New research by Sutton Trust, Social Selection on the Map, has found that areas with more faith schools, particularly those areas with Catholic schools, have higher levels of socio-economic segregation than those areas with fewer schools with a religious character.
This research reflects the Sutton Trust’s report from January 2024, Selective Comprehensives 2024, which found that faith schools were ‘consistently more socially selective’ than schools without a religious character. Whereas the January 2024 report looked at ‘high performing’ schools, this latest study by Sutton Trust looks deeper into geographical patterns of socio-economic segregation in the comprehensive system to show ‘the wider impacts of selection’.
The new report by the Sutton Trust is just the latest in a number of studies highlighting that disadvantaged pupils are more likely to be discriminated against in faith-based admissions criteria, with the Education Policy Institute and the Office of Schools Adjudicator publishing similar findings.
Humanists UK has long campaigned for an end to religiously selective admissions policies on the basis that they segregate children by faith, socio-economic status, ethnicity, and prior attainment. In 2013 it helped launch the Fair Admissions Campaign which revealed for the first time the extent that schools religiously and socio-economically select and set out how religiously selective schools are invariably breaking the School Admissions Code.
Humanists UK’s Education Campaigns Manager Lewis Young said:
‘This report by Sutton Trust provides yet more evidence that faith-based admissions policies are bad for children, families, and society. Faith schools often perform better, not because of the quality of their faith-based education, but because they are socially selective, and they are socially selective because their faith-admissions criteria disadvantage children from poorer backgrounds.
‘Every child deserves the best possible education but sadly many are being failed by the admissions criteria of state-funded faith schools. It’s time for the School Admissions Code to be amended to require every state school to be open to all regardless of religion or belief.’
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson at press@humanists.uk or phone 0203 675 0959.
Read more about our work on state-funded faith schools.
Read the Sutton Trust’s report, Social Selection on the Map.
Read our story on the Sutton Trust’s previous report, Selective Comprehensives 2024.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 120,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.