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| Faith school 'admissions by flower arranging' eradicated in England | Faith school 'admissions by flower arranging' eradicated in England |
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| Admission arrangements that prioritise school places for children whose parents help with flower arranging, cleaning or maintenance at church have been eradicated from faith schools in England, according to secular groups who campaigned for the change. | Admission arrangements that prioritise school places for children whose parents help with flower arranging, cleaning or maintenance at church have been eradicated from faith schools in England, according to secular groups who campaigned for the change. |
| The British Humanist Association (BHA) and the Fair Admissions Campaign (FAC) said their efforts have forced all schools to drop such criteria from admissions policies after they lodged a series of objections with the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA). | The British Humanist Association (BHA) and the Fair Admissions Campaign (FAC) said their efforts have forced all schools to drop such criteria from admissions policies after they lodged a series of objections with the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA). |
| Making the announcement on national offer day, when more than half a million children find out whether they have been allocated a place at their preferred secondary school, the BHA and FAC said “selection by flower arranging” has been eradicated. | Making the announcement on national offer day, when more than half a million children find out whether they have been allocated a place at their preferred secondary school, the BHA and FAC said “selection by flower arranging” has been eradicated. |
| Related: National offer day: how many families will get their first-choice school? | Related: National offer day: how many families will get their first-choice school? |
| It emerged on Tuesday that a BHA-FAC objection to the admission arrangements of what they described as “the last known school to prioritise children in this way” – Emmaus Church of England and Catholic school in Liverpool – was upheld by the OSA last year. | It emerged on Tuesday that a BHA-FAC objection to the admission arrangements of what they described as “the last known school to prioritise children in this way” – Emmaus Church of England and Catholic school in Liverpool – was upheld by the OSA last year. |
| The BHA also claimed that after a long-running legal battle, the high-achieving London Oratory school had withdrawn its appeal of part of a high court judgment against the institution last April. The school was not immediately available for comment. | The BHA also claimed that after a long-running legal battle, the high-achieving London Oratory school had withdrawn its appeal of part of a high court judgment against the institution last April. The school was not immediately available for comment. |
| As part of a complex ruling, which the school claimed as a partial victory, the Oratory lost its bid to include a family’s “Catholic service” – a points system that rewards church flower arranging and choir membership – as a means of selecting pupils for the oversubscribed secondary school. | As part of a complex ruling, which the school claimed as a partial victory, the Oratory lost its bid to include a family’s “Catholic service” – a points system that rewards church flower arranging and choir membership – as a means of selecting pupils for the oversubscribed secondary school. |
| The school is notable for having educated the children of a number of politicians including Tony Blair, Nick Clegg and Harriet Harman. | The school is notable for having educated the children of a number of politicians including Tony Blair, Nick Clegg and Harriet Harman. |
| Campaigners say the two developments are particularly significant because the education secretary, Nicky Morgan, has said she wants to ban organisations from objecting to the admission arrangements of schools in future in order to “stop vexatious complaints against faith schools by secularist campaign groups”. | Campaigners say the two developments are particularly significant because the education secretary, Nicky Morgan, has said she wants to ban organisations from objecting to the admission arrangements of schools in future in order to “stop vexatious complaints against faith schools by secularist campaign groups”. |
| Jay Harman, a faith schools campaigner at the BHA, said: “The fact that flower arranging, cleaning, and maintenance no longer appear in any state schools’ admission arrangements demonstrates the value of national campaign groups being able to object to schools’ admissions policies, where they do not comply with the law. | Jay Harman, a faith schools campaigner at the BHA, said: “The fact that flower arranging, cleaning, and maintenance no longer appear in any state schools’ admission arrangements demonstrates the value of national campaign groups being able to object to schools’ admissions policies, where they do not comply with the law. |
| “The fact that Nicky Morgan is proposing to ban national groups from lodging any further objections is clearly against the interest of parents and children as it is only through our objections that these practices have been stamped out.” | “The fact that Nicky Morgan is proposing to ban national groups from lodging any further objections is clearly against the interest of parents and children as it is only through our objections that these practices have been stamped out.” |
| Harman welcomed the Oratory School’s decision to withdraw its appeal. “It may just be one school, but this case has come to be symbolic of the wider struggle to challenge religious discrimination in our schools, and the result is therefore an incredibly significant one. | Harman welcomed the Oratory School’s decision to withdraw its appeal. “It may just be one school, but this case has come to be symbolic of the wider struggle to challenge religious discrimination in our schools, and the result is therefore an incredibly significant one. |
| “As long as schools remain free to employ faith-based selection of any kind, religious, racial, and socio-economic segregation will continue to be a significant feature of our education system, and this is something that needs to be addressed now more than ever.” | “As long as schools remain free to employ faith-based selection of any kind, religious, racial, and socio-economic segregation will continue to be a significant feature of our education system, and this is something that needs to be addressed now more than ever.” |
| A Department for Education spokesperson said: “There is nothing new in this – it has been the case for a number of iterations of the admissions code that the activities the BHA describe are not permissible as means of prioritising applicants. | A Department for Education spokesperson said: “There is nothing new in this – it has been the case for a number of iterations of the admissions code that the activities the BHA describe are not permissible as means of prioritising applicants. |
| “Admissions authorities must ensure that the allocation of school places is fair and complies with the code, and there is a clear and transparent system for parents and councils to raise objections. | “Admissions authorities must ensure that the allocation of school places is fair and complies with the code, and there is a clear and transparent system for parents and councils to raise objections. |
| “So that parents can be confident that the school admission process is working for them, we are ensuring only local parents and councils can object to admission arrangements. At the same time we will be giving parents a greater voice by requiring admission authorities to consult every four years.” | “So that parents can be confident that the school admission process is working for them, we are ensuring only local parents and councils can object to admission arrangements. At the same time we will be giving parents a greater voice by requiring admission authorities to consult every four years.” |
| The London Oratory School later issued a statement confirming that a court appeal seeking clarification on one element of the judgment had been withdrawn by agreement with the OSA. | |
| But the statement claimed the BHA had presented the findings in “a skewed light” and argued that the school remained vindicated by the high court ruling last April. | |
| The headmaster, David McFadden, said: “In setting oversubscription criteria, the governors seek to comply with their duties under the school admissions code and to honour the trust placed in them to preserve the ethos and mission of the school. | |
| “It is a matter of regret that repeated challenges to admission arrangements lead to precious resources being spent on legal challenges, even if the school is ultimately vindicated.” |