To have not chosen an outstanding Catholic primary?

[MakingABoobOfIt]

So, primary school applications are done. We are lucky as we live in a rural area and so have a choice of schools, however most are not great. I haven’t chosen the local catholic primary as an option - even though its outstanding and less than 5 minutes walk from our house. I feel very strongly about DS not being Catholic educated, as I have serious issues with the Church, however I’m starting to doubt my decision as lots of local mums insist you ‘wouldn’t even know it’s Catholic’ 🤨 Having been Catholic-educated I very much doubt this, however I’m worried I’ve made a bad decision - should I have ignored my own issues to get DS into an outstanding (and by all accounts lovely) school?

Well what's the school like that you've chosen?

There is absolutely no way my children would ever go to a faith school. If you are worried about the schools could you move?

How come schools being Catholic is a bad thing nowadays?

All schools pray, teach RE and practice collective worship Catholic or not.

I tend to think a faith school makes zero impact- religion starts at home.
I would send my child to a CoE school, even though Im an atheist Jew :)

I have a great Catholic school by my house. But I agree with you. I am not a Catholic and don't want my child in a Catholic school. Those reasons alone are perfectly good enough. If the other option was an awful failing school then maybe I would rethink

I wouldnt send my child to a faith school unless the other available schools were very poor. I wouldnt be worried about RE lessons, as these would be found at all schools, but I wouldn't be happy with attending mass or doing morning prayers which I know most catholic schools do.
@Russell19 "all schools pray?" - they certainly don't!

Our DS is at our school because it's close and has wraparound care for longer hours than other local schools, which fits around our work. If you need the ease of access to a school 5 mins. away, you might regret going for another school but presumably you've worked out how you're going to get your DC to your chosen schools

@Russell19 having been brought up Catholic and educated in Catholic schools, I know that the Catholic
church has some pretty strong views around sexuality, women, etc that I do not want my child to think is correct.

I've had exactly the same experience, all the schools I've chosen are further away to avoid all the Catholic and CoE schools, even though our closest is an Outstanding catholic one. Everyone is shocked, and I'm getting rather fed up of having to politely explain that no matter how little religious influences there are, it's still a faith school and they go against our personal values. Religion and schools shouldn't mix, but that's a whole other thread (and still an uphill battle in this country unfortunately).

@lengthenmylutealphase well one is amazing, one good, and one ok. I’m just panicking we won’t get in to any of them as we’re not in the catchment.

One of my school choices is CofE school- outstanding, heavily resourced, extra curricular and before/after school care. We are atheists. My DD probably won't get a place but it's worth a try.

I wouldn't like my kids at a faith school either, for many reasons. Our primary does a bit of RE and has the odd assembly for Easter and stuff but all religion is taught as a "belief" rather than a fact which is what I'd prefer. And if I sent my kid to faith school I don't think I could complain really if they started telling bible stories in a similar way that they taught maths or phonics or something.
Also, while I'm sure things have improved immeasurably, church institutions of all Faith's don't have a great track record when it comes to safeguarding

@AnnoyingMNads yep our top choice is CofE - I have less of an issue with this, as the Church seems to have less influence, and also CofE is overall less mental than Catholic!

I did the same. I think it was unlikely we'd have fell into the catchment area now knowing how tiny they are but I didn't want to consider it. Our first choice was a CofE school and I'm actually quite pleased we didn't get in there actually. I like the wider, more rounded religious education that a non-religious school gives.

@MouthBreathingRage yes I totally agree with you. However our first choice is CofE - partly due to the fact that we don’t actually have any non-religious schools in our area and also I have fewer issues with CofE than Catholic.

@Boom45 I guess my concern is if we don’t get in to one of our chosen schools, the Catholic school will then be our best/only option...

@RhymingRabbit3 all schools must carry out daily collective worship. It is written in the schools act.

Take from that what you will but by definition it means 'reverence to a divine being or power'

Also not sure how people say CofE schools are different. Same Christiantity, same bible.

I've just worked for a term in an outstanding Catholic school and I wouldn't send my dc there.

RE is a core subject and is taught for four hours a week in every class so there is less time for other subjects like art, PE, history and science.

I wouldn't entertain a faith school for my DC. I'd rather home school.

My DC school do the bare minimum for the collective worship crap which pleases me (and all the other parents I know from the school). They have a couple of assemblies a year with a visiting vicar, and the usual RE lessons, which aren't religious instruction, just education on what religion is and how it works. They don't sing hymns or anything dreary like that. They did a whole term singing The Greatest Showman soundtrack in assembly, which was great to see!
Christmas and Easter and the like is a very secular affair, too. All Santa and Chocolate giving bunnies!

@BabyDubsEverywhere if home schooling wasn’t an option, what would you do? Send them to a terrible local primary, or the Catholic one?

I would have chosen the local Catholic infant school near us. We had no chance getting in though, as we don’t go to any church. Shame, as the standard of the facilities and results is excellent. Even through to secondary school!

I wouldn't send my DC to a faith school. Even if the school isn't very "faithy" you're only a change of headteacher away from a more faith based education. We are in an area of the country where most children go to their local schools, so this restricted where we could live as about 50% of the schools are faith schools.

Even in a non-faith school there is quite a lot of religion in assembies and RE is quite skewed to Christianity.

@Justajot I know, I hate it. But, in our area, faith schools are the only option unfortunately.

If the catholic school is better than others and so conveniently located, I'd go for it (assuming we'd get a place). Religion comes from home. Also by the sounds of it (if people are surprised you didn't select it), it probably is unlikely to be a totally bonkers hardcore one.

Of course yanbu not to send your dc to a school with a religious ethos you don’t agree with. I can understand people who do, but it’s better if people send their dc to schools that more suit their outlook as less chance of conflict.