Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of new fee paying and charity run religious schools on community cohesion and social mixing among young people from different religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Faith schools have played a longstanding role in, and remain an important element of, our education system. However, we are not expecting an increase in the number of new faith schools. In the current context of falling rolls, we expect there to be less demand for new school places and fewer new schools overall.

Departmental guidance on establishing new state funded schools sets out expectations on considering the impact of new schools on community cohesion. Where proposals for new independent schools are submitted, approvals are needed from the department and Ofsted

All schools have a vital role in promoting cohesion and are required to actively promote fundamental British values, which include mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, essential for building a strong, cohesive society.