Most school leaders do not agree with collective worship law

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A new poll has found that most school leaders oppose the legal requirement to hold collective worship in schools in England. 

According to the poll of 2,000 senior leaders of primary and secondary schools in the country, nearly three quarters (70%) disagree or strongly disagree with it. 

Current law requires schools to hold daily acts of collective worship and states that this must be "wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character".

Only one in 10 (12%) of senior leaders were in favour of the current law requiring collective worship. 

The figures come from a survey by Teacher Tapp on behalf of the National Secular Society and were published alongside previously unreleased 2022 polling data in which two thirds of teachers said their school does not hold collective worship. 

This rose to over three quarters (79%) of teachers from schools without a religious character and 84% among those teaching at secondary schools. The 2022 poll asked the views of 7,600 school teachers.