School admissions - how do they get around the Equality Act?

[Notshortnottall]

We're lucky enough to live in an area which is well-renowned for its schools. Last week we had the place offered at reception for our 3-year old and unfortunately it's come back as the one school we didn't want (think parents in pyjamas, lots of cigarettes, bad parking and swearing). This was also not on our list of 3 'choices' schools.

Of the 3 schools that we did apply for, 2 are Catholic and that is part of the admission triage that's used. Whilst we are supportive of the church it's affiliated to and the moral values it teaches - we're not avid church goers and would have needed 12-months worth of signatures from the Vicar in order to have had her considered earlier in the admission criteria. Indeed, one of those is by far the closest to our home address than any others (0.4 mile). I work away each week leaving my partner as the person responsible for the drop-off/pick-up.

The one we have been offered is over 1 mile (through a very busy town centre) in the "wrong" direction to the way she needs to travel to work. This is all further complicated by the fact that baby no.2 is on the way in August and it's going to be very difficult (if not impossible) for her to pick up 2 kids in different locations prior to nursery and the school closing for the day i.e she could make one but not both.

We will be utilising the appeals procedure and have already submitted a "change of preference" form however, when researching this I am slightly confused as to how school admission criteria *appears* to fly in the face of current legislation.

The Equality Act 2010 (link) states:

Equality Act 2010 said:

Pupils: admission and treatment, etc.
(1)The responsible body of a school to which this section applies must not discriminate against a person—
(a)in the arrangements it makes for deciding who is offered admission as a pupil;
(b)as to the terms on which it offers to admit the person as a pupil;...

...
(7)In relation to England and Wales, this section applies to—
(a)a school maintained by a local authority;
(b)an independent educational institution (other than a special school);...

...
(10)In the application of section 26 for the purposes of subsection (3), none of the following is a relevant protected characteristic—
(a)gender reassignment;
(b)religion or belief;

Of course, my question - which is how do they get around this - is driven by the school we've been offered and which we're mightily unhappy with. Appreciate this might sound like a bit of a first-world problem but would appreciate some insight from the countless others who will have been in a similar position.

[tinnitusjosh]

Dig a little deeper and there is an exception in the Equality Act 2010 for religious schools.

Paragraph 5 of Part 2 of Schedule 11 (link) allows schools with a religious flavour to discriminate because of religion or belief in relation to admissions. Therefore faith schools may have admissions criteria which give preference to members of their own religion and it allows them to conduct themselves in a way which is compatible with their religious character or ethos.

[martinbiz]

So why didn’t you go to Church for 12 months leading up to give yourself a fighting chance, hardly a major hardship

[Algarve]

martinbiz said:

So why didn’t you go to Church for 12 months leading up to give yourself a fighting chance, hardly a major hardship

Yeah... sitting through 52 hours of utter drivel would seem to be a low price to pay not to have your kid in a school known for parents in pyjamas, lots of cigarettes, bad parking and swearing for the next 7 years.

I'd have bit my tongue then got the hymn book out.

[martinbiz]

Algarve said:

martinbiz said:

So why didn’t you go to Church for 12 months leading up to give yourself a fighting chance, hardly a major hardship

Yeah... sitting through 52 hours of utter drivel would seem to be a low price to pay not to have your kid in a school known for parents in pyjamas, lots of cigarettes, bad parking and swearing for the next 7 years.

I'd have bit my tongue then got the hymn book out.

That’s exactly what we did with our youngest and now he’s in the best school around for miles and it’s a mile up the road

[Notshortnottall]

Algarve said:

martinbiz said:

So why didn’t you go to Church for 12 months leading up to give yourself a fighting chance, hardly a major hardship

Yeah... sitting through 52 hours of utter drivel would seem to be a low price to pay not to have your kid in a school known for parents in pyjamas, lots of cigarettes, bad parking and swearing for the next 7 years.

I'd have bit my tongue then got the hymn book out.

Sorry - omitted that part. We were told (and naively accepted) that it was 6 months of attendance. When we found out it needed 12 months we were already inside that window - albeit we did go for the 8 months that were left, had the vicar out to the house and obtain the signatures etc etc.

[GT72]

Notshortnottall said:

Sorry - omitted that part. We were told (and naively accepted) that it was 6 months of attendance. When we found out it needed 12 months we were already inside that window - albeit we did go for the 8 months that were left, had the vicar out to the house and obtain the signatures etc etc.

I hope it wasn't a friend who told you this, who lives slightly further away from the school than you.

[The_Nugget]

Imagine running an organisation so odious that one of the major ways you can get people to attend is by holding their kid’s education ransom - so you can have a few more people to spout your imaginary nonsense to.
Then ask if you are not better outside of their system.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Algarve said:

martinbiz said:

So why didn’t you go to Church for 12 months leading up to give yourself a fighting chance, hardly a major hardship

Yeah... sitting through 52 hours of utter drivel would seem to be a low price to pay not to have your kid in a school known for parents in pyjamas, lots of cigarettes, bad parking and swearing for the next 7 years.

