Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will amend the School Admissions Code to ensure that faith schools give priority to (a) looked after and (b) previously looked after children when considering applications.

Schools designated by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, as having a religious character (more commonly known as faith schools) may use faith-based oversubscription criteria and allocate places by reference to faith where the school is oversubscribed. As with all other publicly funded mainstream schools, faith schools must offer every child who applies, whether of the faith, another faith or no faith, a place at the school if there are places available.

The School Admissions Code already requires admission authorities of all mainstream schools to give priority in their oversubscription criteria to looked after children and previously looked after children.

Where a faith school adopts faith-based oversubscription criteria, they must, as a minimum, give priority to all looked after children and previously looked after children of the faith, before giving priority to other children of the faith.

Where any element of priority is given in relation to children not of the faith, they must first give priority to looked after children and previously looked after children not of the faith above other children not of the faith.