The Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) Order 2025

Made: 29th August 2025

Coming into force: 30th August 2025

The Secretary of State makes this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 69(3) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998[^f00001], as applied in relation to independent schools by section 124B[^f00002] of that Act.

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

Citation, commencement and extent

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) Order 2025 and comes into force on 30th August 2025.

• (2) This Order extends to England and Wales.

Designation of schools

2

• (1) The following independent schools are designated as schools having a religious character—

• (a) Ealing Fields High School, Ealing, W5 4EJ;

• (b) The Pathfinder Church of England Primary School, Cambridgeshire, CB24 1AA.

• (2) The religious denomination in accordance with whose tenets education is provided, or the school is conducted is, at the schools designated in paragraph (1), Church of England.

Revocations

3

The following provisions are revoked—

• (a) in the Schedule to the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) Order 2003[^f00004], the entries relating to—

• (i) St Joseph’s Preparatory School, ST4 5RF;

• (ii) Barrow Hills School, GU8 5NY;

• (b) in the Schedule to the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) (No.3) Order 2003[^f00005], the entry relating to Priory School, B15 2UR;

• (c) in the Schedule to the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) Order 2004 [^f00006], the entry relating to Alton Convent School, GU34 2NG;

• (d) in the Schedule to the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) (No.2) Order 2004[^f00007], the entries relating to—

• (i) More House School, GU10 3AP;

• (ii) Our Lady of Sion School, BN11 4BL.

Signed

Signed on behalf of the Secretary of State

Matthew Hopkinson — Deputy Director — Department for Education — 29th August 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Explanatory Note

This Order designates the independent schools listed in article 2(1) as having the religious character specified in article 2(2).

This Order revokes the instruments listed in article 3 to the extent set out in that article. The revocations relate to schools that have either closed or that could not continue to be designated as a school having a religious character.

Under section 124A of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, independent schools which are designated are permitted to take account of certain religious or denominational considerations when making specified employment decisions relating 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).

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1998 c. 31. Section 69(3) has been amended by paragraph 35(5) of Schedule 2 to the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 4).

[^f00002]: Section 124B was inserted by S.I. 2003/2037 and has been amended by S.I. 2012/976 and paragraph 37(3) of Schedule 2 to the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 4).

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

[^f00004]: S.I. 2003/3108 to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.

[^f00005]: S.I. 2003/3328 to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.

[^f00006]: S.I. 2004/72 to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.

[^f00007]: S.I. 2004/354 to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.