Admissions

‘Serious concerns’ as children in care refused places at Catholic schools

Analysis suggests schools in at least seven dioceses give priority to children of their faith before non-religious pupils in care

Analysis suggests schools in at least seven dioceses give priority to children of their faith before non-religious pupils in care

19 Sep 2025, 7:00

More from this author

Exclusive

A council has raised “serious concerns” over Catholic schools lowering the importance of looked-after children in admissions after a youngster in care was refused a place at the school deemed “most appropriate” by their social worker.

A Schools Week investigation has also found council leaders in another area having to threaten Catholic schools with admission directions to get places for children in care.

Admissions rules state all oversubscribed schools must give looked-after children the highest priority. But those with a faith designation can prioritise religion instead.

Schools Week analysis suggests schools in at least seven dioceses now give priority to children of their faith before non-religious pupils in care.

In many of these, youngsters in care have been relegated to the fourth priority band, which normally spans a list of six to eight.

‘Serious concerns’

In a report lodged with the schools adjudicator last year, obtained by Schools Week, Bristol council revealed “for the first time a child in care did not secure [their] first-choice school”.

It blamed this on “the faith-related admissions criteria” that placed youngsters in care “at a lower priority than those not in care but of a specific faith”.

An admission appeal “was unsuccessful”, leaving the child “unable to attend the most appropriate school for them”.

The council said it had raised the case with the Catholic Diocese of Clifton as a “situation of vulnerability and concern”.

Christine Townsend, chair of the authority’s children and young people policy committee, added this involved “expressing our serious concerns”.

However, the diocese said it had not been approached by the council. Its schools “welcome and support children from all backgrounds, including those who are looked after or have previously been looked after”, a spokesperson said.

‘Creates further uncertainty’

Salford Council told the admissions watchdog that faith schools were the “main difficulty” for children in care admissions. Catholic schools often prioritised children of faith, which left looked-after children not of faith “unable to access these schools”.

Virtual heads – who champion the needs of children in care – were forced to “pursue conversations” with leaders, including “potentially direction in order to get those pupils admitted”, said the council’s annual admissions report published last year.

The situation “creates further uncertainty for these vulnerable young people when all their peers have confirmed school places”.

Research published by the charity Humanists UK five years ago found 41 per cent of all state secondaries of a religious character “discriminate against children who are or were in care not of their faith”. Ninety-two per cent were Catholic.

Schools Week’s checks of diocese admission arrangements showed that while seven prioritised just Catholic children in care, five did give equal priority. Admission documents for the other dioceses could not be located.

‘Localised but persistent problem’

The Office of the Schools Adjudicator, the admissions watchdog, said a “small number of local authorities” had raised the issue, describing it as a “localised problem, but a persistent one”.

Andrew Copson
Andrew Copson

Andrew Copson, of Humanists UK, said: “Religious state schools are funded by the taxpayer and they should be subject to the same admissions as every other school.”

Haringey council in London called for the admissions code to be revised so looked-after children had better access to high-performing faith schools.

But speaking in the House of Lords, Jacqui Smith, the skills minister, said the government had no plans to change the  rules.

Faith schools’ ability “to prioritise children of faith when they are oversubscribed” was “important”, she said.

A spokesperson for the Catholic Education Service said “all schools can prioritise pupils according to criteria agreed in law when oversubscribed”. However, falling rolls meant this was “rarely necessary”.

Latest education roles from

Chief Education Officer (Deputy CEO)

Chief Education Officer (Deputy CEO)

Romero Catholic Academy Trust

Director of Academy Finance and Operations

Director of Academy Finance and Operations

Ormiston Academies Trust

Principal & Chief Executive

Principal & Chief Executive

Truro & Penwith College

Group Director of Marketing, Communications & External Engagement

Group Director of Marketing, Communications & External Engagement

London & South East Education Group

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

AI Safety: From DfE Guidance to Classroom Confidence

Darren Coxon, edtech consultant and AI education specialist, working with The National College, explores the DfE’s expectations for AI...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

How accurate spend information is helping schools identify savings

One the biggest issues schools face when it comes to saving money on everyday purchases is a lack of...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Building Character, Increasing Engagement and Growing Leaders: A Whole School Approach

Research increasingly shows that character education is just as important as academic achievement in shaping pupils’ long-term success. Studies...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Educators launch national AI framework to guide schools and colleges

More than 250 schools and colleges across the UK have already enrolled in AiEd Certified, a new certification framework...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Admissions

Admissions watchdog rescinds fair banding approval

The controversial decision had allowed a school to introduce the practice

Jack Dyson
Admissions

Admission appeal fund axe falls hard on grammar schools

DfE announced earlier this year it would no longer give academies the cash to fight appeals

Jack Dyson
Admissions

Admissions watchdog sides with school over fair banding row

Bosses of the Carlton Bolling, in Bradford, have now introduced the controversial practice for next year’s admissions

Jack Dyson
Admissions

Shut out: How schools are turning away vulnerable pupils

As government considers measures to make schools more inclusive, Schools Week investigates how vulnerable pupils are being turned away...

Jack Dyson

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

One comment

  1. I don’t understand the issue here?
    It’s a faith school that prioritises children of faith. That is obvious and makes sense.
    If a child that doesn’t subscribe to that religion applies to the school they are the last considered in terms of admissions. So these looked after kids who are not Catholic are considered before non looked after kids who aren’t Catholic.
    I’m genuinely confused at this as a story.
    My kids attend a Catholic school as it is the best in the area. We knew we may be turned away as we aren’t Catholic but understood this. Also faith schools are 90% funded by the government whilst non religious faith schools get 100% funding. The school has to find the other 10%. So for example, last year our school needed a new roof. The government paid 90% but required the school to pay the remaining 10%.
    If you want to change the rules of admissions then I suggest you also change the rules on funding so that they also get 100%.