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Original poster

WWYD if the only decent school in your area was Catholic, you aren't religious and all other schools in area are rubbish?

46 replies

CrapBag · 01/04/2011 16:31

DS isn't starting school until next year but I am thinking about this now.

We don't live in a great area but can't afford to move at the moment. The only decent school, and my closest one is Catholic. We aren't religious. The other schools are not good at all and I do not want to send DS to a single one of them from our area. I wanted a close school as I have M.E. and wanted to be able to walk, if we can't do the Catholica school, I will have to drive during a school run which will be a real pain.

WWYD? Would you only apply for ones that are outside your catchment area?

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 01/04/2011 16:34

We moved, although I see this isn't an option for you right now.

Does the catholic school have to admit a certain number of non catholics?

moogalicious · 01/04/2011 16:35

If you're in the catchment area go for it. At my local catholic school you don't have to go to catholic church to attend. My dc's go to the local CofE school, again we were in the catchment and didn't have to attend church. I would check their admissions policy.

Original poster
CrapBag · 01/04/2011 16:37

They do admit non Catholic children but I have seen the stats for last years admissions and their criteria. Basically, non religious children are 8th on the criteria list and they had nearly 50 applications for 30 places.

I guess I will have to hope there aren't as many applications when we apply.

My friend who also lives in this area is going to home school for a while because the schools are so rubbish. I really do wish we could move actually. Maybe in a few years and I will just change DS's school.

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amothersplaceisinthewrong · 01/04/2011 16:39

If the Catholic school is oversubscribed - and if as you suggest it is the only decent school in the area it may well be, it will give preference to Catholics - who through the church pay towards the school.

mypandasgotcrabs · 01/04/2011 16:41

Are the schools really not any good? Our junior school is one of only 5 in the city (3 primary, 2 secondary) that were classed as 'failing' or whatever it is ofsted call it. According to Ofsted it's a terrible school. It's actually bloody fantastic! I took ds1 out of his old school as it went downhill when the new head started and he was going backwards (that school is classed by ofsted as outstanding & good). He started at the new school (the infants attached to the juniors) and within 1/2 a term had caught up with everyone else. Now, in year 4 he is working at year 7 level and does lots of g&t extras.

If you haven't already done so I'd check what the schools are really like and if you still come to the conclusion they're crap then I'd move.

Original poster
CrapBag · 01/04/2011 16:47

I have looked at the Ofsted reports and a couple didn't look that bad but by word of mouth of other parents, they don't rate any in this area at all.

Problem is we have a part rent part buy house, we can't afford a different one as we have no deposit and no equity and if we had to sell our share we would have to pay an early redemption charge and have to go back to renting and the rents where we live are too expensive for us. We couldn't afford to rent a 3 bed place. We only have 2 bedrooms now and have a DS and a DD so we know that this is going to be an issue in the future.

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IndigoBell · 01/04/2011 17:52

Word of mouth of parents who have children at that school and who share the same values as you?

Otherwise I wouldn't listen to the gossip.....

sue52 · 01/04/2011 17:55

A non Catholic might feel might feel a bit left out when her classmates are all preparing for first communion, confession and confirmation. These are important milestones for Catholic children and take a lot of time in school. It's not a reason to dismiss a school but is something to be aware of.

laInfanta · 01/04/2011 17:56

Paris is worth a mass....

coccyx · 01/04/2011 17:57

not sure you should be taking a place of a true Catholic pupil

wineclub · 01/04/2011 18:06

Don't listen to gossip. People form opinions of a school from way back and its difficult to change the perception even if the school radically changes. Visit the schools yourself to see what they are really like.

The 50 applicants for 30 places may be misleading. You need to know how many people put it as their first choice, the school will be able to tell you. Even at 8th on the criteria you will get in if less than 30 put it as their first choice. If its more than 30 you need to know how many non Catholics they admitted. However if the other schools are dire then its likely to be oversubscribed.

As you drive you may be able to find a nice under-subscribed school that isn't too far (as you are getting in the car anyway 6-7 miles isn't much worse than 2 miles). The disadvantage is the difficultly in after school playdates etc.

Original poster
CrapBag · 01/04/2011 21:53

Coccyx I wouldn't be taking the place of a Catholic pupil, they get priority as I said, then if there are spaces left it is open to others.

My sister went there and isn't Catholic, what exactly do they do and would non Catholic children be excluded from that? They admit other faiths as well over any non religious people.

