Accord has responded to the launch of a new website by the Church of England that seeks to explain what is meant by a “Christian ethos” in faith schools. The site outlines fifteen core Christian values that it says Church schools should live up to, including “service” and “justice”. While the values that the sites promotes are laudable, the initiative has been criticised a hypocritical in light of the way faith schools discriminate in admissions, staffing and the curriculum.

Commenting on the site, Chair of Accord, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain said:

“As a coalition of people from many religious and non religious backgrounds, we embrace the values that the new site tries to foster in church schools, because they are shared values. Like the authors of the site, we agree it is important to “serve those in need, whoever they are”, but it is a shame that many church schools instead turn families away because they have different beliefs. As a religious organisation, the Church of England has a right to preach, but it surely it should practise what it preaches?”

Jonathan Bartley, Co-Director of religion and society thinktank, and Accord member, Ekkleisa, has written a Comment is Free article on the controversy. In it he argues that the Church schools are less, not more, Christian if they have exclusive admissions policies.