The research, which questioned more than one thousand parents, found church schools are perceived to offer a broad and balanced curriculum, while promoting good behaviour.
However almost half of respondents claimed children from wealthy backgrounds were more likely to get into church schools than their counterparts from disadvantaged families.
The Reverend Jan Ainsworth, the Church of England's chief education officer, denied that church schools operate unfair admissions processes.
She said: "The Church of England has consistently supported the ban on interviews or the seeking of other information about the family during the admissions process. Church attendance is the only measure our schools use when allocating places on the basis of faith, and churches are open to anyone, irrespective of background or income."
"However, governing bodies and the wider sector need to be crystal clear in the way that admissions policies are implemented and communicated."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
