Schools have been allowed to opt out of providing a daily act of Christian worship to teach pupils about 鈥渓ooking after the planet鈥 and mindfulness instead – with one head concerned youngsters would be withdrawn if the rule was kept in place. Seventy schools have been granted exemptions from the legal requirement to provide Christian worship since 2018, a Schools Week investigation has found. Since 1944, schools must hold a daily act of worship that is 鈥渨holly or mainly of a broadly Christian character鈥. However, many schools don鈥檛 follow this, surveys suggest. The policy is now under the spotlight again after the high court upheld the Michaela Community School鈥檚 prayer ban. Paul Smalley, executive assistant to the chair of the (NASACRE), said: 鈥淭here needs to be a fresh look by government at the legislation and the guidance around collective worship and determinations.鈥 Diversity and citizenship Local authority-maintained schools and academies can opt out of the requirement by applying to their town hall’s SACRE or regional directorate, respectively. 鈥淒eterminations鈥 last for five years, but schools must still provide an alternative form of collective daily worship. These cannot be 鈥渘on-religious assemblies鈥. Since 2018, the Department for Education said 23 academies sought an exemption. Meanwhile, LA-maintained schools accounted for 46 of the determinations approved since 2018, according to freedom of information figures from 97 councils obtained by Schools Week. But many councils did not hold this data, suggesting the true number is likely higher. Last year, 18 schools and academies were granted exemptions or renewals. In May, Edith Neville Primary School in Camden was granted an extension. Its demographic is 鈥渁bout 90 per cent Muslim鈥, documents state. Head Ruby Nasser said in the application: 鈥淚 fear that there would be withdrawals [from collective worship] if a determination were not in place, which I believe would disadvantage the spiritual development of those children.鈥 Parents have the right to remove under 16s from collective worship. Older pupils can withdraw themselves. Nasser said alternative 鈥渢hemes are linked to our whole school topics: wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, being a local and a global citizen, looking after the planet and aspirations鈥. The school also has 鈥渞eflections on different religions and festivals鈥. ‘Daily reflection time’ Chalkhill Primary School and Oliver Goldsmith Primary School, both in Brent, north-west London, were allowed to opt out. Many of their pupils are non-Christian. Chalkhill headteacher Shabiha Sayed said they would have 鈥渄aily reflection time in the classroom; whole school collective worship three times a week; classes delivering assemblies, which focus on religious occasions and celebrations across all faiths鈥. Weekly PSHE sessions also 鈥渁llow for mindfulness and reflection time鈥. Primrose Hill Primary School in Camden was granted a renewal in 2021. A professional advisor to Camden鈥檚 SACRE said she鈥檇 previously attended a school assembly and was 鈥渋mpressed with it, and with the song that the children had sung about supporting refugees鈥. At the time, the schools collective worship policy said themes 鈥渙ften have a social, moral, spiritual focus depending on what is happening in the world鈥, or focus on 鈥渞einforcing the school rules or developing healthy eating鈥. 鈥業t鈥檚 unlikely anyone is checking鈥 The latest figures appear to show a trend of fewer schools getting exemptions. Schools Week previously reported that in the 18 months to April 2017, 46 were granted. Last year, NASACRE warned the 鈥渕ajority of SACREs still do not get a sufficient share of the central school services block to enable them to carry out their duties well鈥. Ofsted stopped inspecting collective worship in 2004 after 76 per cent of schools were non-compliant. Smalley added if schools don鈥檛 follow the law, it鈥檚 鈥渦nlikely anybody is going to do anything鈥. A 2022 Teacher Tapp survey of 8,234 respondents found 57 per cent said they did not hold a daily act of collective worship. But Smalley said the legislation should be 鈥渋nterpreted quite broadly鈥 as themes such as being a good global citizen and looking after the environment are 鈥渁ctually values that are of a broadly Christian nature鈥. ‘No plans to review policy’ Academies minister Baroness Barran told the National Secular Society last month the DfE has 鈥渘o plans to review its policy on collective worship鈥. In a letter to the National Secular Society (NSS), she said the policy 鈥渆ncourages pupils to reflect on the concept of belief and the role it plays in the traditions and values of this country鈥. Baroness Barran 鈥淚t also serves as a mechanism by which schools can develop and celebrate their ethos and values.鈥 She also said it was 鈥渘ot permissible for an exemption to be granted鈥 to replace collective worship with 鈥渘on-religious assemblies鈥. Poulner Infant School had a request for an exemption snubbed by Hampshire County Council鈥檚 SACRE in July 2022, which NSS flagged as an example of a school being denied permission for 鈥渟ecular assemblies鈥. The school told SACRE that 鈥渢heirs was a community school not a faith school鈥. Stephen Evans, NSS鈥 CEO, added 鈥渓aws mandating worship have no place in a modern education system鈥 the obligation should be removed from school leaders鈥.