all primary and secondary schools in England, revealed that voluntary-aided schools – mainly run by churches – were taking in fewer children entitled to free meals than other schools in their neighbourhoods.
In addition, church secondary schools admit a far higher proportion of children who have done well in their 11-year-old national curriculum tests than the percentage in the communities they serve.
The research, covering every state school in England and carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), calls for an investigation to determine whether they are “overtly or covertly” selecting their pupils, reports the Independent newspaper.
The NFER says there can only be two reasons for its findings: either parents with a religious faith have more intelligent children and are richer than the rest of the community or the voluntary aided schools are indulging in forms of selection.
“Even by compensating for the wider geographical area that such schools may serve, it does not explain the reason for the proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals admitted to voluntary-aided schools. Further research could investigate whether there are lower numbers of children with a particular religious affiliation within the group eligible for free school meals or whether some of these schools are overtly or covertly selecting out children with particular background characteristics.”
The figures showed that – whereas 19 per cent of all pupils living in postcodes served by voluntary aided primary schools were entitled to free school meals – only 14 per cent of their pupils were. The figures were the same for secondary schools.
Tamsin Chamberlain, who conducted the research for the NFER, said: “Further research is needed to provide the reasons for those differences – for example why some community and voluntary-aided schools appear to admit a lower proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds than might be expected.”