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Original poster

Church schools - how can they get away with it?

567 replies

CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 21:33

Am I right in thinking that they are state funded?

How come they can pick and choose when others can't? Isn't it essentially exclusion on the basis of religion, isn't that BAD in the current climate?

OP posts:
ScummyMummy · 24/08/2006 12:53

Me: Do ya like Noah?
Pink J: Yes my child

vnmum · 24/08/2006 12:54

this topc has been of interest to me lately. DS is only 9 months but we have been talking about a christening etc. The thing is, DH and I are not religious. we both went to our local C of E primary school (only primary in the village) and as part of that school we sang hymns in assembly and had to attend church on certain occasions (this was a long time ago mind).

Anyway, we had a civil wedding because we felt like hypocrites to get married in a church but when we talk about christening etc, our gut feeling is that we want a non religious naming ceremony, BUT we know that if he is christened he may stand a better chance of getting into a better school. is this right that we should be having this dilemma over a naming ceremony, and that we may end up going against our beleifs and having ds christened just for education sakes?

MrsFio · 24/08/2006 12:55

they are non selective though

dd's school is CofE and its a SLD/PMLD special school and people from all walks go there. they just have opicture of the archbishop of canterbury in the reception thats all

Original poster
CountessDracula · 24/08/2006 12:57

what are non selective Fio?

OP posts:
Pamina3 · 24/08/2006 12:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

harpsichordcarrier · 24/08/2006 12:59

what are non selective Fio? do you mean non selective on the grounds of ability?

MrsFio · 24/08/2006 13:00

the church schools here

MrsFio · 24/08/2006 13:00

you dont have to be CofE to go, you have to have special needs though well actually they are fully inclusive, so maybe you dont

ScummyMummy · 24/08/2006 13:01

Me: Would you like to be a mumsnetter?
Pink Jesus: For Christ sake!

This reaaly is such a good toy.

tortoiseshell · 24/08/2006 13:03

Ds1s CofE school is non-selective - it is VC, so has exactly the same entrance criteria as any other LEA school.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 24/08/2006 13:03

Really?

Check their admission policy

Ours is:

Responsibility for admissions to the school rests with the Governors. The Governors, having consulted with the Local Education Authority, and the Diocese, intend to admit the standard number of thirty pupils into the Reception Class and to do so without reference to physical or academic ability or aptitude. The Governors will require proof of baptism and evidence of practice from the relevant Parish Priest or equivalent.

The school exists primarily to serve the Catholic community. However, the Governing Body welcomes applications from parents of children of other denominations and faiths who support the religious ethos of the school and, subject to the availability of places, from other families. (yeah right all the hypocrites ensure that this is not possible)

PRINCIPLES

In the event of the school being oversubscribed, the following order of priority will be applied:

    1. Baptised Catholic children, who have a sibling in the School at the time of admission, where one or both parents/guardians are practising members of the Catholic faith in the Parish of St Mary Magdalen.
    1. Baptised Catholic children, who have a sibling in the School at the time of admission, where one or both parents/guardians are practising members of the Catholic faith in another Parish.
    1. Baptised Catholic children where one or both parents/guardians are practising members of the Catholic faith in the Parish of St Mary Magdalen.
    1. Baptised Catholic children where one or both parents/guardians are practising members of the Catholic faith in another Parish.

In the context above, practising members of the Catholic faith refers to people who regularly attend Saturday vigil or Sunday Mass.

    1. Baptised Catholic children with a sibling in the School at the time of admission.
    1. Baptised Catholic children.
    1. Baptised Christian Children where one or both parents/guardians are practising members of a Christian church with a sibling in the School at the time of admission.
    1. Baptised Christian Children where one or both parents/guardians are practising members of a Christian church.
    1. Any other child with a sibling in the School at the time of admission.

10.10. Any other applicant.

In the case of over-subscription in each of the categories, 1 ? 10 above places will be awarded in the following order of priority.

Ø Ø Looked after children.

Ø Ø Children with special educational needs, medical or social grounds for attending the School. A letter from a doctor or other appropriately qualified professional stating the reason why the School is necessary for the child, must accompany the application.

Ø Ø Children living closest to the School based on the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Geographical Information System.

OP posts:
Original poster
CountessDracula · 24/08/2006 13:04

is he on a bike scumster?

OP posts:
MrsFio · 24/08/2006 13:04

cadburys dd goes to a catholic school and they are CofE, i dont think it was even a problem

(sorry cadbury)

tortoiseshell · 24/08/2006 13:04

Our entrance policy is

  1. SENS
  2. Siblings
  3. Distance from school.
ScummyMummy · 24/08/2006 13:05

Me: Should countess d send her child to church school?
PJ: yes my child

lol.

sorry, this is getting dull isn't it? maybe you have to be here!

Original poster
CountessDracula · 24/08/2006 13:07

Scummy you could tour the country with him

Roll up for ScummyMummy and her pet christ on a bike they will solve your worries

OP posts:
milward · 24/08/2006 13:07

Why just not make schools non religious, non selective & take kids that live locally? Seems so simple.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 24/08/2006 13:07

(PJ it's no good I am not sending her)

OP posts:
Original poster
CountessDracula · 24/08/2006 13:08

YES MILWARD!

OP posts:
ScummyMummy · 24/08/2006 13:09

no cd- he's a bright pink plastic statue about 10 inches tall. Have you seen those 8 balls that tell you what to do? Fluid filled with a multifacted dice thingy inside with different messages on each face? He's like those- as you turn him upside down his answer floats to the surface. He's most amusing, I'm finding.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 24/08/2006 13:10

hey fio I think you are wrong

"St Michael's in Tenterden is a church school, and like all other church schools, gives priority to children who want to go to a church school, and they have to identify that on their application form."

OP posts:
MrsFio · 24/08/2006 13:11

she goes the school in the city my dear

Original poster
CountessDracula · 24/08/2006 13:13

no twitty I am showing you that selection does exist in Kent

OP posts:
MrsFio · 24/08/2006 13:14

KCC are shits though in all honestly

Cappuccino · 24/08/2006 13:22

harpsi do you really think that I would expose my kids to such scaremongering rubbish? what are you saying about me as a parent?

you're going to find bloody mad Xian stuff on the net, course you are. And you are going to find bloody mad Xians as well. That doesn't mean it's all the same. Everything in life attracts fanatics and nutters.

Each individual priest when questioned will have aspects of the Bible that he does not preach on, or interprets differently, or conveniently avoids. Personally I hate the miracle savings of disabled kids, being the mother of one, but I talked through this with my vicar and he was as sceptical about those bits as I was. We're not all fundamentalists that believe every aspect of the Bible is literally true. Much of the Bible is not literally true nor do Xians all believe that it is - otherwise there wouldn't be millions of books trying to interpret different aspects of the message.

I go to my church and I am part of a loving community. We pray for each other when we are sick. Everyone is kind and lovely to my children. My children are taught to live a good life. It's a simple message and there is none of this crap attached. When Myra Hindley died our priest prayed for her in the service and his sermon said basically who are we to judge? God will judge her and if he believes that she repents it is his judgement. All we can do is live the best life we can and treat everyone with respect and love. does this sound like the church you are banging on about?

I'm sick of all this crap about the church being violent and judgmental and bloodthirsty just because some some churches are. It's not my church and if it was I wouldn't take my kids there. there's been all this stuff in the news recently about how dreadful it is that everyone is fearing muslims and becoming prejudiced against them cos of a few mad fundamentalists.

yet you still feel it is okay to suggest that I take my kids blithely into a community for a chippy service about child sacrifice just because you've heard it elsewhere Having never been to my church you still feel it's okay to roundly slag off the choices I make and make assumptions. I haven't been 'misled' - I don't go to a cruel fundamentalist church and I would walk out of it if I found myself in one. Are you saying I have no discretion in the influences I give my children? or that I just go along with whatever is said because I'm somehow indoctrinated? or I'm too thick or brainwashed to listen? it insults me, frankly

i'm staying away from this now cos it makes me so damn cross.