Twelve more religious Free Schools are opening for the first time this month. The schools include the controversial Grindon Hall Christian School, which opens today, and, until July, had on its website a ‘Creation Policy’ document supporting teaching creationism in science. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has expressed concern at the increase in the number of state-funded ‘faith’ schools.
The new schools opening now include: two Church of England schools, four Christian schools, a Catholic school, two Muslim schools, a Sikh school, a Jewish school and a Hindu school.
BHA Faith Schools Campaigner Richy Thompson commented, ‘It is regrettable to see more religious schools open, and these schools represent a continuing diversification of the “faith” schools sector. It is particularly disappointing to see Grindon Hall Christian School open, in spite of all the evidence of its having supported teaching creationism – something which only came to light after the BHA pointed it out in July.
‘We will continue to campaign against state schools being able to religiously select in admissions and employment, and skew the curriculum they teach. And we will continue to press the point that no state funded school should be able to teach creationism as science in any subject or in school assemblies.’
The new schools
- Al-Madinah School, a Muslim all-through school in Derby
- Barrow 1618, a Church of England primary school in Shropshire
- Becket Keys Church School, a Church of England secondary school in Brentwood. The school, which is the biggest Free School, has opened on the same site as Sawyers Hall College, a community school which closed this summer due to an overprovision of places in the area. It previously courted controversy over its admissions and employment policies.
- Emmanuel Community School, a Christian primary school in Waltham Forest.
- Enfield Heights Primary Academy, a Christian school.
- Rimon Jewish Primary School in Barnet.
- Grindon Hall Free School, an all-through Christian school in Sunderland which was previously a private school.
- Nishkam High School, a Sikh secondary school in Birmingham.
- Avanti House School, an all-through Hindu school in Harrow.
- St Michael’s Catholic Secondary School in Cambourne, the first Catholic Free School and a former private school, which this month caused controversy over statements made by a governor about gay pupils.
- Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School, a secondary school in Blackburn. The school was originally approved to open last year.
- Atherton Community School, a Christian secondary school in Wigan.
- The Hawthorne’s Free School, a Christian ethos secondary school in Sefton, which has opened on the same site as St George of England Specialist Engineering College, a community school that closed this summer.
In addition, Monday saw the opening of Frome Steiner Academy, an all-through school and the second state-funded Steiner school. The BHA has previously taken issue with pseudoscientific teaching in Steiner schools.
William Perkin Church of England High School, a secondary school in Ealing also approved to open this year, will now be open next September, while Newham Free Academy, an evangelical Christian secondary school, will not open after a lack of parental support.
Finally, St Augustine’s Academy in Dunstable, a new Church of England primary Academy, has opened, replacing Downside Lower School, a community school on the same site.
Notes
For further comment or information, please contact Richy Thompson on 020 7462 4993.
Read more about the BHA’s campaigns work on ‘faith’ schools: https://humanists.uk/campaigns/religion-and-schools/faith-schools
View the BHA’s table of types of school with a religious character: https://humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/schools-with-a-religious-character.pdf
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.