Catholic schools in England have emerged as the most ethnically diverse in the country, according to new figures released by the Catholic Education Service (CES).
The CES’s annual report reveals that nearly a quarter (24.6%) of all staff employed across England’s 2,074 Catholic schools come from ethnic minority backgrounds - well above the national average of 16.2% for state-funded schools.
Pupil demographics paint a similarly diverse picture. Of the 817,784 students attending Catholic state-funded schools, nearly half (47.2%) come from ethnic minority backgrounds, far outpacing the 38.7% average across all state schools.
Catholic institutions also serve a significant multi-faith and multicultural student population, with 349,309 being non-Catholic students - among these 45.6% belong to other Christian denominations, 28.5% report no religion, and 11.1% identify as Muslim.
Altogether, a majority (86.2%) of students in Catholic schools come from a faith background, with Christians making up 75.8%.
The Director of the CES, Paul Barber, said: “Catholic schools are clearly popular with pupils, parents and staff from a wide range of backgrounds, and which we believe to be the most ethnically diverse in the country.
“This is partly due to a respect shown for faith, including for other faiths, which is therefore supportive of community cohesion across the country."
The Catholic Church is the largest supplier of secondary education and the second largest supplier of primary education in England.
At present Catholic schools dedicate 10% of curriculum time to Religious Education, more than the average state school, the CES said.
This includes comprehensive study of non-Christian religions such as Sikhism, Judaism and Islam.
The CES believes this contributes to their wide appeal among families from different backgrounds.
Beyond diversity, Catholic schools were also found to play an important role in supporting disadvantaged communities.
Government data from the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) shows that these schools teach 51.5% more children from the most disadvantaged areas compared to the national average.
In practical terms, this support often takes the form of direct assistance, such as uniform grants and breakfast clubs - initiatives adopted by 94% of Catholic schools.
Barber added: “The CES also shares the government’s mission to close the disadvantage gap within education, particularly with many parents of our pupils ineligible for Free School Meals due to immigration status or low-paid casual temporary employment.”
