Explaining high attainment in faith schools: the impact of Religious Education and other examinations on pupils’ GCSE points scores

Abstract

Faith schools are popular with parents and feature towards the top of the annual tables of school performance in England based on the government’s preferred measures of school outcomes. Academic studies suggest that although the observed differentials between the faith and non‐faith sectors at the end of Key Stage 4 are partly explicable in demographic and similar terms, they do nonetheless represent a real phenomenon. There is little research into the causes of this. The simplest hypothesis is that pupils attending faith schools take more examinations, thus boosting their average points scores. The possible additional courses are, by inference, in Religious Education. This study examines the hypothesis and finds it wanting as an adequate explanation. Further areas of research are suggested.

Keywords:

• faith schools
• Religious Education
• academic performance
• examinations