An overwhelming majority of parents support the continuation of collective acts of worship in the country’s Catholic schools, the latest research has found.

The data, revealed as part of the Catholic Schools Census, shows that 99.95% of non-Catholic parents support the provision of collective acts of worship in their child’s Catholic school.

Of the near 290,000 pupils in English and Welsh Catholic schools from other faiths or none, just 0.05% were withdrawn from collective acts of worship, such as prayers in assemblies, Nativity plays and Masses.

Over the last five years there has been an eight per cent increase in the number of pupils in Catholic schools in England and Wales with the current total sitting at 852,321. That is one in every ten pupils nationally.  

Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service commented: “Collective worship is one of the foundations upon which our schools are built.

“Although it is a statutory requirement for all schools, collective worship is an integral part of life in a Catholic school. It is crucial to the spiritual life of the school and to pupils’ moral and spiritual development.

“Throughout the year, Catholic school communities come together to celebrate important events in the Church’s calendar, as well as the start and end of the academic year. Through regular prayer and worship, including Mass, the rhythm of the Church’s year becomes a normal part of school life.

“Whilst it’s important that schools make it clear to parents that they’re able to withdraw their child from acts of collective worship, it is encouraging to see that the overwhelming majority of parents in Catholic schools don’t.

“Too often we are led to believe that there is no longer an appetite for collective acts of Christian worship in schools, but these figures vindicate the continued existence of these practices.”

Notes to Editors

There are more than 2200 Catholic Schools in England and Wales.

The Catholic sector is the second largest provider of education and currently educates 852,31 pupils.

ENDS

More than 26,000 Muslim pupils are now educated in Catholic schools across the country, according to the latest research.

The figures, which form part of the annual Catholic Schools’ Census, show that one in three pupils who attend the country’s Catholic schools are not of the Catholic faith.

For the first time, the Census has collected data on pupil religion other than Catholicism to get a better picture of the religious diversity in Catholic schools.

The data found that one of the biggest religious groupings was pupils with no religion. This group accounted for more than a fifth of the non-Catholic pupils.

The largest religious group were pupils from other Christian denominations. More than 148,000 of them are currently enrolled in Catholic schools and make up half of all non-Catholic pupils.

Once again, the figures from the Schools’ Census show that Catholic schools are the most ethnically diverse in the country with 21% more pupils coming from ethnic minority backgrounds than the national average.

Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service, which compiled the Census, commented: “It is great to see Catholic schools acting as beacons of diversity and integration up and down the country.

“Often, parents of different faiths and none value the distinctive and unapologetically Catholic ethos of the Church’s schools.

“It is precisely because we are open about our faith that parents of other religions feel comfortable with the all-inclusive ethos of Catholic schools.”

Notes to editors

There are more than 2200 Catholic Schools in England and Wales.

The Catholic sector is the second largest provider of education and currently educates 852,321 pupils.

There are 287,934 non Catholic pupils in Catholic schools with the breakdown as follows (alphabetical order):

Buddhist –  1,175 (0.41%)

Hindu – 5,855 (2.03%)

Jewish – 276 (0.10%)

Muslim – 26,264 (9.12%)

No religion – 63,062 (21.90%)

Other Christian – 148,018 (51.41%)

Other religion – 15,195 (5.28%)

Religion refused 2,407 (0.84%)

Religion not known – 22,181 (7.70%)

Sikh – 3,501 (1.22%)

ENDS 

Nine in ten of the Capital’s Catholic schools pay the London Living Wage, according to the latest research. 

The study, which polled the Capital’s 330 Catholic schools, found that 90% of respondents paid the London Living Wage.

The London Living Wage is different from the national minimum wage and has this week been updated to £9.75 per hour. It is calculated as the minimum amount of money a person can live off in Greater London.

It is considerably higher than the minimum wage (£6.70) and the Government’s national living wage (£7.20) due to the higher cost of living in London.

This announcement coincides with Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, reiterating the Catholic Church’s support of the Living Wage.

Cardinal Nichols said: “The Living Wage is the bedrock of a fair economy and a recognition of the worth of every individual. As such it is a fundamental part of Catholic Social Teaching.

 “For more than a century, the Catholic Church has championed the causes of just wages and dignity at work, so workers can not only support their family, but also lead a fulfilling life both in and outside the workplace.

 “The work done by the Living Wage foundation is important. In our society there are many who experience real financial difficulties yet work hard in their employment. They and their families will benefit from a true living wage and measures which bring them hope for their children.”

Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service, which itself is a Living Wage employer, commented: “It is fantastic to see so many Catholic schools in London paying the London Living Wage to all their staff.

“Not only is it basis of a just economy, it is important for young people to see how institutions respect everyone who works for them, right from support staff all the way up to school leadership. This is an essential part of the formation of the whole child.”

Notes to Editors

Catholic schools represent 10% of all state-maintained schools in London.

In total 148 schools responded to the Catholic Education Service’s Living Wage survey.

Respondents came from all 33 London boroughs.

Greater London is covered by three Catholic dioceses, the Archdiocese of Westminster, the Archdiocese of Southwark and the Diocese of Brentwood.

ENDS 

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Press Statement – 9^th September 2016

Catholic Church welcomes Prime Minister’s removal of the cap on faith admissions

We warmly welcome the Government’s proposal to remove the cap on faith-based admissions for free schools and new academies. This will enable new Catholic schools to meet the current parental demand for thousands of new Catholic school places across the country.

Currently, the arbitrary cap on faith-based admissions prevents the Church from meeting the demand from Catholic parents for Catholic places and could cause schools to turn Catholic families away on the grounds that they are Catholics. To do so contravenes not only Canon Law but also common sense.

As the largest provider of secondary schools and the second largest provider of primary schools in England, we support the Government’s aim to increase parental choice through a diverse education system. Catholic schools and academies make up 10% of state based education and have higher numbers of pupils from ethnic minorities and deprived areas and a track record of integrating these groups into mainstream society.

Catholic schools are inclusive, educating pupils from all faiths and none. One third of our pupils are from non-Catholic families. Our schools are particularly popular with parents from the Muslim community, other Christian communities and with high proportions of those who have no faith.

We have a long history of providing outstanding education and look forward to working with the Government to deliver these new Catholic schools.

Notes to Editors

There are 2142 Catholic Schools in England.

There are over 450 Catholic academies.

Pupil Population

• 819,069 pupils are educated in Catholic schools.
• 37% of pupils in Catholic primary schools are from ethnic minority backgrounds (30% nationally).
• 33% of pupils in Catholic secondary schools are from ethnic minority backgrounds (26% nationally).
• 19% of pupils at Catholic primary schools live in the most deprived areas (14% nationally).
• 17% of pupils at Catholic secondary schools live in the most deprived areas (12% nationally).

Performance Data

• 83% of Catholic secondary schools have Ofsted grades of good or outstanding (74% nationally).
• At age 11, Catholic schools outperform the national average English and Math SATs scores by 6% points.
• At GCSE, Catholic schools outperform the national average by 5% points.
• In Catholic schools, 64% of pupils for whom English is an additional language achieve grades A*-C in both English and mathematics GCSEs (59% nationally).
• Catholic schools outperforms the national average by 4% points for disadvantaged pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate.

This User Guide brings together all the CES employment documentation. It explains the requirement for all the CES employment documentation that schools can use during application, recruitment and appointment and then throughout the life of the employment relationship. There is also a compilation of answers to frequently asked questions during the different stages of employment.

A complete list of all CES employment documentation can be found in Appendix I.
A complete list of frequently asked questions can be found in Appendix II.