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Secondary education

Future of CofE and Other Faith Schools

10 replies

deadbeatdad · 27/06/2011 19:21

With the new guidance from the CofE to its schools on admissions (don't give undue preference to practising Christians) and similar advice to Catholic schools what are people's views on:

  • whether the churches or the secular organisations will bring about the demise of Christian schools in any meaninful sense; and
  • how long will it be before the only faith schools in the UK in practice will be Islamic, Jewish or (a few) evangelical in nature
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mummytime · 28/06/2011 07:01

I haven't heard any such advice in the RC church schools. The C of E statements are not advice or even part of admission codes yet, it is a matter for debate.

I did think you were going to be talking about the real change; the removal of subsidised bus services to faith schools. This could mean some parents send their children to the local school rather than bussing them miles.

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prh47bridge · 28/06/2011 09:46

Just for clarity, the law on transport to faith schools has not changed.

LAs are required to consider parental wishes that the child attends a school of the appropriate faith when deciding whether or not to provide free transport. That, however, is a little vague.

There are more specific requirements which apply if the child is of secondary school age (11-16) and receives free school meals or the family receives the maximum working tax credit. For such children, if they attend the nearest school preferred on faith grounds (including lack of faith) and the school is between 2 and 15 miles from home the LA must provide free transport.

Some, but by no means all, LAs have been going beyond the legal minimum. Some of those are now cutting back.

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deadbeatdad · 28/06/2011 14:50

Mummytime - the CofE advice is advice to their schools not just discussion.
And to Catholic dioceses want to open up their schools to all baptised regardless of practice - two RC diocese have taken schools to the adjusticator for not so doing.

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mummytime · 28/06/2011 19:26

Well that would change things for the Catholic schools around here (which have become closed to even other Christians). I haven't heard any advice like that to the C of E diocese here, but it has always had other Christians/ other Faiths and Atheists etc in the local schools.

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confidence · 28/06/2011 21:16

"What are people's views on whether the churches or the secular organisations will bring about the demise of Christian schools in any meaningful sense"

Well, we can always hope! :)

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busymummy3 · 29/06/2011 11:36

Mummytime think Deadbeat means all baptised Catholics regardless of whether they actually practice their Catholic faith.

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deadbeatdad · 29/06/2011 21:57

Confidence - that doesn't really answer the question. Where do your children go to school and why would you recommend that school(s) over Christian alternatives>

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inkyfingers · 30/06/2011 16:07

Faith schools won't disappear under new admission guidelines, just have to open up to wider intake. What's the point? Currently Christians - and those pretending to be Christians - send their kids there. Anyone with strong secular views won't be applying anyway, and the 'faith message' will receive a much wider audience to those who go from non-faith background.

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inkyfingers · 30/06/2011 16:10

I hope each school can keep the admission criteria they want. All govt reports and politicians of all kinds say how good most of them are. It's just depressing to keep changing good schools rather than encouraging others to be better.

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Madsometimes · 30/06/2011 18:13

deadbeatdad the two catholic schools (Cardinal Vaughan and Coloma) were taken to the adjudicator by the diocese because their admissions criteria were deemed to favour the sharp elbowed middle classes, not because the bishops wanted non-Catholics at those schools.

The bishops objected to the schools prioritising children that were baptised in the first three months of life and children and parents involved in volunteering in the parish eg. Parents working as catecists or children serving on the alter.

They did not object to priority being given to practising Catholics, but felt that where mass attendance was weekly, the tie break should be looked after children, siblings and then distance. Local children with regular mass attendance were being passed over for more distant children whose parents had engineered their way up the admissions criteria.

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