On 1 May 2024, the Department for Education and The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP issued the Press Release Government to lift cap on faith school places, extracts of which are reproduced below.
Government to lift cap on faith school places
Government to launch consultation on lifting the 50% cap alongside proposals on opening special faith-based academies.
Proposals to create more good school places through lifting the faith cap will be unveiled today (Wednesday 1 May), as new data shows over half of schools are now academies.
A consultation on lifting the 50% cap, which applies to new faith free schools, will be launched alongside proposals on opening special faith-based academies. These proposals build on the government’s success in raising school standards, with 90% of schools now rated good or outstanding, up from just 68% in 2010. Pupils in England are now ‘best in the West’ at reading and have risen to 11th in the global maths rankings, up from only 27th in 2009, according to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study.
The proposals mean high performing faith school providers will be able to create more good school places and create strong multi-academy trusts around the country where there is demand. The Church of England, Catholic Church and other faith school providers have a track record in delivering high quality education and run some of the highest performing schools across the country.
New data also published today shows that there are almost 11,000 academies in England, representing over half of state-funded schools, marking a major milestone in the government’s progress towards the vast majority of schools being part of strong trusts by 2030.
The 50% faith cap means that if a new free school with religious character is oversubscribed, it can only prioritise pupils based on faith for 50% of places. At least half of the school’s available places must be allocated without reference to faith-based admissions criteria. As a result, some faith groups have felt unable to open new free schools and felt discouraged about bringing existing schools into academy trusts.
[…]
High quality multi-academy trusts have been key to the increase in standards in schools since 2010. The best trusts have transformed the life chances of their pupils, including thousands of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Today’s consultation will explore how to maximise the benefits that high quality academy trusts deliver, and in particular how to improve provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by opening special faith-based academies.
The SEND system is underpinned by investment in the high need budget, which will have risen by over 60% in the last 5 years to over £10.5 billion this year. We are continuing to make record investments, as we deliver on 60,000 more special needs places across the country, helping to increase capacity following a decrease in pupils in special schools between 1997 and 2010. However, it is currently not possible for special schools to open as academies and be designated with faith status.
These reforms, along with today’s consultation, will help to ensure that every child has access to a high-quality, fulfilling education. This consultation will help government to support faith school providers in opening more schools across the country. There is a rigorous process in place for opening any new state school. Any new school must be approved by the Secretary of State and proposers must be able to demonstrate their commitment to community cohesion and how they will promote British Values alongside a knowledge rich curriculum.
Notes
The proposals are welcomed by The Church of England’s Chief Education Officer, Nigel Genders; The Right Reverend Marcus Stock, Bishop of Leeds and Chairman of the Catholic Education Service; and the Confederation of School Trusts Chief Executive Leora Cruddas CBE;
The Press Release also included comments from Rt Hon Ruth Kelly, the Catholic Union Vice President and Rt Hon Sir Edward Leigh, the former Education Secretary, and the former Catholic Union President.
The PDF version of the consultation is here.
British Humanists and most teachers think the proposals are a disaster.
The ‘press release’ appears to consist of electioneering government lies. The idea that secondary education has been a success the last 15 years is entirely fanciful.
Thank you for your comments. The purpose of the post is to alert readers to the consultation which started today. In comparison with the Press Release, the supportive statements from government and from the churches have been omitted in the post, as indicated by the ellipses. The Church of England has issued its own Press Release Church of England welcomes opportunities to open Special Schools following Government announcement, as has the National Secular Society, NSS “appalled” at plans for more discriminatory faith schools, (1 May 2024), which refers to an Open Letter from the NSS on 14 April 2024.