Are Church of England schools socially divisive?
No, most church schools simply reflect the areas in which they are located. All CofE Voluntary Controlled schools (around 2,500) have 100 per cent local admissions, and fully reflect the community within which they are set. CofE Voluntary Aided schools (around 2,100) usually admit children of Church of England and other Christian families first, but the vast majority also admit local children including children from families of other faith traditions. For background on admissions procedures, please see response to the next question. All schools are obliged to contribute to community cohesion, and an assessment of each school’s activity in this area is included in their OFTED report. Joint projects and activities such as exchange programmes, playing sports or more formal twinning arrangements are used to link schools of different characters and help foster greater respect and understanding. In September 2007, the Church of England joined all the other main faith school providers in Engl
