A top Roman Catholic school favoured for the children of Tony Blair and Nick
Clegg is set for a clash with the admissions watchdog over plans to root out
unbelievers.
The London Oratory School in west London is proposing to introduce an
admissions policy that favours children and parents who are more involved in
parish life.
The move will be sure to mark out committed Catholics over so-called “pew
jumpers” who conveniently discover religion to get children into popular
faith schools.
It beefs up the school’s previous admissions rules that focused on the extent to which pupils meet the Church’s requirements regarding Baptism, Holy Communion and attending Mass.
But the change – being introduced next year – could bring the school into trouble with the official admissions watchdog which has already criticised other faith schools for breaching strict entry guidelines.
Last year, Ian Craig, the outgoing Chief Schools Adjudicator, warned schools against using complex points-based systems that benefit middle-class families heavily involved in church activities.
He suggested the move disadvantaged children with poorer parents who have less time to volunteer in the local parish.
In recent years, a number of faith schools have been ordered to re-draw their admissions policies for perceived breaches of the code.
Eight Roman Catholic schools in Newham, east London, were ordered to change admissions rules after asking parents and children to meet a local priest for a reference – a move which could favour more articulate middle-class families.
A Sikh school was criticised for allocating points to parents who took part in community activities, which could penalise those who are unable to do so for work or family reasons.
The London Oratory is already among the most sought-after faith schools in England and regularly sends talented pupils to Oxford and Cambridge.
Tony Blair was famously criticised after bypassing dozens of nearby schools to send his sons across London to the Oratory.
And last year it emerged that Nick Clegg – an atheist whose wife is Catholic – was considering sending his son to the school next year, even though other state schools are closer to his home.
The school’s proposed admissions rules for 2012 prioritise children who regularly attend Mass on Sundays, those fulfilling the Church’s requirements regarding Baptism and whether candidates have received their Holy Communion.
Points are then awarded to recognise “service in any Catholic parish or in the wider Catholic Church by both the candidate and a Catholic parent”.
The Diocese of Westminster – which covers the Oratory – has already clashed with another faith school over its use of a points-based admissions system.
It shopped Cardinal Vaughan School to the admissions regulator in a bitter battle with the school, claiming that its entry policy was too elitist.
But the Oratory could escape censure because the Government is currently planning an overhaul of the school admissions code in a move designed to slim down the document and give more power to individual head teachers.
Dr Craig, who refused to comment on the issue yesterday, is due to stand down later this year.
The Oratory was also unavailable for comment.