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On this page: Issues for Church schools | Challenging areas | The law | FAQs | Resources
The law does not require the whole school to worship together every day. In many schools most of the acts of worship will take place with smaller groupings than the whole school. Ensuring that these acts of worship are led by staff who are confident and have been appropriately trained for the task is a major challenge for the school's management team.
Many secondary schools in England do not comply with the law requiring an act of collective worship to be provided every day for every registered pupil. There is some disagreement over what can constitute worship with many schools following a Thought for the Day model. The question is 'Are pupils who attend Thought for the Day attending collective worship?' It does depend on the content of Thought for the Day.
Daily attendance is required for all pupils in state maintained schools unless withdrawn by their parents.
The law as regards the requirement to take part in a daily act of collective worship is found in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Part II, Chapter VI, sections 70 and 71. Sub-section 1 of section 70 of the act requires that each pupil in attendance shall on each day take part in an act of worship.
Why is daily attendance insisted upon?
Because it is the law.
See worship pages for community, foundation and voluntary schools for resources to support the daily act of worship.
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