Cant get DC into a faith school

[angelfireabbey]

I know this is possibly the wrong place because it seems the whole of MN is atheist or totally secular. However, there is a lot of discussion by MNers here about getting intofaith schools ( often without any faith because they are good schools).

I am a little bit fed up with it. I take my faith seriously. I take my DC to church and we believe. I wanted my DC to have a faith education. There are only two faith schools where I live. They are oversubscribed by parents who seem to have suddenly aquired a need to attend church to get a vicars signiture.

I had my pastors signiture but we didnt get a place. So instead my DC is stuck in a state school where the teachers and other children laugh and say that they have " imaginary friends" ( or simply they are nutters!) and that they believe in fairly stories etc. Sound familiar MN parents? ( I bet you wouldnt say it if someone were of say Jewish or Muslim faith though would you?). It is offensive you know.

They have an atheist teacher who clearly knows next to nothing about Christianity.

I would settle for any faith school although there are no others ( of any faith ) within 40 miles of us.

So how do I get into one? I have asked my church community. I know they are doing their best and we are praying hard but I am sure some savvy non religious types must know more here. So I am asking.
I see thread on thread where parents are scamming the system.So how does a genuine person get in?

Thanks.

[pointyfangs]

Your tone isn't going to help you here, OP... You're dismissing all of MN as if we are all militant atheists who fake religion to get our little darlings into faith schools (yes, I did read the post on the Zombie thread you resurrected)

I'm very sorry you have not been able to get your DC into the school you wanted. I despise people who fake religion to get into a faith school - my DDs went to one, but I was absolutely upfront about my atheism and they got a place nevertheless, because there were surplus primary places back then. However, I haven't seen very many threads where a MNer confessed to faking religion to get a school place and then was cheered on by all and sundry - IME they would have been roundly condemned by the vast majority, and rightly so.

It sounds as if the school your DC is at is not a good school - the kind of attitude your DC is suffering would be classed as bullying in any good school, faith or non-faith, and would be dealt with.

Lastly, an atheist is not automatically unable to teach RE . This particular one may be, but RE does not equate to teaching Christianity only, you know. Not even in a faith school. For the past two years, my DD1 has had an RE teacher who was a militant evangelising Christian. My DD is an atheist. She was threatened with a gross misconduct charge for questioning (politely, in the context of an ongoing discussion and backed up by argument) the existence of God. Christian does not mean good RE teacher - her current one is vastly superior and strangely enough, her marks have now skyrocketed too. I am just grateful that the other teacher is retired and will not be inflicted on DD2.

All in all, your tone in this post is not going to get you the support you need - and yes, despite it all you do deserve support and you have the right to feel disappointed. Are you on the waiting list for any of the faith schools you want? That would be the first thing to do.

[prh47bridge]

If the teachers are genuinely poking fun at your faith that is appalling behaviour. If you have evidence of that you should complain long and loud.

If you have not already appealed for the local faith schools you can do so now. You could base your appeal on your child's need for a new school due to the current school's failure to deal with bullying. You would stand your best chance of winning if you could show that you have complained to the current school about bullying and they have failed to take effective action. If your child is currently in Reception, Y1 or Y2 it may be difficult to win an appeal due to infant class size rules but you may strike it lucky and get an appeal panel willing to bend the rules to give your child a place.

I have to say that I agree with the last poster. The tone you have adopted in your post is not going to help. But don't give up. You may yet be able to get your child transferred to one of the faith schools.

[angelfireabbey]

Lastly, an atheist is not automatically unable to teach RE . This particular one may be, but RE does not equate to teaching Christianity only, you know. Not even in a faith school. For the past two years, my DD1 has had an RE teacher who was a militant evangelising Christian

Perhaps you would like to swap schools with me for your DC pointyfangs?

I am sorry you do not like my approach. I am honest if maybe abrupt. There are a number of threads here right now where posters are discussing getting DC into faith schools.

I have made a complaint to the school but they are not taking it seriously - although they have taken similar complaints from DC from other faiths differently ( but they used racism as their complaint. I cannot do that).

I find it roundly hurtful that so many feel they can make such jokes about my faith or even attack me as you have.

You may consider me "lucky" to have got to the position in the last week where I have been told my DC can go to the faith school as soon as someone leaves ( but that isnt likely as the school never loses pupils - they all know too well how oversubscribed it is and how lucky they are to have a place).

My other option is a Brethren school 20 miles away which I would have to pay for. I dont know what the fees are. I do know that we are not likely to afford them on our income (just over 20K - thats DH and self working).

[angelfireabbey]

prh47bridge - already done what you have said. As I said above, I do not have any " clout" because I am not of another culture.

[Spartak]

As someone who has just clicked on this post when browsing mn, your post doesn't come across as honest and abrupt to me, it is rude and insulting.

[Camolips]

Surely you haven't had the nerve to ask the teacher about her beliefs?

