Help us stop 100% religious admissions in new schools

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which includes changing the types of new schools that can open.

But as currently drafted, the Bill risks opening the floodgates to new schools that can select up to 100% of pupils based on religion. We can’t let this happen. 

We’re fighting for amendments to the Bill so that vital anti-discrimination policies are not deleted by accident. Will you help us by writing to your MP?

Write to your MP

Religious admissions in our state schools fail society. They propel racial and religious discrimination in our communities, put children at risk of religious indoctrination, and fail in the most vulnerable children in society.

We cannot allow a well-intended Bill to lead to more racial and religious segregation and discrimination our education system.

Since 2016, when Theresa May’s government first considered ‘scrapping the cap’ at the behest of Catholic lobbyists, Humanists UK has successfully campaigned to keep it in place – with evidence showing that the cap protects the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society. It would be a tragedy if this was now allowed to happen due to oversights in the new legislation.

Personalise your impact

We’ve suggested some text you can use, but please, if you are able, edit it to make it more personal – we know that MPs are more likely to take notice of personalised emails and queries, which are infinitely more powerful than standard letters.

• If you are a parent or carer… please say so, and talk about any relevant experiences you have had trying to get your children into a suitable local school. If you live in an area with lots of religious selection, talk about the segregation this causes.
• If you are a pupil… talk about the importance of being able to access a local school and why having a diverse range of friends and classmates is valuable to you.
• If you are a teacher or governor… talk about how your experience has shown you how important it is for schools to be diverse and inclusive.

Stay connected

Keep us informed of your actions and any responses from your MPs at campaigns@humanists.uk. Your engagement is instrumental in our collective journey towards enacting compassionate change in the law.