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All maintained schools should provide for collective worship and religious education for their pupils. The precise nature of the collective worship and religious education at a foundation or voluntary school will depend on the religious character of the school. Whether a foundation or voluntary school has a religious character and the particular religion or religious denomination concerned is set out in The Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (England) Order 1999 (SI 1999 No. 2432). There are no foundation special schools which have a religious character.

All maintained schools must provide daily collective worship for all registered pupils (apart from those who have been withdrawn from this by their parents). This is usually provided within daily assembly.

The head teacher is responsible for arranging the daily collective worship after consulting with the governing body. Daily collective worship must be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character. The precise nature will depend on the family background, ages and abilities of the pupils.

Most schools should be able to include all pupils in their act of collective worship. There may be exceptional cases, however, where, in view of the family background of some or all pupils, the head teacher and governing body feel that a broadly Christian act of worship is not suitable. In these circumstances, the head teacher can apply to the local Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) to have the Christian content requirement lifted. Before doing so, the governing body should consult the parents of pupils at the school.

Foundation Schools with a Religious Character and Voluntary Schools

Collective worship in foundation schools with a religious character and voluntary schools will be in accordance with the school’s trust deed. Where provision is not made by a trust deed, the worship should be in accordance with the beliefs of the religion or denomination specified for the school.

Last Modified Tuesday 21 March 2000