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Hello,

2020 may have just begun, but the No More Faith Schools campaign has had a very active month challenging new faith schools in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Here's an update on our progress...

1. Hampton Water Catholic School approved

Despite campaigning <[link removed]> from No More Faith Schools and local residents, Peterborough City Council's cabinet member for education approved plans for a new discriminatory Catholic school in Hampton Water on Monday.

This is disappointing news. However, not all councillors are behind this decision - a number agree with us that Hampton Water's new school should be fully inclusive for all. They've lodged an appeal for the decision to go to a full council vote.

Meanwhile, we're exploring possible legal challenges against the decision. We'll keep you posted on any updates. You can follow our campaign against the new Hampton Water faith school here <[link removed]>.

2. Inverclyde Council: Non-denominational school shouldn't be converted

We're pleased to report that following a pre-consultation phase, to which ourselves and Inverclyde residents responded, the education and communities committee at Inverclyde Council has not recommended the conversion of primary schools in either Inverkip and Wemyss Bay into denominational schools.

However, the report does recommended that only pupils with a certificate of baptism into the Catholic faith should be automatically allowed to transfer into Catholic secondaries from the local non-denominational primary schools. This will be decided following a statutory consultation which will open in February. Read more here... <[link removed]>

We'll be responding to the consultation welcoming the decision not to convert inclusive schools into faith schools, but also urging the council not to add faith-based discrimination to the admissions process. Follow our Inverclyde campaign here. <[link removed]>

3. We've told NI's Education Authority: Don't fund Plymouth Brethren schools!

A school network run by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has asked for two of its private schools to become one state-funded school across two sites in Knockloughrim and Newry (over 50 miles apart) in Northern Ireland.

At the end of 2019, we wrote to Northern Ireland's Department of Education urging them to reject this request. The Plymouth Brethren are a fundamentalist, insular religious community with a history of serious safeguarding failures. Taxpayers' money should not go to their schools. Read more here...

As the year unfolds, we expect our campaigning activities will continue to increase as more plans to open new faith schools emerge. Thank you being with us to help us campaign for inclusive schools for all.

Best wishes,

No More Faith Schools

** News & opinion highlights

* Council urged not to approve new discriminatory Catholic school <[link removed]>

Peterborough City Council has been urged not to approve plans to open a new religiously selective Catholic state school in the city.

* Council shouldn’t convert non-denominational school, says report <[link removed]>

A council in western Scotland should abandon a plan to convert a non-faith school into a Catholic school, education officials have said.

* Evangelical network requests state funding for school in NI <[link removed]>

The NMFS campaign has objected to plans to make two schools in Northern Ireland which are run by an evangelical network state funded.

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