Prior Park College in Bath is set to become a Christian school, ending a relationship with the Catholic Church that has been in place since the college’s formation in 1830.
Photo © Prior Park College
The change has been introduced as part of efforts to expand the opportunities offered to students.
The school says the decision has been under consideration for three years, and long predates the introduction of VAT on fees.
However, the pressure that a tax on education could bring on schools like Prior Park saw it complete the process.
Ben Horan, Headmaster of Prior Park College since 2019, said: “We have seen an increasing number of families who appreciate the faith values underpinning our school’s educational offering.
“However, many have expressed frustration over the restrictive nature of being a Catholic school and the limited educational choices and outcomes that come with that.
“This prompted a lengthy re-evaluation over the course of three years of how well our College reflects the students we have today.
“As a result, we have reimagined what the future needs to look like for our College to remain relevant and attractive to those families choosing a private school education.”
Mr Horan continued: “Families today, and young people in general, take a view of faith which is open-minded, inclusive, and accepting of a wide range of differences.
“This is reflected in the fact that fewer than one in five (18%) of our current students are of the Catholic faith.”
The student population of Prior Park College has become increasingly diverse in recent years, with people from different backgrounds and sexual orientations now represented across both the student and teaching body.
However, the school’s engagement with, and public support for, social movements and celebrations such as Pride have been criticised by some for being contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Mr Horan added: “The relationship with the Catholic Diocese remains important to us, but as society has changed, so have the pressures put upon schools to better reflect the needs and ambitions of those they serve.
“It was a decision that had become an obvious one to make. It enables us to create an environment where our students have the very best opportunities to thrive.
“By removing the constraints that come from being a Catholic school, such as no longer having to compel all our students to study Religious Education to GCSE Level, we can ensure that Prior Park College remains competitive at a time when the private school sector faces unprecedented challenges.”
Prior Park College is a boarding and day school with around 600 students.
It was originally founded as a Catholic school in 1830, shortly after Catholic emancipation. The number of Catholic students at the school has steadily declined for several years.
Prior Park has often led the sector in embracing change. David Catlow, Chair of Trustees, explained: “Prior Park was one of the earliest Catholic schools in the UK to become co-educational, more than 40 years ago.
“We were one of the first Catholic schools to be owned and governed outside monastic or diocesan control, and we were one of the first traditional boarding schools to confidently move into the day sector.
“This move towards a new way of embracing faith is very much in line with our position as a market leader, ensuring our competitiveness over the coming years.”
Ben Horan concluded: “Several other Catholic private schools have already contacted us to talk about how we have gone about making this change and to ask for our guidance and support.
“Our sector is crying out for help and a change from the current model, which makes very few allowances for the pressures faced by private schools and the need for them to be competitive and thrive.”
