Oldham’s newest school has received approx 600 applications but it only has 240 places.
But it won’t treat every child equally.
So which of the following will lead to your child having an advantage?
A. You live close to the school
No, that’s not going to give you an advantage. Unlike most state-funded schools that serve their local community, Oldham’s church schools do not prioritise based on your proximity to the school. They would prefer children of churchgoers that live miles away over children living on the school’s doorstep.
B. Your child is ineligible for Blue Coat, the other state-funded town centre school. (Because of your beliefs).
If you live in central Oldham, but are not a practising Anglican, you are already discriminated against when in comes to secondary school places. Your aren’t welcome at your local school, Blue Coat. You will have to travel further to a school that does not perform as well. Incidentally, Blue Coat is run by the same trust as the Brian Clarke Academy (Cranmer Education Trust).
You might have expected that a new school in the town would make sure it catered for those children that currently miss out. It doesn’t.
Despite the marketing spin that describes it as ‘inclusive’, it will also rank children based on their parents’ beliefs, not their backgrounds of deprivation. Children of non-believers are at the back of the queue.
C. You can prove you have attended Church regularly for 5 years.
Yes. Your child will be given preferential treatment if you can prove that you have attended Church for a number of years.
Bizarrely, in a town with Oldham’s make-up and inequality, and at a time when religious affiliation is in steep decline, publicly-funded school places are reserved for those engaged in this minority activity.
Of course, many parents play the system and jump through the required hoops despite having no real commitment to the faith. The school knows that. The Church knows that. Everyone knows that. But faith selection tends to keep certain people out. Lower income families, for example.
And these schools boast a superior moral ethos!
If you think it’s time to change our broken system, please support Fair Schools for Oldham. We are planning a number of activities in 2022 that are aimed at challenging this injustice. Sign up to our campaign and we’ll keep you informed of opportunities to get involved. You can also see updates by following us Twitter and Facebook.