To continue to challenge the school on this? Religious observance

I don’t get what the problem is. Just pick them up early if you don’t want them to join in.

It's three times a year. You can teach her what you like. Not worth the argument.

You do realize that people who aren’t Christian do these things? Even atheists contemplate these things. It is wonderful to do so without artificial constraints and advanced interpretations.

we have wonderful philosophical discussions in our household about all aspects of existence.

What a shame they won’t get to reflect on the meaning of life then. I think most humans ask that question don’t they? You think life just boils down to a binary language of moral choices? May as well be AI then. Nothing about the beauty of creation? The mystery of the universe? What happens after death? What is love?

This is all ‘innate spiritual development’ - are you saying your children shouldn’t reflect on this? If so I feel sorry for them.

The National Secular Society have various campaigns related to religion in schools - I’d contact them to ask for advice and support if I were you.

I could not disagree with you more. I’m more than capable of raising my kids to be moral human beings without religion. They don’t need any “innate spiritual development” thanks 🙄

I had something similar in the early days of when DS2 and DD were in primary. As they were the only 2 who weren't attending church the headteacher tried to be difficult and said I'd have to collect them then bring them back for an hour until 2:30 when school closed.
I remember I just didn't send them in on the last day of term at Easter, Christmas and for the leavers service which were always in church.
Once she realised it wasn't a bother for me to keep them home they made arrangements in school. There's always a TA or two who are also not practicing Christians and who were happy to look after any children in school whilst everyone was at church.

OP sent her child to the local non-dom school, not a Christian school.

What eill kids be missing out on if they're not taught Christianity as fact?

I’m an atheist but DD goes to a Catholic school. It’s an excellent school, hence sending her there, and I’m happy to suck up the religious stuff for the other benefits.

I wish you the best of luck with all this OP.

My son is at a pretty religious (CofE) middle school and it's the single most annoying/frustrating thing for him about it. He loathes the collective worship, the references to the gospel in their motto and charter etc, the repeated mini lectures during assemblies and tutor time. (He doesn't actually seem to mind the RE lessons as much - learning about other religions doesn't bother him that much but as a child very focused on facts and science, he finds the repeated insistence that Christianity is the default very frustrating.)

It's very patronising and weirdly naive of people to say things like "don't worry, he won't catch God" - that really isn't the point.

Oh FFS! I teach in an ostensibly catholic school in Ireland & even we have pared back the church's influence, we have many children of varying religious backgrounds, no child needs guilt or this type of indoctrination, go to mass in your spare time if that's what you want but schools need to stay out of it

I've had to deflect questions about religion for a long time in school from pupils, it should be separate, we're slowly moving away (communion, confirmation) but it should have happened a long time ago, no shade if that's your thing

That only works if the school is presenting all religions equally. The school is endorsing Christianity and only Christianity. All the other religions are taught as religion should truly be taught, as a thing some people believe that has an impact on our history, culture, and government.

The thing is it isn’t presented like that- it’s presented as The Truth, with a side order of guilt and fear thrown in (if you don’t believe it then you have sinned [read- are a bad person] and will go to hell).

It isn’t fair to expect primary school children to think their way through that without a lot of support, which they are unlikely to get from their teachers.

Children are told to trust and learn from their teachers- if the teacher takes them to church where the person in charge tells them they have to believe this or face terrible consequences, and there is tacit or spoken agreement from the teachers, then it’s difficult for the children to let it go.

But what will you say if she wants to practice Christianity? Basically, you're imposing your beliefs on her, which some would think was just the same as the school imposing its Christian values.
We are not a Christian family, don't do church etc, but both our DC went to CoE schools as they were the only schools available at the time. They fully embraced the religious stuff, much to our amusement. It pretty soon waned when they ent to secondary school!
The thing is, if you make a stand and insist on different provision for your DC during these religious events, what will you do if the DC want to go because they enjoy it or because they want to be with their friends?

Can you not let your daughter hear the other side of the argument and make up her own mind about what she wants to believe?

Trips to places of worship are different to attending services. One is an interesting cultural and historical lesson, and the other is an act of worship.

Are there other parents who feel the same way? Acting as a group may give you more weight

RE is an agreed syllabus, it’s quite interesting actually. We’ve been to many places of worship. I don’t know of any children or staff who have caught any of the religions.
I’ve had the occasional child who’s been withdrawn from ‘religious’ trips. They either spend the day in another class or in the school office BUT they become very proficient at LEGO.

Most churches I’ve been in have a ‘crying corridor’ or separate room with a glass window for parents to take young kids to, so they do t disturb worship. Parents can hear the service ‘piped in’
but the sound of the kids can’t get out. Would it be acceptable to you if your dc sat there with a book, with the sound relay turned off? A member of staff could easily keep an eye on him through the window

YABU because this country, yes Scotland too, is entwined legally, democratically, constitutionally, historically, culturally and socially with Christianity and the Bible. It’s essential for their education and innate spiritual development that they are exposed to it.

Being exposed to something is not the same as being made to join in. Having an understanding of the religious background to much of the history of this country I agree is very important, but being indoctrinated into one view being the only "right" one is what led to the slaughter of many innocent people in the time of the Tudors because they believed in one version of Christianity rather than another - Edward VI persecuted Catholics, then Mary I persecuted Protestants, then Elizabeth I ended up persecuting Catholics because they spent their time plotting to get rid so we could have another Catholic monarch.

Do you think it's also essential for the 'innate spiritual development' of children from Jewish/Muslim/Hindu families that they are forced to attend Christian services at school and taught Christianity as truth?

Hear hear! All schools should have the ability to allow pupils of different faiths to not attend overtly Christian festivals, make them sing songs in praise of a different God etc. How many of the Christian parents on this thread would be happy if their children's schools made it mandatory for the children to take part in prayers or songs praising a different God to theirs? Or making their children observe Ramadan?

I think you are making a big deal out of nothing. All you are doing is teaching your child to be intolerant to the wider world and all the different aspects to it.

And teaching them that the school's way is the only right way is being tolerant of other beliefs how?

They will need to have spiritual development opportunities too - it’s mandatory. And if those families send their child to a Christian school then they should expect a level of Christian practice that they will be allowed to opt out of.

The OP's very first sentence specifies "non-denominational school".

Please do also confirm that you boycott anything related to Christmas and Easter that your children may enjoy.

In that case, I do hope you boycott any of the so called "Christian" traditions around these events that actually aren't anything to do with Christ? Fluffy chicks & eggs are related to fertility rights, and spring is the time of the year for births in the animal kingdom, and the sowing of crops. Evergreen decorations (including trees), Yule logs, feasting and gift giving etc at mid winter are not Christian traditions only, just about all religions have those and they go back to before Christ was born.

talking about it like it's the only truth and scaring them into religion. This is not right and they should be made aware.

I agree. I am a Christian but I removed ds from mass because of the way they were talking to them.

If people are going to be religious then they should be allowed to find their faith themselves, they don’t need to be told at 5 that they will be going to hell if they don’t believe in a RC (or any other denomination’s) God.

It’s educational for children to be exposed to the whole plethora of faith practices, but not to be told any one has greater validity than the others.