This question relates to a residential secondary school for children with SEN that operated during the 1980s and early 1990s. It closed in 1995.
The school was only open to children who had a statement of SEN and their local authority had approved of the child attending the school. It was not open to the public like most independent schools are.
It was a public private partnership. Privately owned and run as a business but state funded. Local authorities paid the fees for children to attend the school.
It was not affiliated with any particular church or religion.
The school demanded that all children had to attend church services every Sunday morning. The list of school rules on the wall of the deputy headmaster's office also included a statement about all children have to attend church on Sunday. I have not seen this list of school rules.
The school prospectus stated "On Sundays all boys are accompanied to Church. The Roman Catholics go to their church while the remainder separate (arithmetically not demoninationally!) to support the local Anglican and Baptist Churches" but does not say anything about children who follow other religions or none at all. I have seen this prospectus.
Parents were not consulted about their child's religion when starting at the school and neither was there a consent form for church services.
Questions:
1. Exactly which piece of legislation governed religion in SEN residential schools at the time?
2. Was the school acting unlawfully?