Roman Catholic and Anglican Grant Maintained Secondary Schools in England, 1996

The overall objective of the research was to help explain the take-up of Grant Maintained Status by Church of England and Roman Catholic secondary schools and the dramatic variations in take-up between different local education authorities (LEAs). The investigators were keen to document the evolution of Grant Maintained Status from its inception and particularly in terms of its impact on church schools. To understand how secondary schools made decisions about seeking to 'opt out' of their LEA it was felt essential to be able to place this process within the local LEA area context. The research strove to understand the different parts played by the key stakeholders in the school including parents, LEA officers, parish, diocesan and episcopal representatives, teachers and headteachers. This approach allowed the exploration of the particular control, financial and ethical issues that impacted on the arguments for and against pursuing Grant Maintained Status. The final key aim of the research was to inform users and stakeholders at both local and national levels of the issues raised in the debates within different types of schools around seeking Grant Maintained Status.