C of E primary schools

[sillytilly]

Can someone tell me if there is any hope in applying to an consistently oversubscribed CofE primary without a letter from a priest with your application?

we are rubbish and only go at Christmas/Easter

is it too late to go more now and ask our priest for a letter in October? or is that totally immoral?

thanking you.

[TheDuchessOfNorksBride]

It depends whether all those who apply are regular church-goers or not. The requirement here is that you need to attend at least monthly for two years to get a letter from the church.

There are two highly oversubscribed CofE schools near us and the majority of those who attend did not have a letter.

Do you know any parents already at the school that could tell you?

[sillytilly]

Hello,

I don't know any parents there atm as it is the other end of the country from us BUT a friend of mine does teach there (currently on mat leave) and she says she just cannot believe that many that go there are churchgoers...the school's over-subscription policy gives priority to those with letters from the parish priest though.

Just can't work out how I know whether to apply for the CofE school (we will be living literally 300 yards away from it, so well in catchment) or to not risk it and put a non-church (not so good or convenient) as first choice. darn it...

[TheDuchessOfNorksBride]

What are the class sizes? If it's 20 or 30 then I'd apply. Phone the school and ask, tell them you're moving into the village and that you need some help!

Whereabouts is it? There are probably MNers who know the school!

[tortoiseSHELL]

It depends if the school is VC or VA - it sounds as if it might be VA in which case you might need a letter. If it's VC like ds1's CE school, then churchgoing isn't an issue - it has the same admissions criteria as any other school.

[peanutbear]

When are you moving I dont think you can apply till you live in the parish then when you move there introduce yourself to the vicar and start going to church

[TheDuchessOfNorksBride]

t/shell - ours is voluntary aided but only about 4 out of 30 had letters. It was 1st choice school for more than 40 children last year. And it's similar numbers every year.

[TheDuchessOfNorksBride]

[sillytilly]

thanks everyone! it's Dinny here, btw

it is VA, and has a double intake, so 60 per year

I just can't believe all those people have letters....

we are moving a month before we start in sept 09, but we already have an address in the parish.

[TheDuchessOfNorksBride]

In that case, I would wager that you'll get a place without any trouble at all.

[sillytilly]

btw, I have spoken to the school secretaries and headmistress and they say a priest's letter will help the application

[sillytilly]

what a bloody malarkey

wonder if I can just ask the vicar outright if he'd give us a letter, I am kind of on his mailing list

[rolledhedgehog]

Well it might be! We moved just before application time to a house very very close to our local oversubscribed C of E school which you usually need to be a church goer to get a child into.

We applied on the off chance that it would be a slow year for kids with no real hope. We got in as did lots of other non-church goers because it was a bulge year and because there were not enough reception places locally they provided another class.

I am now really hoping they don't change the admission criteria that currently gives priority to siblings because if they do, we will be stuffed.

[DrNortherner]

I would ask then deffo. He can only say no!

Good luck.

[sillytilly]

this is the vicar in the new parish, I mean....

just don't want to risk not getting into the other school on our list, which is not a church school, if I don't get into the church school, iyswim

[sillytilly]

oh, and does equal preference on an application to primary really mean just that? thanks!

[FunkyNora]

Hi Dinny,
Have you thought about getting a letter from your current vicar? It is not at all unusual for families to have this when they move into a new parish. I think that even if it were to say that you were known to the vicar or an occassional worshipper (as opposed to a regular worshipper) then that could only support your application. I also suggest this because if you decide to put the CofE school first, you increase the chance of being higher on the list than as many other applicants as a possible.

If nothing else, it would show that you had a least stepped into a church before you considered the issue of the school application. Just a thought, HTH.

[dinny]

thanks, FunkyNora

we kind of only go to church here about once/twice a year (eek) - seems really cheeky to go more and then ask for a letter

though suppose could go more between now an Oct....

[Lotstodo]

Also as you live so close to the C of E primary school they may, in their criteria give a (very) small percentage of places to the closest aoolicants to the school so you could be lucky from that aspect.

[Lotstodo]

Also as you live so close to the C of E primary school they may, in their criteria give a (very) small percentage of places to the closest applicants to the school so you could be lucky from that aspect.

[Lotstodo]

Ooops! Don't know what happened there.

[foofi]

The CofE school where I work has children from all different religious backgrounds. Places are offered on the basis of proximity to school.

[MsPontipine]

I think priests are Roman Catholic.
You'll need to say Vicar!

[dinny]

no, MsPontipine, it is also an Anglican term - they are often called vicar or rector but they are the parish priest

our priest is called Father X and is CofE

[MsPontipine]

Ooh thanks - see that's a new one to me - these religious terms absolute minefield I think for those trying to appear more into it than they actually are!

[purpleduck]

I don't think it actually makes a difference

dh is a govenor at our dcs CofE school, and he says it is about 4th down on the list in importance (ie, those who don't live in catchment, who don't have siblings there..)

So if you live in catchment, you "trump" someone who just has a letter.