To feel so unsure about primary school

@yohawex318 i don’t think that. I think society as a whole is doing that

being at a catholic school from reception probably would make someone catholic

I’m a cradle catholic, but essentially lapsed now. My kids have all been baptised, the first two because I wasn’t lapsed then. We’ve move around a bit and they’ve been to a variety of schools, but all but one have been Catholic. Originally because I chose it and later because they were good options locally. All but one of them have gone through the pious stage in the infants, but it’s worn off. One has been a self-confessed atheist since he was about 7. And he’s been in catholic schools throughout and a) felt perfectly comfortable to be an atheist and b) perfectly comfortable being in a catholic school. Because it’s not reinforced at home and I don’t take them to Mass (Catholic guilt kicking in as a type that) none have any real attachment/ interest in it all. My younger kids have chosen not to make their first communion when others at school were doing it.

i have to concede that the Catholic ritual and traditional is comfortable to me, so none of that in school feels jarring to me, but what I’m trying to say, is that the kids will take their lead from you and if the school is good, the fact it is Catholic needn’t be a reason not to use it.

@yohawex318 i don’t know what more you want me to say about this. You can read what I said again if you want. Anyway why would you remember my username from that long ago ?

I sent my DC to the local primary. It was CofE we are Catholic. The nearest RC school was miles away. I wanted them to have local friends. We are lucky enough to live in a lovely area and all primary schools are very good. They feed into an Outstanding Secondary School in the town.
The local CofE vicar visited each primary school weekly, this include the none CofE schools.
My DC had their preparation for Holy Communion and Confirmation at our Church from a group of parents.
After my youngest started school, I returned to teaching. I was originally a High School teacher. I retrained in Primary Education. I taught for several years in a delightful Catholic school. They had less contact with the Parish priest than my DC school had with the Vicar. We taught world religions at a basic level. We had special days for other people's religions like Divali etc just like Christmas and Easter.
It reminded me of my own RC school where tolerance, respect for one another and society were taught. This was decades ago.
I was brought up in a city and we had many nationalities and religions at my RC High School. My High School was all girls so many people of faith and no faith were keen to get there children in to the school.

I think some of you have very outdated ideas about Catholic schools.
Saying that if you don't believe in the values taught at such establishments don't send them to the school.
Just in the same way if you don't agree with a schools discipline, uniform policy choose somewhere else that you can support the school, staff and policies

That isn’t me saying what you said

One of my mum friends pulled her son out of the local catholic school into our school

his year 2 school report said he was behind on reading and writing but was a soldier of christ and could confidently spread the word of god.

She yeeted him out of there

That sounds stupid and not something I would say

Catholic schools across our whole council area are over subscribed which seems common in Scotland at least. Even those baptised & with families attending mass regularly are balloted for places so may be out with your control.

We are Jewish and my son goes to a Catholic school as the ofsted is better than the state school. I hate it. It's awful and the way they speak to the children is appalling.

Which secondary would they go to?

I am against religion in school....but even so called secular schools are supposed to be "broadly Christian" and at the end of the day is the education and welfare that is important. Lots of children go to schools that don't align with whatever religion they do or don't practice.
Being located close to school has lots of benefits.

But think about secondary. The local comprehensive will normally be based on distance or catchment area, but the Catholic and cofe secondary may be based on feeder schools. If either of those is a good option for high school go with the linked primary.

My friends daughter went to a CofE primary school despite not being religious because it was the only one with spaces (not very popular) but the CofE High school is great, and over subscribed. She got priority to that school over others because she attends a linked feeder school.

I don’t know what you’re talking about @yohawex318

Both my children went to a Catholic primary school and one went to a Catholic secondary school too. Neither is remotely religious, so they certainly weren't brainwashed. I think what happens at home is far more important.

He thinks about death a lot and it scares him to think that’s it at the end of this life

You don't need either of those things to make sense of things.

Why would you feel sad for him? That makes no sense at all.

@NoPazuzu i just feel a bit sad for him that he has no belief in life after death or a higher loving power to make sense of things

If he has good morals and values then why are you worried?

So exactly how old is this new human you are starting afresh with? I have a feeling you have several years to get better acquainted with both schools before you face the awesome responsibility of filling in a Reception Application Form!

Lots can happen before them, including OFSTED revisiting outstanding schools that haven’t been inspected for a number of years, as many people are finding out.

Totally get your worry. Our catchment school is CofE, it’s the only place DD would have got into so she had to go. She comes home talking about how God made the world. Which makes me very cross. If we had another choice I would have taken it.