Peers in the House of Lords this week challenged the level of discrimination permitted in ‘faith’ schools against non-religious teachers and those not of the faith of the school. Baroness Turner of Camden tabled three amendments to the Education Bill which were worded in consultation with the NSS.

An amendment to the Health and Social Care Bill, tabled by psychiatrist and crossbench peer Baroness Hollins, called for the words ‘spiritual health’ to be inserted into a clause about the duty of the secretary of state, the NHS Commissioning Board and clinical commissioning groups to improve the quality of services.

Axbridge Town Council raised the idea of abolishing prayers at its meetings last August when some councillors said the worship infringed on their rights as atheists. The Council decided to refer the matter to its personnel and protocol committee, who will investigate it and make recommendations to the Council.

Just days after the front page revelations about clerical child abuse at west London’s Ealing Abbey came more unwelcome front page news for the Catholic Church: “Sex abuse fears grow – Catholic Church orders new inquiry in England.”

Following a Government consultation under the Equality Act 2010, (same sex) civil partnership ceremonies will be permitted from 5 December 2011 in church and other places of worship.

The offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris have been destroyed in a petrol bomb attack the day after it announced the Prophet Muhammad as its “editor-in-chief” for its next issue.

Peers in the House of Lords this week rejected moves to make collective worship in schools optional, rather than compulsory. The amendments were moved by NSS Honorary Associate Lord Avebury during the Report Stage of the Education Bill.

The only non-faith school in the west of the Isle of Wight from has been saved from closure by opting out of local authority control and gaining academy status.

The Vatican has ordered an inquiry into claims of decades of sexual abuse at a London abbey and school.

We are seeing the new crop of academy schools beginning to advertise for chaplains: Editorial by Terry Sanderson