11 out of 55 ‘second wave’ Free Schools have religious character, Everyday Champions Academy rejected

The Department for Education (DfE) today announced the ‘second wave’ of Free Schools approved to open in 2012. The 55 Schools include 11 schools designated with a religious character, lower than the proportion that applied and the proportion of existing schools. In particular, Everyday Champions Church, the group that were explicit in their intent to set up a creationist Free School, has been rejected. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the low proportion of Free Schools that have a religious character, but still believes that any new ‘faith’ school represents a further