Bishop Gilpin parents - And you call yourselves Christians?? (MERTON SCHOOLS)

[NutellaWithEverything]

Name changed because I need to rant about my DS not having been offered a school place and don't want to be outed. I am in Wimbledon and my nearest school in Bishop Gilpin. My DS has not been accepted to start in Reception this September coming even though it takes us three minutes to get there. Yet, they take in children from the other side of Wimbledon even though they have to drive through town to get there. And why?? Because they go to the right churches. So last November there was a request from the Council to add another Reception class but parents voted against other children from their own community benefiting from attending a good school. They felt it would be in the detriment of their school's community feel!!!!! AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS IS SELFISH, SHORT-SIGHTED, UN-GODLY AND JUST PLAIN WRONG?????????????????

they do the same in other religious muslims jews ect there right i guess

A faith school with take their own faith in first -and rightly so. If you wnat the benefits of a faith school then join the 'right sort of churches' - and believe in it. It pisses me off no end with mardy parents expecting to get a faith place when they have absolutely no interests in the fundamental ethos of the school and just want to latch on to 'results'.

Yes I didn't suggest it's not their right, quite clearly it is otherwise the Council would just make them take anothe class. I just find it hard to reconcile what they claim to believe in with their actions.

Erm if the a faith school accepted children who weren't practising in that faith then they'd no longer be a faith school would they? Or am I missing something?

I don't understand why a non church attender would want their DC to go to a church school. Surely the ethos of the school would be contrary to your own?

Why would a fiath school want to set up a whole new class - probably meaning a class room build - and employment of another teacher and the funding that involves .... just to facilitate nonbelievers?

We expect a school place which our taxes are funding. The fact that they're faith places is something to contend with. We're paying for those places, right?? Or do they only accept the money of people of faith????

Don't make the mistake of confusing christianity with good behavior (e.g. the inquisition). Your children will be better off being educated away from these sky fairy believing hypocrites.

Who said I'm a non believer anyway????

troisgarcons, NON-BELIEVERS are facilitating faith schools

So - ummm - are you an adherent of that particular faith? If not, why do you want your DC to go there?

troisgarcons - surely you mean the children of nonbelievers. The children themselves are too young to decide on the validity of their parents beliefs.

probably because they teach thier views and dont want parents who dont belive their views to start writting in to complain that they dont want their children to be taught that i would not go around judging peoples views its their right you said so your self why ask??

And whilst we're at it - are you accusing them of NOT being Christians just because your precious darling didn't get in because - correct me here if I am wrong - you neither attend church nor subscribe to that faith?

Faith school or not, as a parent I wouldn't want an extra class added to the school. I like small schools. Selfish? Maybe. Short-sighted, no definitely not. Un-godly? You'll have to ask the big "fella" himself. Wrong? Certainly not. They are doing what is best for the school now, and in the future.

It is madness that so many children are driven to school in this country, but that happens with grammar schools, faith schools, special schools, or just because a parent fancies a school on the other side of town.

I think there are bigger things to to consider here than the fact that it's 3 minutes from your house. I went to Catholics schools as a child because I came from a Catholic family. I can't imagine what it would have been like had I not come from the same faith - it formed part of heaven knows how many parts of the day. Your children need to go somewhere where they'll be comfortable.

Because my values really do not differ AT ALL from those of Christians, that's the culture I know and live in. I just don't attend church and I did not think I needed to do so in order to get my son into our nearest school. How naive...

I asked that too Piazza. I wouldn't want my DC to go to a school if they didn't meet the 'criteria'.

It may well be a horribly divisive system but it is the one in place in England.

But as a person without faith would you want your kid to go to a faith school? What if Bishop Gilpin was a madrassa (with great results etc) would you want your kid to go there? And surely when you made an application for a place you were aware of the admissions criteria?

I'm an atheist, but I think it's a bit tight to rant about 'call themselves christians' when you as a non church goer are trying to get your kid into a christian school.

Faith schools should fuck off. I expect the OP wants her DC to go there because it's local, a good school and paid for with public funds

haha o deer well once you pick your dummy back up find a different school lol they said no so deal with it as a adult and stop moaning

I was of the impression that faith schools weren't funded in the same way that 'mainstream' state schools were, which is why they are allowed to have different admissions criteria?

In that case, it somewhat negates the 'my taxes pay for it, so they should accommodate my child' attitude tbh.

I'm quite prepared to be shown wrong, it was just what I was lead to believe is all.

You didn't think you would have to attend church to get your children into a church school?

There are no church schools where I live but even I knew that!

EricNorthmansMistress, quite precisely

Well didn't you check the admissions criteria? Cos I reckon 'church attendance' is on there.