Council faces legal action over plans to set up Catholic schools without inviting rival bids

 

A council is facing a test case legal action over plans to set up two Roman Catholic schools in its borough without considering alternative providers.

Opponents of the plan to establish Roman Catholic secondary and primary schools in Richmond-upon-Thames argue that - under new legislation - they should have invited rival bids for the schools.

Under new laws which came into force in February, councils  have to invite proposals for establishing an academy if they want to set up a new school.

As a result, the British Humanist Association  has joined forces with a local pressure group, the Richmond Inclusive Schools Campaign, to call for a judicial review of the way the council has handled the case.

Andrew Copson, chief executive of the BHA, said:  “We have seen repeatedly how religious providers largely avoid competition when establishing state-funded schools and instead make arrangements with local authorities to open schools without local people being offered any alternative.

“If the practice is not challenged, we face a future of discriminatory state-funded religious schools being opened without the same rules applying to them as to inclusive schools.

“In an ideal education system, there would be no state-funded religious discrimination at all, but for as long as it is unfortunately permitted, at least new schools should be opened as a result of fair competition on a level playing field.

“it is unacceptable that they system is so biased in favour of religious bids and that local authorities are collaborating so much with religious organisations to open schools in this undemocratic way.”

Jeremy Rodell, the co-ordinator of RISC, added: “Our primary focus is to ensure that any new schools opening in the borough cannot discriminate against children simply because of the religion or beliefs of their parents.”

The council argues that the proposals stem from a decision by Education Secretary Michael Gove to give the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster the go ahead to issue proposals for the two schools in December.  The diocese argues there is a demand for more Roman Catholic places.

Formal consultation on the proposals does not end until tomorrow (Friday) with the council ruling on the responses at its May meeting.  Seperately, the council has been consulting on releasing land in Twickenham for the two schools.

It says that it is therefore “premature” to rush to a legal judgement because the final decision has not been made.

However, the BHA argues that - at the meeting when it decided to consult over the plans - it should have formally invited other bids for the schools.

The Government’s first free schools have been massively oversubscribed with  - on average - twice as many applications as there are places, according to figures released yesterday.

More than 1,000 parents applied to the West London free school set up by journalist and broadcaster Toby Young, the figures from the Department for Education disclose.

Schools Minister Lord Hill said the figures “provide the answer to the naysayers who said that free schools weren’t wanted or needed - or that no-one would be bothered to set them up”.

On Tuesday, Christine blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers accused Mr Gove of wasting taxpayers’ money by spending £337 million on academies ad free schools.

Free schools are independently run by parents’, teachers’ and faith groups with government state aid.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Top stories
News in pictures
World news in pictures
UK news in pictures
UK news in pictures
More stories
       
Independent
Travel Shop
Imperial Cities of Morocco
Seven nights half-board from only £799pp Find out more
Historic Sicily
Seven nights half-board from £799pp Find out more
4* all-inclusive Crete
Seven nights from only £399pp Find out more

Day In a Page

Andrew Mitchell: 'It's no good feeling hard done by'

Andrew Mitchell: 'It's no good feeling hard done by'

In his first interview since 'plebgate', the former Chief Whip opens up just enough to concede that, in politics, you have to take the rough with the smooth
Corruption and the FCO: Blue skies, white sands, dark clouds

Corruption and the FCO: Blue skies, white sands, dark clouds

Special report: Met police call for criminal inquiry into former diplomat's Cayman Islands rule
Fallen angel: Winona Ryder on bouncing back from her decade in the wilderness

Fallen angel: Winona Ryder bounces back

She owned the 1990s... but then she disappeared. Now, Ms Ryder is back with quite the bang in her latest role, as the wife of a notorious real-life Mob hitman.
Roman Polanski shakes Cannes Film Festival

Roman Polanski shakes Cannes Film Festival

The director's new film, 'Venus in Fur', is one of the raciest on offer
Rev Richard Coles: 'I don’t have any concerns that God is cross with me for being gay and eventually the Church won’t either'

Rev Richard Coles on the Church and homosexuality

The mellifluous, erudite and witty Coles is the nation's most pop-culture-friendly priest
'Baghdad likes to live from crisis to crisis': Civil war looms in Iraq

Patrick Cockburn: Civil war looms in Iraq

The governor of Kirkuk - one of the country's most violent but successful provinces - fears the worst
Written on the body: Tattooists at pains to point out their artistic credentials

Written on the body

Tattooists at pains to point out their artistic credentials
Conquering Everest: 60 facts about the world's tallest mountain

Conquering Everest: 60 facts about the world's tallest mountain

The IoS marks the sixtieth anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first reaching the peak of the highest mountain on Earth
A new, and irreversible, Dust Bowl looms

Rupert Cornwell: A new, and irreversible, Dust Bowl looms

The destructive power of tornadoes will be as nothing once the Great Plains' vast underground water reserve dries up
Every creature's needless death diminshes us all

Philip Hoare: Every creature's needless death diminishes us all

A 60 per cent decline in our national species should alarm us, yet few of us act. But to mind more about animals would reflect well on society
Killing with kindness: Burma's religious battleground - and the monks at the heart of it

Killing with kindness: Burma's religious battleground

Six years ago, the world cheered the monks behind Burma’s Saffron Revolution. Now, a horrific new eruption of religious slaughter is being blamed on a 'Buddhist Bin Laden'.
Let's take it outside: Bill Granger's Bank Holiday feast

Let's take it outside: Bill Granger's Bank Holiday feast

You can’t always depend on the weather – but you can avoid the pitfalls of the British barbecue by preparing an elaborate outdoor feast indoors ahead of time...
The Calvin report: Stirring Champions League final shows how far English game must advance

The Calvin report

Stirring Champions League final shows how far English game must advance
10 big questions for the British & Irish Lions to answer

10 big questions for the British & Irish Lions to answer

Warren Gatland's squad fly Down Under aiming to do justice to the expectations – and hoping the Wallabies stay in the pub
The Last Word: Golf must end the hypocrisy before its halo slips totally

The Last Word

Golf must end the hypocrisy before its halo slips totally