The CES has complained to the media about its recent reporting of unpublished research about faith schools e.g. Religious schools ‘show bias for rich’ (The Observer, 2^nd March 2008) and Faith schools accused of middle-class bias (Daily Telegraph, 4^th March 2008).  The CES Chief Executive and Director, Oona Stannard, has also written to each bishop, diocesan officer and each Catholic school and college to counteract the misleading reporting.

Catholic schools are communities of faith made up of staff and pupils from diverse backgrounds.  Independent, empirical Ofsted data (Quality and Performance: A Survey of Education in Catholic Schools, 2006) shows that Catholic schools are socially and ethnically diverse where free school meals levels similar to the national average.  Our schools have higher proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds.  A growing proportion of our pupils come from newer immigrant families, including from Poland, the Philippines, southern India and elsewhere.  Our service to the good of the wider community also includes welcoming around 30% of pupils who are not Catholic, to currently-available places in our schools.

Reports of this new research seem to start from the premise that all schools should reflect the make-up of their immediate locality.  Yet many Catholic families do not have access to a Catholic school in their immediate locality (one London borough does not have a Catholic secondary school at all, for example), and therefore pupils at Catholic schools, on average, travel further to get to school.  We continue to argue vociferously that it would not be right to deny Catholic parents the right to choose a Catholic education for their child if they can’t, for example, afford to live in the immediate neighbourhood of the nearest Catholic school or to stop a better-off Catholic pupil travelling to their nearest Catholic school, in a poorer area.

The CES is as concerned as any organisation that the school admissions system should be fair and transparent, whether for Catholic schools or any other type of maintained school. We publicly supported the ban on interviews in cases of over-subscription and would decry any unfair form of selection.  Any breach of the School Admissions Code would be a serious matter.

At the root of this admissions debate there is one fundamental issue: the need to ensure a high quality, well-rounded education available for every pupil irrespective of their background or wherever they live i.e. an entitlement to a good school for all.  There is a great demand for Catholic schools because parents seek places where there is an emphasis on personal development, on the uniqueness and dignity of the individual, and where faith is valued and lived out, so that pupils are prepared for the fullness of life, and not just careers and employment.  

The CES has just published guidance (dispatched this week) for Catholic schools on the new duty to promote community cohesion.  The document contains a numbers of case studies which illustrate the work that Catholic schools undertake within local, national and global communities.  Last week I visited a Catholic primary school in the East End of London that runs a Sure Start programme open to the whole community and widely popular amongst Muslim women and those of faiths or none.  The parents I spoke to choose to come to this thriving centre because of the welcoming, caring, enjoyable and supportive provision.  It is available to all, regardless of religious, ethnic or social background, well used and highly valued.  This is but one small example of the Catholic Church serving the common good.  There are many others.  Please do continue to share these with us.

Oona Stannard

Chief Executive and Director