Aibu going to church so my child goes to a Catholic school

Most of the mums in my kids Catholic primary felt just the same as you OP - wanting the community, the Christian values, the school discipline, continuing their own school experience perhaps, but not necessarily wanting the Catholic doctrine. But you will need to go to church regularly as well as have your daughter baptised as the Priest will in all likelihood need to sign your school application form to certify that you are "practising".
Just reflect what your conscience tells you and go with it.

Because that’s the nature of it, for most people that follow it. Catholics might believe in God, might go to Mass, pray and loosely follow it but they more likely follow it only loosely. What does it matter? Catholic ‘lite’ is still Catholic. Devotional and observant ones are rare to find and if people were expected to follow the fundamental requirements, the churches would be even emptier than they are now.

My parents considered themselves really devout, but my mum was pregnant when she got married with the blessing of their parish priest. And that was in the late 1960s in rural Ireland!

Some of you really think Catholicism is stuck in the dark ages. Catholics use contraception, have sex outside of marriage, co-habit, have babies when not married, have abortions, are not always heterosexual, get divorced… I know loads of Catholics, some rubbish ones like me, but some devout. I don’t however know any that are observant. Not one.

If you do you would not be alone.

National Curriculum - well, Relationships, Sex and Health Education guidance - innit?

Catholic schools are teaching contraception advice that isn't "don't have sex before marriage"? I am surprised.

And in the 21st century, all girls (the few that there are, the contraception lessons are pretty useful, really) get the opportunity to remain in education in an environment where they can also take their baby for care at a specialist unit and access high levels of support.

About the only person who is even expected to be Catholic in a Catholic school now is the Headteacher.

At my Catholic school teachers were sacked for getting divorced. No contraception advice just girls expelled if they got pregnant.

But hey, you do you.

I think it's a good idea OP and lots of people do it. I'm a Catholic and was raised attending church weekly. I go sporadically now with my mum and take my little boy and I enjoy going to the Little Church and coffee mornings. I think many people pick and chose what they believe and Catholic churches can be more accepting then you think. My brother got married to his husband last week and my mum had a few cards and presents from her church going friends to pass on.

All the things you state that you want from a catholic school can be offered in a non faith school- without the focus on one religion. Have you been to have a look?

That's for your conscience, but going to church is a good way of tapping into a community. And church schools tend to be better academically etc. Go, See if you like it and also learn a bit about Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular.
I attend my local CofE (I am recently widowed and I am a bell ringer, so go along regularly on another basis anyway). It has been greatly supportive and I have done some fun and interesting things. Many of the congregation are good and worthy people - or at least friendly and kind and welcoming.
NB I sent both my DC to a Catholic school - they must accept 10% not of their faith to receive state funding - and they were happy. I attended mass and a mass was given for my father - a Catholic, which I am not - when he died.

This is my local Jewish secondary to someone above who said Jewish schools accept zero non Jews

The school will have their Admissions Policy on their website.

Depending upon the particular school, whether or not it's run by the Diocese or by a religious organisation and whether or not it's generally oversubscribed, they'll largely have a policy which is either EHCP, Looked After Children, then 'good' Catholics (attendance at Mass, form completed by the Priest to confirm they attend), then other Catholics, then Catechumentate, Eastern Orthodox, other faiths/denominations and then none/no evidence/couldn't be faffed with completing the additional form) or EHCP, LACs, any Baptised Catholics, then other faiths/denominations with evidence and then everybody else.

When so many schools are undersubscribed and some are closing due to fall in birth rates, they don't particularly give a monkey's how good a Catholic you are as long as they can get as many bodies in classes as possible so they can pay their bills.

Delightful.

No schools funded by taxpayers should be run like that. If my kids had had the misfortune of being forced to attend a faith school due to geography you bet I would have objected to the religious indoctrination 🙄. You want indoctrination you pay it for yourself.

For many people that’s not possible - faith schools are numerous and in some areas there’s literally no choice. I’ve had more than one friend have to move house to get into a secular school.

this is insane.

Faith schools should not be funded by taxpayers.

This is so silly. They don’t teach what’s not on their curriculum. And you’d be surprised to hear there’s no fire and brimstone these days.

My kids went to a catholic primary and both had the most wonderful, and openly gay, teacher in year 6.

Completely beside the point.

Faith schools exist and if you decide to send your child to a faith school, then abide by the tenets of that faith.

Don't enter a faith school and then complain about that faith being taught.

Secular schools are available-go there.

They do teach science

Apologies, can you elaborate?

My view on this has changed so much over time. Old me would have cried hypocrite. Now I think @sprigatito has it right.

We were lucky never to have to consider a religious school because we had great secular options... until the day our child stopped going to school. Now I wouldn't blink at compromising on the secularism, because we no longer have the luxury of choice on that. I don't judge anyone for jumping through the right hoops. You do, however, have to give some thought into how you frame it to your child. Are they being let in on your plan for their weekend time being something you don't believe in, done for "community"? They might not be so keen. Or are you going to lie to them about why you're doing it and bring them up pretending to believe it yourself? Children can be extraordinarily bad at keeping secrets!

"There definitely won't be any indoctrination"

You don't understand my post.

There is no such thing

Religious schools, of any kind, of any religion or denomination, in this day and age should not be funded by the tax payer. It’s just not fair.

If its a state school, which is a strictly secular and non religious school- which all tax payers funded schools should be, then there definitely won’t be any kind of indoctrination either way because they are not teaching them about someone’s god. If I am paying tax, i definitely would want to rely on the state for this, and expect the state not to spend this tax towards exclusive and selective religious schools.