Catholic schools ‘excluded’ from free-school drive

The Government’s announcement of a new wave of free schools is disappointing news for the thousands of Catholic parents who are unable to get their child a place at a church school, according to Paul Barber, director of the Catholic Education Service (CES), writes Joanna Moorhead.

Last week, Prime Minister David Cameron said another 18 free schools would be added to the more than 300 in the state sector. Free schools can be set up by academy trusts, community groups, parents, teachers and churches. However, as with academies, there is a 50 per cent cap on places for pupils from the faith background of a free school’s backer.

Since November 2013, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has refused to accept this requirement.  It urges dioceses to resist pressure to open a new school in these circumstances – and since free schools are very much the Government’s educational direction of travel, the opening of new Catholic schools has slowed almost to a halt.

Mr Barber said he welcomed the provision of 9,000 more school places announced by the Prime Minister but was concerned that an education provider such as the Catholic Church, with a strong track record of providing high-quality learning, was being prevented from participating in the provision of new schools.

n The CES said this week that it shared headteachers’ concerns on the proposed Childcare Bill. It says it agrees with a report from the National Union of Head Teachers, which claims that extending childcare provision for pre-schoolers has not been properly funded.