REPEATED ALLEGATIONS of social bias in the admissions procedures of church schools, made by two London-based academics, have been challenged by the chief education officer of the Church of England, the Revd Jan Ainsworth. She queried the basis of research that led to claims in The Observer at the weekend, of “damning new evidence that faith schools are siphoning off middle-class pupils”.
The Observer report was based on claims by Rebecca Allen, a research student at the Institute of Education, London University, and Professor Ann West of the London School of Economics.
The story, however, appears to repeat allegations made by the same researchers in a widely publicised paper given to the British Education Research Association last September, and another, deriving from Sheffield Hallam University in February. The Hallam paper showed that the research on faith schools had been carried out on its behalf by Ms Allen and Professor West.
Responding to the latest allegations, Mrs Ainsworth said: “The two academics quoted have previously presented similar work in different contexts, and it is unclear whether this latest story actually represents a fresh contribution.”
Analysis of government data on the social composition of church schools, carried out for the Board of Education by Professor David Jesson of York University, shows that nationally the proportion of C of E primary and secondary schools labelled as having “severe disadvantage” — those with 30 per cent or more of pupils on free school meals — was almost identical with the rest of the state sector. That is consistent with the historic location of many church schools, which were founded for the poor, in inner-urban areas.
Moreover, the Church of England has consistently supported government measures to avoid covert selection, such as the ban on interviews and additional tests. “It would be very difficult for any church school to supposedly select middle-class students, because such an admissions code would be illegal, and would not be approved by the diocese,” Mrs Ainsworth said.
Andy Hibbert, director of the Yorkshire-based Parent Organisation, said this week that, since it was founded five years ago “to give parents a voice”, he had not received one complaint about a C of E school. |
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