Church of England and Roman Catholic primary schools take fewer pupils with disabilities or special needs than other local schools in England, according to research that suggests faith-based admissions requirements deter pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The findings led the author, Dr Tammy Campbell of the London School of Economics, to conclude that faith schools “serve as hubs of relative advantage” for children from more affluent families who were less likely to have special needs.
More than one in four primary schools in England are administered by the Church of England (C of E) or Catholic church, with popular primaries able to admit children on the basis of religious affiliation, often requiring evidence of baptism and family church attendance.
Campbell’s research, published in the Oxford Review of Education, looked at reception class admissions between 2010 and 2020. It found that Catholic and C of E schools were less likely to admit children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) compared with maintained community primaries. In 2020, Catholic schools admitted 24% fewer children with Send and C of E schools 15% fewer.
It also found that a child with Send and free school meal eligibility was estimated to have a 22% chance of attending a faith school, compared with a 29% chance for a child with no FSM eligibility or Send designation.
Schools run by the two religions were also less likely to admit children with education, health and care plans (EHCP), which certify higher levels of special needs or disabilities, even after adjusting for school location and other influences. On average, Catholic schools admitted 15% fewer children with EHCPs, while C of E schools administering their own admissions admitted 11% fewer.
Campbell said faith schools are often supported by politicians as offering choice and diversity. “So this [research] emphasises the need to question properly the function of faith schools in contemporary England,” she said.
But Nigel Genders, the C of E’s chief education officer, said its schools “exist to serve the whole community, including people of all faiths and none” and were committed to prioritising the needs of the most vulnerable.
“While the research gives no strong evidence that arrangements by admissions authorities for C of E schools are a barrier to Send applications, the church is taking active steps to promote equal educational opportunities through our national professional qualification programmes, which train leaders in evidence-based Send practice, and supporting schools through trauma-informed practice and Send networks for leaders,” Genders said.
A spokesperson for the Catholic education service said national figures showed Catholic faith schools admit a higher proportion of pupils from deprived areas and fewer pupils from affluent areas.
“Catholic schools welcome children with Send, and parents will want to choose the school that is best for their children’s needs,” the spokesperson said.
“For a child with an EHCP, it is the local authority, not the school, that makes the decision about which school the child will attend, based solely on the child’s needs.
“If parents decide that the local mainstream Catholic school is not the best fit for their child’s particular needs, they might instead opt for another school, such as a Catholic special school or a Catholic school approved for [special needs] pupils, of which there are 26 in England and Wales.”
Stephen Evans, chief executive of the National Secular Society, said the research illustrated how religious selection “acts as a form of socioeconomic segregation”.
“It’s more evidence that faith schools are failing to serve our diverse communities in the 21st century. Religious agendas must no longer be prioritised above the education and welfare of our most vulnerable children,” Evans said.
