What Is a Faith School? UK Faith Schools Explained for Parents

A faith school is a state-funded school with a religious character — typically affiliated with a Christian denomination, Islam, Judaism, or Sikhism. Faith schools follow the National Curriculum and are inspected by Ofsted, but may also promote their faith's values and give admissions priority to families of that religion.

How many faith schools are there in England?

Faith schools make up a significant proportion of state-funded schools in England. Around one in three state-funded schools has a religious character, which means that for many families the nearest school — or the most popular local school — will be a faith school, whether or not religion is a factor in the family's choice.

The majority are Christian, reflecting the historical role of the Church of England and the Catholic Church in founding schools before state education existed. However, there are also Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and other faith schools.

What types of faith school exist?

Faith schools operate under several different legal structures:

School type | Who funds it | Who owns the buildings | Admissions | National Curriculum?
Voluntary-aided (VA) | Mainly state-funded; governing body contributes ~10% to capital costs | Typically a religious trust or diocese | Set by the governing body (can prioritise faith) | Required
Voluntary-controlled (VC) | Fully state-funded | Religious body, but LA manages the school | Set by the local authority | Required
Academy with religious character | State-funded via academy trust | Academy trust | Set by the trust (can prioritise faith) | Not required (but most follow it)
Independent faith school | Privately funded (fees) | School or religious trust | Set by the school | Not required
Free school with religious character | State-funded | Academy trust | Set by the trust; new faith free schools limited to 50% faith-based admissions | Not required (but most follow it)

The most common type in England is the voluntary-aided school, particularly Catholic and Church of England schools, where the governing body — which includes church representatives — sets the admissions policy.

What do faith schools actually teach?

All state-funded faith schools must deliver the National Curriculum in the same way as any other maintained school. Pupils study English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, and all other compulsory subjects to the same statutory requirements.

Where faith schools differ is in their Religious Education (RE) and their broader ethos:

RE: Faith schools teach RE in accordance with their religious character, rather than following the local authority's agreed syllabus. A Catholic school will teach Catholic doctrine and practice; a Church of England school will teach from an Anglican perspective, though with respect for other world religions

Collective worship: All maintained schools must hold daily collective worship; in faith schools this is typically "broadly in keeping with" the school's religious character

Ethos and values: Assemblies, pastoral care, and school culture often reflect the faith tradition — for example, charitable service, prayer, or religious celebration of key festivals

Beyond RE and ethos, the academic offer is identical to that of any other state school.

How do faith school admissions work?

This is where faith schools differ most significantly from non-faith state schools. Voluntary-aided faith schools are permitted to give priority to applicants of their own faith when the school is oversubscribed. The exact weighting is set out in the school's published admissions policy.

A typical Catholic secondary school oversubscription criteria might run:

Looked-after children and previously looked-after children

Baptised Catholic children who attend a Catholic primary school in the parish

Baptised Catholic children from outside the parish

Non-Catholic children of other Christian denominations

Children of other faiths

All other applicants

To demonstrate religious affiliation, families are often asked to supply a Certificate of Baptism, a letter of recommendation from a priest or minister, or evidence of regular attendance at worship. The specific requirements are stated in the admissions policy, which must be published on the school's website.

Voluntary-controlled faith schools and most faith free schools (established after 2010) cannot give more than 50% of places on faith grounds, meaning the majority of places must be open to all on standard local-authority criteria.

Can a non-religious family apply to a faith school?

Yes. Faith schools are state-funded and must accept applications from all families. If the school is undersubscribed (fewer applicants than places), every applicant must be offered a place regardless of religion. If oversubscribed, the priority order — which may favour faith applicants — determines who is offered a place first. Families without a religious affiliation are typically near the bottom of the priority order for oversubscribed faith schools.

It is worth noting that some faith schools — particularly those in areas where demand is not extremely high — do take a significant proportion of non-faith pupils in practice.

Does a child have to participate in religious activities?

Parents have a statutory right of withdrawal from RE lessons and collective worship for their child at any maintained school, including faith schools. This right is set out in the Education Act 1996. In practice, faith schools expect pupils to participate in the school's religious life as part of their ethos, and a family who wishes to avoid all religious content may find a faith school an uncomfortable fit, even if withdrawal is technically available.

Frequently asked questions

Do faith schools achieve better academic results?

Research on this question is contested. Some data suggests that faith schools — particularly Catholic and Church of England secondaries — outperform similar non-faith schools on measures such as GCSE results. However, researchers at the Education Endowment Foundation and others have noted that much of this apparent advantage disappears once socio-economic factors and prior attainment are controlled for. Faith schools also tend to admit fewer pupils eligible for free school meals than local non-faith schools, which can affect headline comparisons.

Can a faith school expel a pupil for not being religious enough?

No. A faith school cannot exclude a pupil for failing to practise the school's religion or for having no faith. Exclusion is governed by the same statutory framework that applies to all state-funded schools and must be based on behaviour, not belief. The school's ethos and expectations around participation in religious life are relevant at the admissions stage, not after a pupil has been admitted.

What is the difference between a Church of England school and a Catholic school?

Both are Christian faith schools, but they operate under different structures. Catholic schools are almost always voluntary-aided, meaning the Catholic diocese retains significant control over governance, RE content, and admissions. Church of England schools are more varied — many are voluntary-aided, but a substantial number are voluntary-controlled, which means the local authority plays a greater role and faith-based admissions criteria are not used. In general, Catholic schools tend to be more strictly faith-selective in their admissions than Church of England schools.

How do I find out if my local faith school uses faith criteria in admissions?

Every state-funded school must publish its admissions policy on its website. Search for the school's name and "admissions policy" or visit the local authority's school admissions pages, which compile information for all schools in the area. The policy will clearly state whether the school is oversubscribed, what the priority order is, and what evidence of religious affiliation is required.

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