I'd have bit my tongue then got the hymn book out.

Exactly. Everyone knows that of the kids in church schools, 25% are the children of religious people, and 75% are the children of liars.

[Bennet]

The_Nugget said:

Imagine running an organisation so odious that one of the major ways you can get people to attend is by holding their kid’s education ransom - so you can have a few more people to spout your imaginary nonsense to.
Then ask if you are not better outside of their system.

Imagine giving your money to support the existence of a faith school in the knowledge that a significant proportion of the parents whose kids will receive the benefit of your sacrifice hold your beliefs and motivations in utter contempt (though they'll happily lie in order to gain that benefit) and yet still you give.

[PhilboSE]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Exactly. Everyone knows that of the kids in church schools, 25% are the children of religious people, and 75% are the children of liars.

So 100% of them are children of liars then?

[Algarve]

PhilboSE said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Exactly. Everyone knows that of the kids in church schools, 25% are the children of religious people, and 75% are the children of liars.

So 100% of them are children of liars then?

Believing in Jesus makes you an idiot, not a liar.

[standards]

Algarve said:

PhilboSE said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Exactly. Everyone knows that of the kids in church schools, 25% are the children of religious people, and 75% are the children of liars.

So 100% of them are children of liars then?

Believing in Jesus makes you an idiot, not a liar.

I have fallen foul if this set up in the past. Did some reading around it and was surprised to see that churchgoers are actually quite an educated lot-post graduate qualifications and social groups AB are over represented, compared to general population, in C of E churches at least.

That said were we starting an education system from scratch in the UK tomorrow am fairly sure this set up would not happen. Or private schools either perhaps?

Edited by standards on Monday 20th April 18:41

[martinbiz]

Algarve said:

PhilboSE said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Exactly. Everyone knows that of the kids in church schools, 25% are the children of religious people, and 75% are the children of liars.

So 100% of them are children of liars then?

Believing in Jesus makes you an idiot, not a liar.

I am not a devout believer by any means, but I also don't regard people who are as idiots, just that they have a different opinion

To be honest mate that's quite an offensive post put up by an idiot

[Algarve]

martinbiz said:

I am not a devout believer by any means, but I also don't regard people who are as idiots, just that they have a different opinion

To be honest mate that's quite an offensive post put up by an idiot

Sure, its a different opinion. Your opinion could be the earth is flat.... in response my opinion would be you're an idiot.

If someone wants to believe something that there is zero proof of, I don't think its offensive for someone else to think bad of them because of it. I wouldn't go offend them in person or pick on any one person... but as a group they just look weak minded fools to me. Maybe they can't accept when they die they are worm food and thats it.

[standards]

Algarve said:

martinbiz said:

I am not a devout believer by any means, but I also don't regard people who are as idiots, just that they have a different opinion

To be honest mate that's quite an offensive post put up by an idiot

Sure, its a different opinion. Your opinion could be the earth is flat.... in response my opinion would be you're an idiot.

I would share your view about the shape of the planet.
Are there any areas where someone with a different opinion to your own would not be an ‘idiot’?

[Countdown]

I was just wondering whether Faith Schools are naturally "better" and found the following article.

https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/digital-media/c...

[stinkyspanner]

We've just gone through the school selection process, one of the better schools we saw was a c of e but their view was that you didn't need to be church goers at all to get in to the school. Rather, they were of the opinion that by going to the c of e school you might see the light and adopt Christian values which kind of made sense to me.
What didn't make sense was that 20% of the curriculum was religious studies, yep basically one day a week and so we didn't apply

[standards]

stinkyspanner said:

We've just gone through the school selection process, one of the better schools we saw was a c of e but their view was that you didn't need to be church goers at all to get in to the school. Rather, they were of the opinion that by going to the c of e school you might see the light and adopt Christian values which kind of made sense to me.
What didn't make sense was that 20% of the curriculum was religious studies, yep basically one day a week and so we didn't apply

That is a lot. Should be around 5%.
TBF Religious Studies should/would include the other major faiths found in the UK. So the 'light' might be a different colour...
And should mention views that aren't faith based-eventually.

[4rephill]

martinbiz said:

Algarve said:

PhilboSE said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Exactly. Everyone knows that of the kids in church schools, 25% are the children of religious people, and 75% are the children of liars.

So 100% of them are children of liars then?

Believing in Jesus makes you an idiot, not a liar.

I am not a devout believer by any means, but I also don't regard people who are as idiots, just that they have a different opinion

To be honest mate that's quite an offensive post put up by an idiot

Algarve is an idiot because he/she has a different opinion about those who follow a religion, to your opinion about them?