“The Church of England has a bold vision for education that is deeply Christian, serving the common good. We provide schools that enable all children to flourish and demand for places continues to be high.
“We want to develop new schools so more families can access this excellent education and our commitment when we do so remains to serve the local community, with the majority of places being allocated irrespective of faith background.
“Today’s announcement about the faith cap does not impact on that commitment.
“As well as embracing the opportunities of academies and free schools, we have a strong track record of providing around seventeen hundred VA schools and welcome the opportunity to consider developing more of them.”
Notes for editors
The Church of England’s vision for education is deeply Christian, with Jesus' promise of 'life in all its fullness' at its heart. In line with the Church of England's role as the established Church, our vision is for the common good of the whole community. More
Types of Church of England School
There are:
- 4,644 Church of England schools and 200 church schools in Wales. Church schools are supported by their local Diocesan Board of Education.
- around 2,000 Voluntary Controlled schools, of which all but 20 are primary schools.
- around 1,700 Voluntary Aided schools, mainly primary schools, with 53 secondary schools and four All-Through schools.
- 250 'sponsored' Church of England academies, 42 of which are secondary academies.
- 656 'converter' Church of England academies, 88 of which are secondary academies.
- 14 open free schools, which are newly opened academies.
Some facts about Church Schools
- Approximately 1 million children attend Church of England schools.
- About 15 million people alive today went to a Church of England school.
- A quarter of primary schools and over 200 secondary schools are Church of England.
- With 250 sponsored and over 656 converter academies, the Church is the biggest sponsor of academies in England.
- Over 500 independent schools declare themselves to be Church of England in ethos.
- Across the country, Church of England clergy dedicate a million hours every year to working with children and young people in schools, often providing holiday and after-school activities.
- There are 22,500 Foundation Governors in Church schools recruited, trained and supported by dioceses.
- Each diocese runs a Diocesan Board of Education supporting Church schools, which represents an annual investment of over £15 million.