Why do church schools perform so well academically?

[coffeeandsleep]

I’ve been looking at primary school options for my child and weighing up state, faith and private/independent.

Looking at published academics of the schools in my area, the faith church schools are at the top.

I wondered why this is - what in particular are they doing to achieve these results?

The church schools near me don't perform well. It all depends on the usual demographics tbh.

I think where the criteria are strictly applied it can be an element of selection bias- I used to live in an area where the catholic schools were excellent but to get in you had to attend church every week for 3 years and get a reference from the priest- to actually commit to that you have to be very invested in getting into that school so that would swing the intake to families that are very invested in their child’s education. There is also likely some income/ education bias at population level.

They have a higher proportion of parents who are engaged in their child’s education and are supportive of the school.

Tbh the church primary schools local to me are mostly just the local village primary school with C of E still in the name (and in the ethos as a rule).

Not sure they all do that well in terms of academic achievement. I guess it may vary by area. The best-performing primary local to me (in my smallish city) is not a C of E school nor a catholic school. The catholic primaries here don't get the best results tbh. There is a CofE school in the city that is very popular and does well but as a PP says, that's often due to demographic (the one I have in mind is in a very expensive area of town).

I think you need to look at schools overall and visit to see what would suit your child. Also remember that how close it is to your home is key as well - walking to school and walking to school on their own when older are big pluses.

Edited to add: yes, I agree if there are religious criteria applied then the fact that parents are prepared to jump through those hoops indicates an interest in their child's education which can only be a positive.

The village CofE schools I reffed don't have religious admission criteria as a rule as they are usually the only primary in the village.

Thanks everyone.

the one that is near me you have to go to church regularly for 2 years. I was thinking this would result in v invested parents so I did wonder if that was the reason rather than something in particular the school is doing.

@clary yes close distance will be a big plus for sure :)

Look at the number of children on free school meals who attend those schools.

That is why the schools get good results.

Do you mean children from an affluent background usually attend those schools?

Disproportionately affluent compared to their communities, yes.

The stats show that only those faith schools that are able to select their intakes based on religious criteria do better overall, though there will of course be outliers in both directions.

All forms of selection favour involved, committed, organised and informed parents who are disproportionately likely to be affluent.

In my city it's the next best option to the private schools, so people jump through hoops to get in. Resulting in invested parents. Also, only speaking for my experience, loads of first generation immigration parents who value their child's education above all else.

As others have said if you have to jump through hoops to get a school place you’re already an invested parent - simple as that.

It's usually down to demographics.

https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk

You can use the above website (under absence and pupil population) to find out what percentage of pupils at the school have SEN, are on free school meals, and also which have English as an additional language. Contrary to what you might think, pupils with English as an additional language perform better at GCSE than native English speakers so will boost a school's grades. Religious schools might have a higher proportion of EAL pupils due to immigrants wanting a religious education.

You can also find out what proportion of pupils are higher prior attainers by going to results by pupil characteristics and prior attainment.

If it’s a voluntary aided state school, parents can also donate any amount each year to boost school budget.

Although my kids attend faith school and I also think the pastoral care and focus on values does a lot for overall performance.

I went to Catholic schools my entire school life. Because we were Catholic. In my experience most of us were Catholic, my primary school had strong links to the church and almost everyone went to church every Sunday. The way were were raised was with Catholic values - and Catholic guilt - which meant we worked hard and behaved well because that is what was expected of us. There was very little poor behaviour in classes, at both primary and secondary. Of course times change and I don’t know if it’s the same now, I no longer have faith and it’s a long time since I was at school!

Also having worked in a faith school, some (not all!) get additional funding / support from the church community.

My daughter now attends a religious school since we moved house and there's defo an uptick in expectations and standards. I think there'll also be more middle/upper class families as they're more likely to be churchgoers and that demographic are more likely to take an interest in their child's education/ be more pushy/behave better

Thanks @noblegiraffe I’ll take a look - I didn’t realise all that information would be available.

@Puddleclucks I think it’s the same where we live, it’s the option people go for if private isn’t feasible. I’m from an immigrant background and have noticed the same trend too.

Families that regularly attend church are by definition likely to be fairly organised, consistent households. Unlikely to suffer some of the social ills found elsewhere.

Not because they are special but because they are able to prioritise church on a Sunday morning. They get up. Know what day it is. Are sober. Socially competent, at least superficially.

The families where the parents are unreliable and inconsistent, substance abuse, criminality, are not able to be regular at church so don’t make it into the church school.

It's far more about the socio economics of the parents rather than faith. These are parents that can afford tutoring before 11+.

They are selective that's why.

My Dc went to a C of E primary that, at time of eldest, was hard to get into at a time when there was a shortage of primary school places locally and was doing very well Ijn results. 2 years church attendance twice a month so you had to start when your child was two.

It had lots of middle class parents but by no means exclusively so. What it did have was highly organised parents who could focus years out a were committed to their children’s education and mostly intolerant of poor behaviour. Some families had church and faith as a core part of their existence but plenty were broadly Protestant to some degree and willing to put the effort in. And if you’re willing to spend your Sundays from your child being a toddler praying to a God you don’t believe in for the sake of your child’s education then you’re definitely committed.

That said the parents themselves aren’t enough - things were good for a few years but there was a change in leadership and the new head was very complacent and slowly but surely the wheels starting coming off. By this time it was post pandemic and school places were much easier to find so a lot of kids were taken out, including mine. The results tanked and they can’t fill the classes now.

Church schools now have a fair amount of African kids whose parents place a great deal of important on academic achievement.

Most church schools require some effort on the parents’ behalf - baptism, regular church attendance etc. So they are probably very invested in their child’s education.

The parents are likely to encourage respect for the teachers and others resulting in less disruptive behaviour in classes.

Just remember that your child can do just as well at a school with less than favourable academic results. Outstanding or very academic schools are not always best for your child. I don't believe religion should play any part in education either.