The data, contained in the Catholic Education Service’s recent Digest of 2011 Census Data for Schools and Colleges, shows that 18.6% of pupils at Catholic primary schools live in the 10% most deprived areas, compared to 14.3% of pupils at primary schools across England. At secondary level, 17% of pupils at Catholic secondary schools live in the 10% most deprived areas compared to 12% of pupils nationally.

This new data follows the publication of Department for Education data in 2011 which showed that 57% of Catholic schools had above average Contextual Value Added scores compared to the national figure of 50%. Read together, this evidence shows that pupils at Catholic schools tend to make greater academic progress compared to pupils at other schools and a higher-than-average proportion of pupils at Catholic schools come from less privileged backgrounds.

Gregory Pope, Deputy Director of the Catholic Education Service, said, “This data demonstrates the valuable contribution which Catholic schools make to society as a whole. Service to all parts of society, especially those least advantaged, is an important part of the Catholic Church’s mission and is something which is clearly being lived out in our schools. This evidence shows that our schools add value and enable our pupils to achieve high academic standards.”