[GratefulHead]

"Not of another culture", what "culture" would that be then?

[angelfireabbey]

Surely you haven't had the nerve to ask the teacher about her beliefs?

No, the teacher was completely open about her beliefs. She made comments to the class. Thats how I found out. I didnt have to ask.

[angelfireabbey]

"Not of another culture", what "culture" would that be then?

Judaism and Islam. Parents of both groups have made complaints. I made a simlar complaint but I was discounted because I do not belong to another group.

[Spartak]

How old are your children?

[hollie84]

Not everyone gets a place at the school they want, you just have to make the best of it.

We wanted a community school and got a faith one. Tough shit.

[pointyfangs]

So now you are compounding your original post and its tone by implying - and not very subtly - that you are being discriminated against because you are a Christian...

And where have I attacked you? I have merely pointed out that the tone of your post will irritate people on here. I have also said that you have a right to feel disappointed, that I condemn people who lie to get into faith schools and that your school is clearly not dealing effectively with bullying. If you call that an attack, I can see you getting nothing here that you might class as support.

[Trapper]

If your child is being bullied in this way then you should raise it to the head and governors. The rest of your rant is irrelevant.

[angelfireabbey]

Spartak - my DC is year 7 - just the one. My other Dc is still in primary
( a C of E school).

pontyfangs - I am not suggesting I am being dscriminated against at all. I am just saying that I cannot be discriminated against apparently.

However, I do not think it is appropriatethat anyone should be making comments that my beliefs are about a belief in an imaginary friend or that its a fairy story. It is what some people believe. We are all entitled to a belief surely? There is no more evidence to support an atheist position either. You cannot prove that God does not exist any more than you can prove God does exist. Its a position offaith in both cases. Such comments as "fairy stories" does also show a distinct failure to understand what Christianity, at least, is about. Its derogatory.

As many atheists here have said "I do not care what you want to believe, do not push it on my DC".

Hollie - yes It is tough I agree. I wouldrather my DC went to aschool which supported our faith and our home life - or at least did not attempt to make fun of it.

However, I do not believe it is fair that sopme parents are clearly getting their DC intoschools by being economical with the truth it seems. I was completely honest and it seems I could not meet the criteria sufficiently although now it seems the view has been changed somewhat. But I still do notfeel its enough when I know there areDC in a faith school who have no faith at all. They could easily and happily go to the school I was allocated.

There are many schools in my area but only two are faith schools. They are supposed to be firstly for those who hold the faith and others afterwards. I simply cannot believe ( knowing church attendence figures) that there are so many people who are believers in those schools. In fact I know that many are not. They have just played the game to get in.

[angelfireabbey]

If your child is being bullied in this way then you should raise it to the head and governors. The rest of your rant is irrelevant

Have done that already, thanks.

[BuckskinnedAstronaut]

Your problem isn't that your child is in a non-faith school, it's that (if everything you've said is true) they are in a bad school. This may well be compounded by the fact (well, "fact" from what you've shown here) that you come across as rude, aggressive and smug) which doesn't make anyone want to go out of their way to help you. Do you do that in real life as well?

I am with skylark2 in being surprised that there is anywhere in the UK (well, in England and Wales, anyway) with only two faith primary schools (assuming that you mean primary schools and haven't just been sitting on this gripe for a decade or so) within 40 miles in any direction.

By the way, you really aren't coming across as a good advert for Christianity. You sound bitter, judgemental and self-righteous, rather than being an effective witness for Christ.

[hollie84]

It's not fair that some state schools exclude local children on the basis of faith either.

I'd rather DS's school didn't fill his head with stuff I don't believe.

[angelfireabbey]

And please do share with us where this amazing pocket of the UK with only two faith schools in a circle of diameter 80 miles is?

Where did I say that?
There are two schools within the Local Authority where I am that are faith based schools. The rest are community schools. My choice of community school is limited by catchment largely ( LA do not give me a wider choice) My choice of faith school should have been open but the faith schools are heavily over subscribed ( mainly because they are the best schools in the local area).

There is an independent around 20 miles away which is a brethren school and I have been told about this school because it might be a possibility as it is strongly faith based and might have lower fees.

Of course there are other independents most of which claim to have a faith foundation but I cannot afford 10K a year fees.

[angelfireabbey]

I'd rather DS's school didn't fill his head with stuff I don't believe

Me too Hollie. I agree completely with that.

[angelfireabbey]

"They have an atheist teacher"

How on earth would you even know?

I have already answered this for someone else. The teacher said so.

[angelfireabbey]

with only two faith primary schools

Sorry secondary. DC is year 7. I did say this.

[angelfireabbey]

I am certainly bitter. Sorry if I do not fulfil your idea of a Christian but I amonly human and as such full of sinful things. Thats why I go to church and need God and Jesus to forgive me.

Of course if I were an atheist complaining about a faith school feeding my Dc with all sorts of stuff and being stuck with it because there was no other school for them, would you see it the same way?