The Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) Order 2025
S.I. 2025/1046 · Made 29 August 2025
This Statutory Instrument has been published in substitution of S.I. 2025/983 which had not been printed in error and has since been removed from legislation.gov.uk.
EDUCATION, ENGLAND
Made 29th August 2025
Coming into force 30th August 2025
The Secretary of State makes this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 69(3) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998f1, as applied in relation to independent schools by section 124Bf2 of that Act.
The Secretary of State has followed the procedure specified in the Religious Character of Schools (Designation Procedure) (Independent Schools) (England) Regulations 2003f3.
Annotations to the whole text
Footnotes
- f1
-
1998 c. 31. Section 69(3) has been amended by paragraph 35(5) of Schedule 2 to the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 4).
- f2
-
Section 124B was inserted by S.I. 2003/2037 and has been amended by S.I. 2012/976 and paragraph 37(3) of Schedule 2 to the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 4).
- f3
-
S.I. 2003/2314, amended by S.I. 2004/2262.
Contents
1Citation, commencement and extent
This Order may be cited as the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) Order 2025 and comes into force on 30th August 2025.
This Order extends to England and Wales.
2Designation of schools
The following independent schools are designated as schools having a religious character—
Ealing Fields High School, Ealing, W5 4EJ;
The Pathfinder Church of England Primary School, Cambridgeshire, CB24 1AA.
The religious denomination in accordance with whose tenets education is provided, or the school is conducted is, at the schools designated in paragraph (1), Church of England.
3Revocations
The following provisions are revoked—
in the Schedule to the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) Order 2003f1, the entries relating to—
St Joseph’s Preparatory School, ST4 5RF;
Barrow Hills School, GU8 5NY;
in the Schedule to the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) (No.3) Order 2003f2, the entry relating to Priory School, B15 2UR;
in the Schedule to the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) Order 2004 f3, the entry relating to Alton Convent School, GU34 2NG;
in the Schedule to the Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) (No.2) Order 2004f4, the entries relating to—
More House School, GU10 3AP;
Our Lady of Sion School, BN11 4BL.
Signature
Signed on behalf of the Secretary of State
Matthew Hopkinson
Deputy Director
29th August 2025
Department for Education
Explanatory note
(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order designates the independent schools listed in article 2(1) as having the religious character specified in article 2(2).
This Order revokes the instruments listed in article 3 to the extent set out in that article. The revocations relate to schools that have either closed or that could not continue to be designated as a school having a religious character.
Under section 124A of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, independent schools which are designated are permitted to take account of certain religious or denominational considerations when making specified employment decisions relating to teaching staff (such as decisions on appointment or promotion).
Designation by this Order is not of itself a means of acquiring a religious character or of changing religious character. Designation is the recognition of certain existing attributes of the school or its governing body as described in the Religious Character of Schools (Designation Procedure) (Independent Schools) (England) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2314).
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.