Faith School
A school with a religious character that may give priority to applicants of that faith in its oversubscription criteria.
A faith school is a school with a religious character, designated under section 69 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
Faith schools include Church of England, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu schools, among others. They can be:
- Voluntary aided - the religious body is the admissions authority and contributes to capital costs
- Voluntary controlled - the local authority is the admissions authority but the school keeps its religious character
- Faith academies - academies set up with a religious designation
The key practical difference for parents is the oversubscription criteria. A faith school may rank applicants by religious practice (regular worship attendance, baptism records, etc.) above distance.
If you’re considering a faith school without sharing the school’s faith, check the policy carefully - many faith schools reserve a small number of "open" places for non-faith applicants, but these are usually heavily oversubscribed.
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