Secondary schools with a religious foundation contribute significantly and substantially more to the promotion of community cohesion and the provision of equality of opportunity for students than other schools, according to the results of an academic study of recent Ofsted inspection data.

Analysis of the sample of independent inspection reports suggests that secondary-level ‘faith schools’ (of all faiths and denominations, taken as a group) received average grades more than 11 per cent higher than ‘community schools’ for their promotion of community cohesion, and outperformed such schools by almost nine per cent for their effectiveness in tackling inequality.

The research, by a recognised expert on the evaluation of school performance, is published today alongside a set of case studies of Church of England schools which have pioneered programmes that reach out well beyond the school gates to help foster good relations across their local community. [more . . . ]