To go to church to broaden my childs choice of school

[AwkwardAadvark]

Hello
I live in an area where the comprehensive schools aren't great. There's only 1 I'd be happy for him to go too. We also live by 2 religious schools that I'd be happy with. Issue is these schools require church attendance. It's a while off but I do worry about these things. Do I start going to church to widen his choice of school?

Absolutely do this. Check the criteria properly first. School near us you don't have to be christened but do need to have scored enough points , so basically have to attend church once a month from reception to year 6. And lots of families think this is totally worth it for the incredible school

Had a bizarre experience at a local Catholic school where a teacher who knew I had a son kept questioning me over the fact that I was a 'Miss' rather than a 'Mrs.' It was only later that I twigged that she clearly had an issue with my having a child out of wedlock. Is this kind of thing common in Catholic schools?

It's also not lying. Most of them have a points system on attending church. You don't have to declare yourself to the religion. You just need to be respectful and turn up regularly

There's also the very simple maths of it being either their local school or a school miles away that happens to have places.

Our nearest three schools are faith schools, the nearest non-faith school generally has a very tiny catchment.

If one of the local CofE schools hadn't had a rubbish Ofsted two years before DS1 started primary there was a decent chance we would have got a school in the next county that would have been a 30 minute drive each way at peak hour. Because the faith schools were gummed up with kids who lived much further away, and the pressure on the non-faith schools was exacerbated.

As it was, lots of parents who previously thought a faith education was non-negotiable for their children suddenly found they had other priorities when the school was suddenly less outwardly desirable.

There was much outcry when the updated Ofsted restored the Good rating shortly after admissions closed....

Definitely not common, it is 2024 not 1924!
Being single, divorced, separated etc etc is quite common. Poor woman, she didn´t get the memo.

Thanks Katiesaidthat, it was an issue I had with thinking of sending my son to a Catholic school.

Yes. Why not. It might be beneficial to you in ways you hadnt imagined too

Yes. Why not. It might be beneficial to you in ways you hadnt imagined too

As a Christian, I also agree that admission dependent on a priests form should be abolished. A school can have a broad ethos connected to a faith, and parents can choose whether they want that environment for their child, but admission based solely on religion should be stopped. It's archaic in our diverse society.

I am confused though OP, why did you have your child baptised when you state you are not religious? As in the ceremony you have to state your commitment to God and to raise your child in line with religious principles.

Not ime there were loads of single mothers when ds1 was at his Catholic primary
Apparently my RE teacher did ask my mum if she was a single parent when she went to my parents evening alone ,she wasn't my Dad worked shifts, but I'm 50 now so this was in the 80,s

Positively Jesuitical, some posters on here are!

I would.
I think church is quite good for setting children on the right path and giving them broadly good values until they are old enough to think critically and decide their own.
I wouldn’t go to a fire-and-brimstone-you-are-a-sinner-if-you-are-gay church, but a moderate and open minded CofE is pretty harmless in my opinion.