Christian ethos secondary schools in England and Wales: a common voice or wide diversity?

ABSTRACT

This study argues that it is the collective worldview of the students which is crucial in reflecting and shaping the ethos of schools. In order to understand the potential distinctiveness of Christian ethos schools two analyses were undertaken. The collective worldview of 2942 students attending 10 Christian ethos schools was compared with the collective worldview of 13,861 students attending 71 schools without a religious character. Then the collective worldview of 194 students attending an Anglican school that prioritised the Church’s ‘domestic’ function in education was compared with the collective worldview of 302 students attending an Anglican school that prioritised the Church’s ‘general’ function in education. The major difference occurs not between Christian ethos schools and schools without a religious character, but between Anglican schools that voice their interpretation of the Church’s mission in education differently.

KEYWORDS:

• church schools
• Christian ethos
• student values
• quantitative research

Acknowledgements

This mixed-method project on Christian Ethos Secondary Schools was sponsored by the Douglas Trust under the leadership of Professor Trevor Cooling of Canterbury Christ Church University in collaboration with the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit. The article draws on phase one of the quantitative strand of this project set alongside the data generated by the Young People’s Values Study sponsored by the St Mary’s Centre

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Leslie J Francis

Leslie J Francis is Professor of Religions and Education and Director of the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit at the University of Warwick, England, and Visiting Professor at York St John University, England.

Ann Casson

Ann Casson is Research Fellow at the National Institute for Christian Education Research (NICER) and Book Review Editor of International Studies on Catholic Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, England.

Ursula McKenna

Ursula McKenna is Research Fellow within the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit at the University of Warwick, England.