What 'designation' means: England's 2025 school orders

New this term, the government has refreshed the official list of schools in England that are legally recognised as having a religious character. Two statutory instruments were signed at the end of August 2025 to add new entries and tidy up old ones. Here’s the clear, classroom‑friendly version of what changed, why it matters, and where to check details yourself.

First, the term you’ll see in law: “designation”. In plain English, this is the legal label that confirms a school follows the tenets of a named religion or denomination. That label helps determine the form of religious education taught at the school and how collective worship is organised. It isn’t about status or prestige; it’s about what the school is officially recognised to be.

Designation also has staffing effects in specific circumstances. For independent schools and academies, the law allows governing bodies to take limited account of religion when making certain decisions about teaching posts. This is tightly defined and sits alongside wider employment law.

Which maintained schools were added in 2025? The Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (England) Order 2025 confirmed Pilgrim’s Cross CE Aided Primary School in Hampshire as Church of England, and Nancy Reuben Primary School in Barnet as Orthodox Jewish. The order was made on 27 August and came into force on 29 August 2025.

One helpful bit of context: Nancy Reuben moved into the state sector this autumn after operating as an independent school, becoming a state‑maintained voluntary aided school. That change explains why it appears in the maintained‑schools order and why its religious character now sits on a statutory footing.

Which academies/independent schools were added? A separate order made on 29 August and in force from 30 August 2025 designated Ealing Fields High School in Ealing and The Pathfinder Church of England Primary School in Northstowe. Both are recognised as Church of England schools. If you’re wondering why an academy appears in an “independent schools” order, that’s the legal route used for academies’ religious designations.

What about “revocations”? The independent‑schools order also removes older entries for several schools listed in past orders. The official note says these revocations cover schools that have closed or that could not continue to be designated. It’s an administrative clean‑up so the public list stays accurate.

What changes for you in school? For pupils and parents, designation clarifies how religious education and collective worship are set up. For staff and governors, it confirms the framework for staffing powers that already exist in law. Day‑to‑day teaching, safeguarding and curriculum standards remain under the usual national rules.

What it does not do: designation isn’t a shortcut to “becoming” a faith school, nor does it change a school’s religious character on its own. It is a recognition process. Where schools seek to change religious character, other legal steps are involved; earlier guidance makes this clear.

Dates to note and how to check: the maintained‑schools order took effect on 29 August 2025; the academies/independent order on 30 August 2025. To verify details, search the instrument pages on legislation.gov.uk and look for the ‘What Version’ and ‘More Resources’ panels, which include the official King’s Printer PDF.

Media‑literacy tip for class: when you read any statutory instrument, always find the ‘coming into force’ date and the section headings. Here, the structure-Citation and commencement, Designation of schools, Revocations, Explanatory Note-tells you what changed, when it applies, and why it was done. It’s the fastest way to turn legal text into usable knowledge.