Catholic schools ‘are ahead in serving deprived areas’

The Catholic Education Service (CES) produced figures this week which it says demonstrate that Catholic schools serve more disadvantaged pupils than other faith or state-run ones.

The CES 2013 census for England shows that 18.4 per cent of pupils in Catholic primary schools are from some of the most deprived areas, compared to only 13.8 per cent nationally. In maintained Catholic secondary schools, 17.3 per cent of pupils are from the most socially deprived areas compared with a national figure of 12.2 per cent.

The CES has also found that Catholic schools in England take more children from ethnic minority backgrounds – some 34.5 per cent of pupils in Catholic primary schools and 30.2 per cent in secondaries.

Paul Barber, director of the CES, said: “The make-up of Catholic schools reflects the growing diversity of our communities and these figures demonstrate the vital role that Catholic schools play in working towards a common good for the whole society and carrying out the Church’s mission to the poor.”

However, the Fair Admissions Campaign (FAC), which opposes pupil selection by state schools on the basis of religion, claimed the CES figures are “fundamentally flawed”. “It could well be that the pupils at Catholic schools are from the wealthier families within the deprived areas,” said the FAC in a statement.

Using the criterion of eligibility for free school meals, the FAC found that fewer pupils at Catholic schools are disadvantaged than the national average. The FAC compared schools to their local areas and found that comprehensive Catholic schools typically admit 24 per cent fewer pupils eligible for free school meals than would be expected from the economic profile of their catchment areas. In contrast, the FAC found comprehensive schools with no religious character admit 11 per cent more pupils eligible for free school meals than would be expected on that basis.

A spokeswoman for the CES said: “Department for Education figures show that the percentage of free school meal uptake in Catholic secondary schools is 13.1 per cent compared with the national figure of 15.1 per cent. Although slightly lower than the national figure, this is not statistically significant.”

The registration of children for free school meals is used to determine which pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, a sum of money given to schools to support disadvantaged pupils. In 2013-14 it provides £900 for each disadvantaged child.

A 2 per cent increase of pupils in Catholic secondary schools claiming the pupil premium – bringing the numbers up to the national average – would mean an extra £5.6 million.

According to the separate CES 2013 census for Wales, the number of pupils eligible and taking up free school meals is slightly below the national average, standing at 17.7 per cent for Catholic primaries compared with a national average of 18.9 per cent. In secondaries it is 14.9 per cent compared with a national average of 16.2 per cent.