30 November 2009

“Strong schools for strong communities”, a report published by the Church of England demonstrates that schools with a religious character contribute strongly to community cohesion.

The report features a study of recent Ofsted data assessing schools’ progress on the statutory duty to promote community cohesion and to tackle inequality; this analysis concludes that schools with a religious character are models of good practice in terms of their promotion of community cohesion.

Welcoming the report, Oona Stannard, Chief Executive and Director of the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales, commented, “The findings of this report come as no surprise to those who know schools with a religious character. It counters the myth that they are damaging to communities and shows that the reality is that schools with a religious character make an important contribution to community cohesion. Our schools welcome a diverse range of pupils and successfully teach them to value all persons and to treat them with dignity and respect.

“I hope the findings of this report reach a wide audience and that the good work that goes on in our schools gains the recognition and appreciation it deserves so that we can continue to build on this for ever more cohesive communities. I thank the Church of England for sharing the evidence and reminding us all of the importance of promoting community cohesion.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact Maeve McCormack, Policy and Briefing Manager, on 020 7901 1914 or email mmccormack@cesew.org.uk

To find out more about community cohesion in Catholic schools, please visit the community cohesion section of our website via the link below. 

A link to the full report from the Church of England is below.