Faith Schools vs Non-Faith Schools: What Parents Should Know
Deciding between faith schools vs non-faith schools is one of the more personal choices parents face, and it is often clouded by assumptions about results and admissions. Around a third of state-funded schools in England have a religious character, most of them Church of England or Roman Catholic, so for many families a faith school is simply one of the closest options. This guide explains what actually makes a faith school different, how their admissions work, and the questions worth asking before you rank one on your application.
What is a faith school?
A faith school is a state-funded school with a religious character, set up in partnership with a church or other faith body. Most are Church of England or Catholic, with smaller numbers of Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and other schools. They follow the national curriculum like any other state school, but they can teach religious education according to their own faith, hold worship in that tradition, and in many cases give priority in admissions to children of the faith. They are still inspected by Ofsted, and their religious provision is inspected separately by the relevant faith body.
How admissions differ
The biggest practical difference is oversubscription. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it is allowed to use faith-based criteria, such as regular attendance at a named church, to decide priority. That is why some faith schools ask for a supplementary information form and a reference from a member of the clergy. A non-faith community school, by contrast, ranks applicants on distance, siblings and other non-religious factors set by the local authority. If a faith school is not full, it must admit any child who applies, whatever their background.
Curriculum, ethos and daily life
Beyond admissions, the day-to-day difference is one of ethos. Faith schools weave their values through assemblies, pastoral care and the way the school talks about right and wrong, and religious education has a bigger place. Some parents value that framework and community; others prefer a school with no single religious viewpoint. Neither is inherently better for academic results. What matters more is whether the school is well led, whether children are safe and happy, and whether it stretches every pupil.
How to decide
Start with the practical filter of which schools you have a realistic chance of getting into, then visit the ones on your shortlist. On an open day, look past the label and watch how pupils behave, how staff speak to them, and whether the atmosphere feels right for your child. Our guide on how to choose the right school walks through what to look for, and the school admissions guide explains the process end to end. You can also read the government's rules on faith admissions in the school admissions criteria guidance. For more help choosing, return to the Schools Insight homepage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do faith schools get better results than non-faith schools?
On average many faith schools post strong results, but a large part of that reflects their intake and the families who apply rather than the teaching alone. When researchers compare pupils with similar backgrounds, the gap narrows sharply. Judge any individual school on its own inspection report and its progress measures, not on whether it has a religious character.
Can a faith school refuse my child a place because of our religion?
A faith school that is oversubscribed is allowed to use faith-based criteria to decide who gets priority, which can include evidence of religious practice such as attendance at services. It cannot refuse to consider your child, and any places left after faith criteria are applied are offered under the usual rules. If the school is not full, it must admit any child who applies.
What is a supplementary information form?
Many faith schools ask families to complete a supplementary information form alongside the standard council application. It gathers the details the school needs to apply its faith criteria, such as a signed note from a member of the clergy. Miss it and your child may be placed in a lower priority group, so check each faith school's requirements and deadlines carefully.
Do children have to take part in religious worship?
State schools in England, faith and non-faith alike, must provide a daily act of collective worship, and faith schools may make it specific to their religion. Parents have the legal right to withdraw their child from collective worship and, in most cases, from religious education, though many families are happy for their children to take part.