Between late November 2015 and early January 2016 the Government held a consultation on proposals to subject any English ‘out of school educational setting’ providing educational services accessed by any child for 6 hours or more a week to Ofsted inspections. This caused huge concern because the church setting provides a context in which multiple education services are provided including Sunday school, choir practice, drama clubs etc. which mean that some churches would be caught. Almost as soon as the consultation closed, concerned MPs called a Westminster Hall debate. There were over 20 speakers and it was very striking that everyone, apart from the Minister, opposed the proposals. Although the consultation closed over a year ago and the Government has still not published any kind of response.

On Wednesday this week, however, the Education Minister in the House of Lords, Lord Nash said: “We have just had a call for evidence on unregulated out-of-school settings and have had 18,000 responses. We are determined to regulate in this area but we need to tread carefully because many of these organisations are small, open for only a few hours a week and are staffed by volunteers.”

The admission that the Government received such a large number of responses to a consultation that lasted barely a month is very telling, as is the fact that they are still wrestling with the issue. If the Government is to proceed, CARE believes that it is very important the proposals are changed fundamentally so that they won’t have the effect of requiring churches, or para church bodies, to register with the state and be subject to inspection.