Church Schools & Academies
The Church of England has a long and successful history of
involvement in education and schooling. As a statutory
provider of schooling, the Church has built a very strong and
respected position in England and Wales.
Church School of the Future: read the full report
here
Protecting and developing our schools for
the next decade
Key facts:
- Approximately 1 million children attend C of E schools
- About 15 million people alive today went to one
- 25% (4484) of all primary and middle schools are C of E
- 193 (6.25%) secondary schools are C of E
- With 50 sponsored and 208 converter academies, the
Church is the biggest provider in England
- 564 independent schools declare themselves to be C of E
Church of England schools are established primarily for the
communities they are located in. They are inclusive and serve
equally those who are of the Christian faith, those of other faiths
and those with no faith. More on
schools.
Admissions
Advice from Board of Education/National Society to Diocesan Boards
of Education
Church schools are recognised for their distinctive Christian
ethos and the impact this has on standards and all round
education. The proportions of Church schools regarded as
'outstanding' (by Ofsted) is much higher than the national norm and
yet the Church schools are fully inclusive.
Secondary schools
During the last 10 years there has been a focus on
increasing the number of secondary schools. Nearly one hundred
new schools or academies have been opened during this period.
Academies
The first wave Academy programme enabled the establishment of
many new and forward thinking schools sponsored or co-sponsored by
the dioceses. The academies have opened up new opportunities
and new life chances for nearly 45000 young people all living in
disadvantaged areas. This is a clear example of the
out-working of the Church's mission in education.
Dioceses
The Church school system is managed and developed through the
individual dioceses. Each Diocese has a Diocesan Board of
Education (DBE) which is served by a Diocesan Director of Education
(DDE). DBEs oversee local developments and support schools on
a day to day basis.