Accord is a wide coalition of organisations, including religious groups, humanists, trade unions and human rights campaigners. We share a common view on many issues to do with state-funded schools and believe that the current legislation on faith schools in particular is counter-productive.
We campaign to make admissions and recruitment policies in all state-funded schools free from discrimination on grounds of religion or belief.
We want schools to follow an objective, fair and balanced syllabus for education about religious and non-religious beliefs.
We want accountability under a single inspection regime for Religious Education, Personal, Social & Health (PSHE) education and Citizenship.
We believe all schools should provide their pupils with inclusive, inspiring and stimulating assemblies in place of compulsory acts of worship.
The Children Rights Alliance for England has urged the Government to maintain its current cap that limits faith free schools from not religiously discriminating when selecting more than half of their pupils.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has revealed he opposes schools selecting pupils by faith and wishes Church of England schools to be 'homes and nurseries of integration' and have a 'laser-like focus on the poorest and most deprived'.
The Accord Coalition has responded with alarm to reports Catholic Church officials are instructing state funded schools they control to campaign against the Government's policy to limit faith free schools from not religious discriminating when awarding more than half of pupil places.