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Schools and the Church of England: Church schools

Other schools pages: RE and collective worship; Support for professionals

How many Church of England schools are there?

25% of all state primary schools in England are Church of England schools.
6% of all state secondary schools in England are Church of England schools.
18% of all primary pupils and 5% of all secondary pupils attend these schools.

For information on the Church of England Board of Education's partner, the National Society, follow the links below.

The National Society web site offers support and guidance for all Church of England schools, governors and diocesan education teams.
See also the web site of Church House Publishing, who publish books and resources in conjunction with the National Society.

Distinctiveness of Church schools

There are three distinct kinds of Church of England school:

voluntary aided: a majority of the governors are appointed by the Church, the teachers are appointed and employed by the governing body, 15% of the cost of repairs and capital projects is raised by the governing body, religious education and worship are distinctly Anglican;
voluntary controlled: the Church appoints governors, but there is no Church majority on the governing body, the teachers are employed by the Local Education Authority, the LEA funds repairs and capital projects, religious education follows the local agreed syllabus, the worship is Anglican;
foundation: formerly known as grant-maintained schools, the governing body employs the staff and is the admissions authority, the Church appoints a minority of governors, religious education follows an agreed syllabus and the worship is Anglican.

A Church school's trust deed is the main reference point when checking the religious character of the school. Many schools have lost track of their trust deeds (many of which date back more than 100 years). Help in tracing lost trust deeds can be obtained from: Sarah Duffield, Church of England Record Centre. Email: [email protected].

The National Society has recently published two books on the distinctive nature of Church schools: A Christian Voice in Education and Values for Church Schools. Follow the links to find out more on the Church House Publishing web site.

The Church Schools Review Group

This group was established by the Archbishops' Council in response to the 1998 General Synod debate on Church schools in the new millennium. The task of the twelve-member group chaired by Lord Dearing is to review the achievements of Church of England schools and to make proposals for their future development. The group is expected to finish its task and publish a report by June 2001. Further information can be obtained from Colin Hopkins. Email: [email protected].

Admissions to Church schools

Church of England schools welcome all pupils from their area. If there is a shortage of places in the school, the admissions policy set by the governing bodies of voluntary aided and foundation schools may give preference to some pupils. Admissions policies are set by the governing body and differ from school to school: some ask for evidence of active involvement in the local church, others look at pupils' travelling distance from school or social reasons for needing a particular school. Voluntary controlled schools have their admissions determined by the Local Education Authority.

Independent Schools

The Independent Schools Information Service (ISIS) states that approximately 1,000 of the 1,300 independent preparatory and secondary schools in England have a Church of England ethos. Find ISIS at http://www.isis.org.uk.

Working with government and national agencies

The Church of England Board of Education works with the DfEE and other national agencies to maintain the high profile and support for Church schools. For other agencies and web sites of interest, follow this link to find out more.

For information on Church of England Schools, contact: