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Original poster

Church of England schools in London - some advice please

31 replies

nanneh · 29/12/2005 14:43

Hello

I was wondering if anyone had experience with trying to get their child into a C of E school. I am not exactly devote (in any religion !), but one of the top schools in my part of London happens to be C of E. Their requirement is that you have to have attended their church for at least 12 months before application.

My DS is now 18 months old, but as it can be difficult to sort schools out, I am planning way ahead !

I just wondered whether such schools are good out "fishing out" those who are not that religious and whether that will create a problem. I have no problems with attending church. I have done so in the past on a regular basis, but this was back in the 80's. I have not been baptised in the C of E, but was baptised into another Christian church (American-based)in 1985. I have not been to church since as I became disillusioned with the pratcises of the church I had joined.

I have a good knowledge of Christianity though and have read both the Old and New Testaments at least twice, cover to cover. I went to go a
C of E private school in my youth !!

Any advice appreciated.

OP posts:
troubledmummy · 29/12/2005 14:53

hi dont know if its any help but my dd started school in sept in kingston i tried to get her in to the c of e school that i went to as a child but they were full even some of they children that went to there nursery didnt geta space i would try and get him into the nursery when he is old enough and start going to church as i was told that i would need a letter from a priest to prove that i went to church which i couldnt do good luck

hativity · 29/12/2005 15:10

my local c of e (Also in Kingston) have several criteria - in order they are

  • siblings
  • attend the church to which the school is attached
  • attend another c of e church in teh area
  • attend a non c of e church (I think)
  • distance

If you are claiming attendance at a church you need teh vicar to sign a piece of paper that says you attend "more often than not". I kind of assume vicars don't lie about this stuff. But also means you need to make yourelf known and not just sneak off unseen at the end of the service.

Original poster
nanneh · 29/12/2005 15:12

hello trouble !
Thanks for that. I am planning to move nearer to the school soon and also attend their church at least twice a month, which is what they require. I don't even mind being more involved in some of the church activities.

I am not trying to be a hypocrite, I do believe in God and pray in private often, I am just not as into it as some church-goers may be.

I just wondered if they have some kind of "faith police" so they can work out whether someone is not that devote ?

OP posts:
hativity · 29/12/2005 15:13

no faith police in Kingston. just that crucial piece of paper with the vicar's signature on it.

Blondeinlondon · 29/12/2005 15:15

Your local council should be able to give you the criteria list for that particular school

I doubt you will be fully quizzed on your belief but you should be prepared to participate fully in church - coffee after the service, events etc

Original poster
nanneh · 29/12/2005 15:16

hativity - thanks. I will make sure
I get to know the vicar and attend enough to get known in the church community

OP posts:
troubledmummy · 29/12/2005 15:17

yeah hativity i had the same probelm that only thing going in our favour was that it was the nearset shcool to us now we have to walk a 40 min walk to school lol

hativity · 29/12/2005 15:18

do I know you??? which c of e are we talking about?

Original poster
nanneh · 29/12/2005 15:20

hey, I have brought 2 kingston mothers together !!

OP posts:
troubledmummy · 29/12/2005 15:20

im talking about st.lukes im fiarly new to mumsnet so dont know anybody

donnie · 29/12/2005 15:20

schools are very wised up to parents who suddenly ' find God' in order to get their kids into a particular school. I personally think it is hypocritical to start going to church just for this purpose - although this is not a personal attack on you - you say you aren't trying to be a hypocrite, which I appreciate.
This topic has generated acres of discussion columns on this board and will continue to do so....I am not going to get sucked back in! We ( my family ) are regular church attenders and my dds will go to the school attached to the church which everyone wants to go to. The first criteria for entry is siblings, the second is baptised children of REGULAR COMMITTED church attenders and I think that is fair enough. Why would non church attenders or non religious people want their kids to go to a religious school??
anyway, that's my tuppence worth!

troubledmummy · 29/12/2005 15:21

lol @ nanneh

hativity · 29/12/2005 15:24

for a minute you seemed like someone I know in rl - they tried a c of e school and now have a long walk to school across Kingston. But I was thinking of St John's. Not even sure I know where St Luke's is!

troubledmummy · 29/12/2005 15:26

st. lukes is in acre road a girl we walk part of the way to school with goes to st. johns and she tried st.lukes and got turned down maybe thats her lol

Original poster
nanneh · 29/12/2005 15:26

donnie - thanks for that. I appreciate your views, but I don't think sending my son to a church school (beacuse it happens to be the best in the area) is any less or more hypocirtical than people who lie and cheat (about addresses, etc) to get their child into a local school. I think faith is a personal matter and if one person has slightly "less" faith than another, that should not bar them from the best school in their neighbourhood. I also don't fit into the "found God overnight" category. I was a regular church attender throughout the 80's. It just happened to be a different church in a different country.

OP posts:
uwila · 29/12/2005 15:30

I think various C of E schools have different definitions for regular attendance. The one that I HOPE to get DD into says regular attendance for the previous 12 months, but I think this means once a month. And baptism isn't part of the equation.

If you contact the school they should be able to give you the current entrance criteria.

uwila · 29/12/2005 15:33

nanneh, are you American?

ladymuck · 29/12/2005 15:35

I'm not in Kingston but am in a London borough. At our local CofE you had to fill in an application form where you had to list the attendance of yourself and your husband individually (monthly frequency), and outline what church activities you were each involved in. You also had to get a reference from your minister which stated how long you had been involved for, and the extent of your involvement. It was pretty much all activity based rather than on spirituality if you see what I mean.

There was a period of 2 years prior to admission which was scrutinised, though if you had moved in this time you could list other churches etc.

Pollyannainexcelsis · 29/12/2005 15:36

My children are in a c of e school in N London. I think the top criteria there (after sibling priority) is regular attendance at the local church for 2 years. By regular, that is twice a month. You have to get a letter from the vicar, and the Governors are very strict about people attending to get into the school (I think they turned a couple of families away this year). There are still lots of families finding religion at the last minute to get their children in. Which area are you in Nanneh?

Original poster
nanneh · 29/12/2005 15:43

uwila - no I am not. I am British. But I lived in Vienna in the 80's and attended an American church when I was at the American school there.

OP posts:
Original poster
nanneh · 29/12/2005 15:45

I live in the Brent area.

OP posts:
Original poster
nanneh · 29/12/2005 15:51

Polly - the couples who were turned down - was it beacuse they had not attended for the required period, or is it beacuse the faith police sussed them out ?

What I am trying to find out is, if I get massively involved in the previous 2 years because I live in the local area, does that still not count as being good enough ? The requirement of the school I am interested in is at least 12 months.

I most certaily won't be attending just the week before, it will be for at least 2 years previous to applying.

Has anyone attended church regulalrly for at least 2 years prior to applying and still been turned down ?

OP posts:
Creole · 29/12/2005 20:35

I attended church on a weekly basis prior to admission to get my DS into a CofE school. My DS started this sept and I am still going to church as I like it soo much.

The admission criteria for my school is:

Children in care
Siblings
People living in the parish
Church attenders

Which I think is fair enough.

But I think if you want to get your child into the best CofE school, then go for it - we all want the best for our kids.

Good luck.

Creole · 29/12/2005 20:38

BTW, I don't think it's hypocritical, they set the rules: church attending = no admission!
What do they except if people find a way to bend the rules, especially people who are not fortunate enough to live near a decent school.

Creole · 29/12/2005 20:40

I mean, regular church attendance = addmission.

Go for it girl!