Prayer in Schools (English-style)

The provision of a daily act of collective worship is a legal requirement in all state-funded schools in England. Sarah Lane Cawte, Collegeville Institute Resident Scholar and Education Officer for Free Churches Group and Churches Together in England, will present her case study-centered research which explores the peculiar nature of worship when set in a secular context, examines how the British Government has tried to define worship, and interrogates the application of the law from the perspectives of stakeholders in four schools.

Sarah is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Exeter (UK). She received her Post-Graduate Diploma in Educational Research from the University of Exeter; her MA in Church Religion and Society 1780-1940 from the Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education (now University of Gloucestershire); and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education and a BA in Theology from the University of Durham (UK). She has authored several articles, chapters, and books, many specifically for teachers and students.