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23balloons · 01/04/2011 22:37

sue52 that isn't true anymore. Children are not prepared in school anymore instead they have to go to extra classes on Sat or Sunday for up to 10 months every week, even though they attend a Catholic school, believe me I know I am on child 2 & I am fed up of all of the extra classes.

zanzibarmum · 01/04/2011 23:36

If you got your child in my experience is that you wouldn't feel excluded (child not making first holy communion) but if the school is over-subscribed your chances of getting in appear limited.

It is interesting that the Catholic school admission thing comes up here often mainly from non Catholics desparate to get their child in.

NonnoMum · 01/04/2011 23:41

Apply.

There will be some regular church goers in the class, a few occasional church goers, a few Christmas-only church goers, some non-Catholics and a few who can't remember what religion they are (and that's just the parents).

2 and 2 will still equal 4 - there will be some celebration etc when First Communion happens etc but they certainly won't strike you down for not being "one of them"!!

onceamai · 02/04/2011 10:28

You know what the answer is crap bag and we are all too politically correct to spell it out for you. One school you want your children to go to, it is catholic and catholics take priority in relation to admissions. It's insincere and it's wrong but it's the only way you will get what you want for your children at this stage - if the same applies to the secondaries locally though you will have to remain on your knees for many years yet. The upside is that you can confess weekly and be absolved of your guilt.

Original poster
CrapBag · 02/04/2011 11:42

I'm not converting just to get them into a school if thats what you mean onceamai.

I will apply and hope for the best. I'm not pretending to be something we are not though. My second and third choices are going to have to be out of area schools. No way am I sending my children to our local ones. Wish I had thought of this before we took this house.

OP posts:
MikeRotch · 02/04/2011 11:43

no fucking way

THINK of the sex ed [rolls eyes}

Original poster
CrapBag · 02/04/2011 11:47

Just had another look at the table. All the first choice applicants got a place regardless of what religion they were as there were only 16 Catholic applicants. Its the second and third choices that missed out more.

OP posts:
Original poster
CrapBag · 02/04/2011 11:47

MikeRotch what sex ed would they teach them? No contraception? Surely they wouldn't teach primary children that?

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Pinkcushion · 02/04/2011 11:49

It's not true that children are no longer prepared in school for First Holy Communion - a friend's children are doing it in school but you have the option to do it with the church if your child attends a non Catholic school.

I would say that is going to be the hardest thing for your child - First Holy Communion is huge - they make a very big deal of it - kids get lots of money too - little girls dressed up in princess /wedding style dresses...it's very appealing to a primary school child. Even if they don't teach it, the class will all be taking it and talking about it - the non catholics would feel very excluded. Confirmation is lower key but still a big event. I think it would be easier for a boy though.

If you can get past this bit, the rest of Catholic schooling isn't much different to CofE schools.

.

Original poster
CrapBag · 02/04/2011 11:52

See my thinking now is that because only 16 out of the 30 places went to Catholic children anyway there would be nearly half the children who wouldn't be taking part in First Holy Communion anyway so my children wouldn't feel left out.

OP posts:
Pinkcushion · 02/04/2011 12:22

I think there still would be quite a lot of hysteria over it - but as long as you're aware and prepared for that it probably wouldn't be as much of a problem. It's a bit like your child not getting invited to the biggest party of the year - you can set up an alternative to make up for it.

I know many people who send their kids to Catholics schools - they are cultural Catholics - essentially they were born into it - but don't take it very seriously at all.

zanzibarmum · 02/04/2011 21:06

Onceamai - you might have been tryinhg to be funny but you have just succeeded in being somewhat offensive.

onceamai · 03/04/2011 08:49

Zanzibarmum - no not trying to be funny actually, speaking from experience. Our DC went to the outstanding CofE primary around the corner. Church attendance continued depending on what parents wanted next for their children - many of the state till 8 brigade were never seen in the pews again; the secondary CofE brigade continued to go until the end of year 6, sometimes with a hiatus in the middle if only two years' fortnightly attendance was required (although some got caught out when a local school raised it to three years!). About two to three families continue to go to church regularly by the time their children are at secondary school. FYI one of ours went independent at 8; the other is at a selective girls state school. We still continue to go to church; I am not judging what others do - they do it because they want the best for their children, on the whole cannot afford the independent sector and because they are established in a very expensive part of London, they do their best for their children. Along the way a few really do find God and convert and become fully integrated members of their church communities.