Have church schools ever been challenged on grounds of discrimination by ethnicity?

[BranchingOut]

I was wondering if any person or organisation has ever challenged an individual church school or the overall existence of church schools on the grounds of discrimination by ethnicity?

Taking a quick look at the church of england diversity figures, these two paragraphs jump out:

This survey reveals the vitality of a younger profile that people from minority
ethnic backgrounds bring to local church congregations. It confirms the similar
finding in the 2005 clergy audit. In particular, among younger adult congregation members under 35 years of age, the ethnic minority proportion matches the proportion in the whole population, around 15%.

1.2.4 The largest proportion of minority ethnic Anglicans (two-thirds) are clustered in the main three dioceses around the London conurbation and, consequently, bring a younger profile to the churches in the London area. Over the whole country, urban Church of England parishes recorded an average of 9% minority ethnic Anglicans in their core adult congregations while suburban and rural parishes recorded 4% and 3.6% respectively.

www.churchofengland.org/media/1032500/celebratingdiversitygsmisc938.pdf

So, the population attending church in the Church of England would seem to be broadly white. While we all know that church schools are obliged to admit children of any faith, this is often so far down the admissions criteria that it is almost wholly ineffective. Are church schools effectively discriminating on the basis of ethnicity because the black and minority ethnic pupils are much less likely to attend a relevant church?

If church schools make up a significant proportion of the country's school places, which are currently under huge pressure in many parts of the country, then surely this is an issue? It would seem to hugely limit school choice for many sections of the population. In an oversubscribed area, someone who is a white CofE churchgoer can choose either a community or a church school (two school choices), whereas someone who is Hindu only has the community school (one school) to choose from. Setting religion aside, there may be many reasons why that church school might the best school for that Hindu pupil - SEN provision, grounds, location, curriculum, parental preference - yet they are very unlikely to get in. Why is faith seen as the overwhelming factor?

This is a question I am interested in, rather than trying to persuade anyone to any particular point of view. Does anyone have any insight?

At our local RC school, there are 5 categories for admission and non Baptised doesn't kick in until one of the sub cats in 4, but does it look non-diverse to you?

BranchingOut, your admission criteria is a good example of how it can be interpreted in different ways by different people and because of that could run foul of the schools adjudicator.
So for example the only difference between admission criteria 3 and admission criteria 4 is the word extensively. What does that mean?
Also it says " involved in the work and worship of". My interpretation of that wording is that the parent works and worships at the churches mentioned, in other words only applies to a very few people. Actually what the church and school meant it to mean in their way of presenting it is those parents who are good attenders at church but to different people it can mean different things.
What you have quoted is an old admission criteria for the school. The 2017 admission criteria for number 3 now says
"Baptised children whose parent/parents are confirmed and who have attended Sunday worship at St Paul’s Church Winchmore Hill, Holy Trinity Church Winchmore Hill, St John the Evangelist Palmers Green or St Peter’s Church Grange Park at least twice per month for at least the past two years at the time of application. "
That is now much more specific and understandable by the average person but still leaves everybody with the same problem that it is going to be very difficult to get into the school, unless you attend church as required.

In my area the CofE primaries take all comers based on distance and siblings. It's the RC schools that have a faith criteria. I think the RC schools are much worse (and I was raised a Roman Catholic, my aunts who were nuns would not approve of turning children away because of their parents behaviour.). Creating more faith schools to accommodate our now multifairh society is a mistake imho. The existing faith schools should be grandfathered in for reasons of practically, but not allowed to discriminate on grounds of faith. It should be their privilege to teach all our children.

As far as I know church attendance is almost at the bottom of the list for attendance at C of E schools. It's usually looked after children, siblings in catchment, catchment, siblings out of catchment, then out of catchment with religious obse Action, then out of catchment.
Ethnicity is definitely NOT a criteria for admission. If your local schools have that as a criteria for admission I would be very surprised.
C if E schools are very popular with parents both religious and non religious in my experience. I have aethiests friends whose children go to C of E school as they like the caring ethos.

This is a zombie thread that was revived by a poster (KM87) complaining about a particular school in Hertfordshire.

KM87 - your comments about 'obese teachers' are risible as well as extremely nasty. You sound like you need a lesson or three in how not to be prejudiced and spiteful.

I have reported KM87's post which as well as being vicious about 'obese women' is also racist, banging on about 'white dominance' conspiracies.

Pardon my ignorance, but can anyone name a single RL over-subscribed CofE school that does not have ring-fenced non-CofE/community places? Oh go on, give us three names while you're at it.
Actually yes I can, but they are all village schools where the intake is primarily local, rather than faith based, even though they are CofE schools. Coincidentally all Outstanding, and miles from London.

Bugger, sorry, missed it was a Zombie...spotted another 3 this morning though!

Our school admitted one child by faith last year... my son. The rest is community and siblings is before faith in the school.

I think London skews the perception.
The CofE school in the nearest village draws its pupils from the local community few if any attend any church except perhaps for weddings or funerals.
My neighbour teaches in a CofE school in a nearby town and draws its pupils mainly from the local community.

Surely the churches outside London reflect the population?
Our area has a healthy ethnic minority population but mainly Muslim. However among younger Black families who are not Muslim there is probably more church attendance than White British, though mainly not CofE.

To be fair in our area if you aren't a catholic or have a sibling in the local Catholic primary school there is no way you'll get in.