The Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) Order 2017

Made: 31st August 2017

Coming into force in accordance with article 1

In making this Order the Secretary of State has followed the procedure specified in the Religious Character of Schools (Designation Procedure) (Independent Schools) (England) Regulations 2003[^f00003].

Citation and Commencement

1

This Order may be cited as the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) Order 2017 and comes into force on the day after the day on which it is made.

Interpretation

2

In this Order“the relevant religion or religious denomination” means the religion or religious denomination in accordance with whose tenets education is provided at the school or the school is conducted.

Designation of schools

3

• (1) The schools listed in column (1) of Schedule 1 are designated as schools having a religious character.

• (2) The relevant religion or religious denomination in relation to a school listed in column (1) of Schedule 1 is specified in relation to that school in column (2).

Revocations

4

The instruments listed in column (1) of Schedule 2 (which have the references listed in column (2)) are revoked to the extent indicated in column (3).

SCHEDULE 1 — Schools having a religious character

SCHEDULE 2 — Revocations

Signed

Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State for Education

Peter Swift — Deputy Director — Department for Education — 31st August 2017

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order designates the independent schools listed in Schedule 1 as having a religious character and revokes the instruments listed in Schedule 2 to the extent set out in that Schedule. All the revocations relate to schools which have closed save one that relates to a school which will no longer be designated with a religious character.

Under section 124A of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, independent schools which are so designated are permitted to take account of certain religious or denominational considerations in making specified employment decisions which relate to teaching staff (such as decisions on appointment or promotion).

Designation by this Order is not of itself a means of acquiring a religious character or of changing religious character. Designation is the recognition of certain existing attributes of the school or its governing body as described in the Religious Character of Schools (Designation Procedure) (Independent Schools) (England) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2314, as amended by S.I. 2004/2262).

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1998 c. 31.

[^f00002]: Section 124B was inserted by the Independent Schools (Employment of Teachers in Schools with a Religious Character) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2037) and has been amended by the Alternative Provision Academies (Consequential Amendments to Acts) (England) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/976).

[^f00003]: S.I. 2003/2314, as amended by S.I. 2004/2262.