Wales: Catholic school pupils more diverse than national average

Cardinal Newman Catholic School and Sixth Form Centre in Rhydyfelin, Credit: CES

Source: Catholic Education Service

Pupils in Welsh Catholic schools are significantly more diverse than the national average, according to the latest data. More than 30% of pupils in Wales's 82 Catholic state-funded primaries and secondaries are from an ethnic minority background, compared to 12.5% in all other Welsh schools.

Catholic schools in Wales also have more than four times as many black pupils, with 4.5% of the 28,176 pupils being black, compared to 1.1% elsewhere. There is also more than twice the proportion of pupils from an Asian or Asian British background (6%), compared to 2.6% in other Welsh schools.

Just over half (50.3%) of pupils in the sector are Catholic, as are 43.6% of the 1,644 teachers employed. A total of 73.4% of pupils in Welsh Catholic schools are Christians, and 80% are from a faith background. Of the 13,992 non-Catholic pupils, 46% of these are from other Christian denominations, 5.7% are Muslims and 36.8% have no religion.

The figures come from the annual census of Catholic schools conducted by the Catholic Education Service (CES), released last week. The CES acts on behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and has supported Catholic education since 1847.

Angela Keller, CES Wales Adviser, said, "Catholic schools are leading the way on diversity in Wales, with parents and pupils of other faiths and none valuing this as well as our distinctive ethos". She added that, "the Welsh government has made closing the disadvantage gap within education a priority - this too has always been our mission."

Paul Barber, CES Director, said: "Catholic schools have led the way on diversity since the nineteenth century, when many were established to meet the needs of immigrants from Ireland."

Catholic schools make up 6% of the national total of maintained schools across Wales.

Link: www.catholiceducation.org.uk/