Mainstream Guidance Faith free schools May 2018 Registered Charity No. 1132122 | Company Registration No. 6953650 Contents Page 2: Introduction Page 2: Applying to open a faith school Page 3: Completing the DfE’s application form Page 6: Integration and cohesion Page 7: Issues to consider in a faith free school Page 8: Admissions Page 10: Curriculum Page 12: School life Page 13: Collective worship Page 14: Recruitment Page 16: Governance Page 17: Reaching out to the community Page 18: Obtaining a faith designation Page 19: Further information 1 Introduction Proposers setting up a mainstream free school can choose to set up a free school with a faith ethos or faith designation. This guidance outlines the difference between these terms and the freedoms available to this type of free school. Groups proposing a school with a faith ethos or designation must show that the school will be inclusive to all pupils, including those of other and no faith. Groups proposing to establish a free school with a faith basis or designation must meet additional criteria to demonstrate their commitment to inclusion. The purpose of this guidance is to support applicants to identify the different issues they need to consider when proposing a faith free school. Applying to open a faith school Mainstream free schools can either have a faith ethos or a faith designation. When documents refer to faith free schools, they are normally referring to faith designated schools as this will generally be the status of schools where faith plays a larger role. It is important, when deciding the role you would like faith to play in your free school, to be fully aware of the different freedoms and restrictions that accompany having an ethos or designation, and that you are able to make the case for it being the right choice for your school. Faith designated schools with a nursery cannot apply any faith based admissions criteria for nursery places. Nurseries must follow the Early Years Foundation Stage and, like the rest of the school, must provide a broad and balanced curriculum and actively promote fundamental British values. If you are opening a 16-19, special or an AP school, you can only adopt a faith ethos, you cannot be faith designated. Faith ethos Faith ethos is explained in the glossary of the DFE’s How to Apply Guidance Adopting a faith ethos is a way of explicitly aligning your school with a particular faith. The principles of that faith can shape your vision for the school and its ethos. However, a school with a faith ethos cannot: Provide religious education and collective worship in line with your chosen faith, if this is anything other than Christian in nature (unless the school has successfully applied to the Secretary of State for an exemption); Adopt faith based admission arrangements; or 2 Recruit teachers on the basis of faith unless it can be justified as a genuine occupational requirement (e.g. in the case of the principal designate or RE teacher). You might wish to adopt a faith ethos if you want your school to remain inclusive to all students but believe that students would benefit from the character of the school being shaped by faith. Please consider though whether a faith ethos will provide you with enough freedoms to incorporate the faith tenets that you wish to impart. Faith designation Faith designation is explained in the glossary of the DfE’s How to apply guide. Obtaining a faith designation means that your school can more overtly uphold the tenets of your chosen religion. Faith designation is a legal recognition that your school has a religious character. You only need to do this if you intend to: Provide religious education and collective worship according to the tenets of the faith of the school; and/or Give preference when appointing teachers to those of the same faith as the school; and/or Admit up to 50% of pupils on the basis of faith if your school is oversubscribed. Having a faith designation will mean that you involve the appropriate religious Canary Wharf College is a Christian designated primary school in Tower Hamlets authority which will inspect the provision of religious education and advise on admissions. You could also involve them at a governance level. Completing the DfE’s application form If there will be a faith based element to your free school, you will need to decide at the application stage whether you wish to go down the faith ethos or designation route. You will not be designated until the funding agreement is signed (see below) but your application will need to be very clear as to how you intend to incorporate your faith into your school. 3 All the issues that you will need to consider are discussed in more detail below. Here we list the sections in the application in which you may need to describe your faith provision. You can obtain more NSN guidance on how to approach each of these sections here. Section A2– Your You will need to indicate whether you are choosing an ethos or chosen school designation and for what faith. Section B1 – It is important to show there is enough basic need in the area you evidence of need are looking to set up your school to ensure opening the school would not lead to an oversupply of places. This is important even if your school might attract pupils from a wider area due to its faith designation. Section B2 – Need If part of your rationale is that a faith ethos or designated school of for good school the type that you are proposing will add choice and diversity, then places you should consider how you will evidence this. If you intend to argue that a school of this type would increase parental choice, then you should look to show that there is not already provision in the area offering a similar ethos or designation to that which you are proposing, along with information suggestive of the fact that the local population shares your views or would be likely to choose this school over other providers were the option available. Section D - You will need to show that you have reached out to a wider successful community and that your school is attractive to those outside your engagement with faith. You must ensure you fully explain how your faith will impact parents and the the school. It is important that you provide enough information local community about the religious character of your school for parents to make an informed decision about whether to support it. If you are planning a structured twinning programme, you should communicate this to parents. Section E1 – If you have chosen a faith ethos, you should outline in this section curriculum plan the ways in which the values of that faith will manifest themselves in the life of the school. If you have chosen a faith designation, you will be able to incorporate your faith in your educational offering. In this section, you will need to explain how this is done while 4 remaining inclusive of students of other faiths and none. Bear in mind that your religious authority can help you with the design of your religious education and will inspect it once open. If you are planning to replicate an existing school and this is a faith school with 100% faith based admissions, you will need to explain what curriculum changes you will need to make to reflect the fact that the proposed school can only admit 50% pupils with reference to faith when oversubscribed and must be inclusive to pupils of all faiths and none. Section E3 – staffing If you have chosen a faith designation, you may want to include structure some members of staff who will teach your religion. Their role will need to be explained here. Section E4 – In this section you will need to show that your school will be community welcoming to pupils of all faiths and none, and show how the cohesion and school will meet the needs of these pupils. You will need to explain integration how you will teach fundamental British values and encourage pupils from different faiths and communities to work together and learn about each other. As part of this you will need to give information on how the faith ethos or designation will impact the curriculum, including the proportion of time spent studying RE or faith-related subjects and the alternatives that will be available to those who wish to opt out of these subjects. You must demonstrate that the curriculum will be broad and balanced and prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. You must give due consideration to spiritual, moral and social education (SMSC) personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) and adhere to the Prevent Duty. In addition, you will need to state the impact of your school’s policies on pupils of other or no faith, including safeguarding, school meals and any dietary requirements, the school uniform and collective worship. In order to demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity you should explain any arrangements you will make to ensure pupils have the opportunity to have meaningful interactions with pupils of a 5 different/no faith. This could include arrangements for twinning with another school, or to form a mixed-faith multi academy trust. Section F2– the You may have a principal designate in mind who will represent your necessary faith; you should explain what role their faith plays and how they experience and are otherwise qualified. If you have chosen a faith ethos and yet credentials to would want to recruit a principal of your faith you will need to deliver the school explain why this is necessary for your school.