People of all faiths and none back church schools

The majority of those who do not see themselves as Christians reject the idea that church schools create divisions between different sections of society, a major survey released on Monday has found.

Six out of ten non-Christians who feel that church schools are different from other state schools also believe that church schools give places to children of all backgrounds, and two-thirds of the same group agrees that Church of England schools provide a broad and balanced education, the findings show.

The survey of more than 1,000 adults across the UK shows church schools to be positively regarded by people of all faiths and none for the ethos they promote within the learning environment.

Of those who agree that church schools are different to other state schools, eight in ten (80 per cent) agree that church schools help young people develop a sense of right and wrong.

The survey also found that 76 per cent think that church schools help young people grow into responsible members of society, another 76 per cent agree that they promote good behaviour and positive attitudes, and 78 per cent agree they have a caring approach to students.

The findings demonstrate that church schools are understood to be distinctive - 45 per cent of those surveyed agree that Church of England schools have clear differences from other state schools. As a key part of this distinctive nature, 78 per cent of these respondents see church schools as having a close relationship with their local church.

In a significant development for those who question the role of collective worship in schools, almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of those who agree that church schools are different said they think that students benefit from attending Christian worship in church schools - and four in ten (40 per cent) non-Christians agree.

The survey also presents a challenge to the Church to explain more clearly how church schools approach the teaching of religious studies.

More than a third (35 per cent) of respondents who agree that church schools are different to other schools said they thought such schools "try and force their own opinions on children rather than giving a balanced view of other religions or ideas" and that church schools promote "narrow religious teaching".

While the majority of respondents (55 per cent) disagreed with these statements, the Rev Jan Ainsworth, the Church of England's Chief Education Officer, said: "These survey results are surprising, given that all Religious Studies syllabuses used in church schools require students to learn about at least the six major world faiths.

"We are committed to giving all our students a solid grounding in a range of faiths, to help all students engage with issues of community cohesion, diversity and religious understanding. That is why we support calls for the subject to be integrated into the National Curriculum, to further enhance standards of teaching and learning."

The survey of those who perceive differences between church schools and other state schools also suggests that there is still uncertainty about the fairness of admissions policies used by the former, with 45 per cent of those surveyed agreeing that "rules on admitting pupils to Church of England schools mean that children from better off backgrounds are more likely to get in".

However, 70 per cent of respondents to the same survey agreed that church schools "give places to children of all backgrounds".

Both national and diocesan guidance on admissions policies stress the importance of setting out simple, transparent criteria, which - for 'faith places' - focus solely on church attendance.

The Church of England has consistently supported the ban on interviews or the seeking of other information about the family during the admissions process.

"The impression that church schools are socially selective when allocating places on faith criteria still exists with a significant minority of the population, and all of us involved in church education have a role in explaining clearly how this simply isn't the case," said Ainsworth.

"It's encouraging that seven out of ten of those who see church schools as distinctive are clear that we welcome students from a range of backgrounds. The figures available do not bear out the assumption that church schools are socially selective, but rather they suggest that our schools represent the communities which they serve."

She assured that the proportion of Church of England secondary schools places in economically disadvantaged areas is "exactly in line with the national average".

"There is nothing socially selective about suggesting that those seeking a school place because of the importance they attach to Christian faith should attend church regularly in order to demonstrate that connection. Speaking bluntly, if parents are opposed to attending worship it is difficult to see why they would be seeking a place at a school with a Christian foundation and ethos," Ainsworth added.

The survey results will boost the Church of England's ambitious plans to open another 100 church secondary schools by 2011, mainly through the academies programme and to serve areas of economic disadvantage. In 2011, the National Society will celebrate its 200th anniversary - two hundred years since the Church effectively launched free mass education in England and Wales.