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On this page: Issues for Church schools | Guidance | The law
Pupils may be withdrawn from collective worship in any state maintained school be it a voluntary, foundation or community school. Many governors of Church schools, where there is parental choice of schools, feel that parents should not exercise their right of withdrawal from school worship when they have chosen to send their child to a Church school. The right of withdrawal, however, is an absolute one and, even if governors have included in their school prospectus a hope that parents will not withdraw their children, attendance cannot be enforced against the wishes of the parents.
It is important to note that it is the parents' right to withdraw their child. It is not a right accorded to the pupil. This may be a significant issue in some secondary schools, where pupils may object to being compelled to attend worship.
Guidance for school worship can be found in the Department for Education Circular 1/94, paragraphs 83-88.
Parents may withdraw their children from collective worship without consulting the school previously or without giving a reason.
The school is responsible for supervision of any child withdrawn by its parent from collective worship.
If the parent of any pupil in attendance at any maintained school requests that he may be wholly or partly excused from attendance at religious worship at school, the pupil shall be so excused accordingly until the request is withdrawn.
The legal reference regarding withdrawal from collective worship can be found in the Education Act 1996 Part V, Chapter III, section 389 and, more recently, in the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 Part II, Chapter VI, section 71.
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