Cant get DC into a faith school

[angelfireabbey]

I know this is possibly the wrong place because it seems the whole of MN is atheist or totally secular. However, there is a lot of discussion by MNers here about getting intofaith schools ( often without any faith because they are good schools).

I am a little bit fed up with it. I take my faith seriously. I take my DC to church and we believe. I wanted my DC to have a faith education. There are only two faith schools where I live. They are oversubscribed by parents who seem to have suddenly aquired a need to attend church to get a vicars signiture.

I had my pastors signiture but we didnt get a place. So instead my DC is stuck in a state school where the teachers and other children laugh and say that they have " imaginary friends" ( or simply they are nutters!) and that they believe in fairly stories etc. Sound familiar MN parents? ( I bet you wouldnt say it if someone were of say Jewish or Muslim faith though would you?). It is offensive you know.

They have an atheist teacher who clearly knows next to nothing about Christianity.

I would settle for any faith school although there are no others ( of any faith ) within 40 miles of us.

So how do I get into one? I have asked my church community. I know they are doing their best and we are praying hard but I am sure some savvy non religious types must know more here. So I am asking.
I see thread on thread where parents are scamming the system.So how does a genuine person get in?

Thanks.

Poisonwoodlife, our c of e school has only a handful of families with any faith background.It is just a small village school. The head is not a Christian and only a couple of the teachers are so it is really only C of E by name. The vicar is of course on the governers but she has one year old twins so not your bog standard vicar either!

tobeabat, as a Christian,I have been taught that there are several different types of love mentioned in the Bible. Obviously when we talk of love,most people in Western cultures think of 'Eros' which is based on feelings for someone you are attracted to. Philos is brotherly/family love which is different and then Agape and this is a description of that that I have cribbed from elsewhere.
This is a special term which represents the divine-love of the Lord towards his Son Jesus Christ, the human beings and all believers. This is the best of the three types of love in the bible, in fact Jesus himself showed this type of divine love to his Dad in heaven and humanity. Agape love is the love that God commanded all believers to have for everyone whether he/she is a believer or not. Agape love should never be determined by our feelings; it is more of a set of behaviors or actions. With agape, you do not have to actually feel it for you to give it, which means that you can be able to show love without feeling anything at all. At times feelings can follow after showing this kind of love.

This agape love is more about how you behave to people despite your feelings.You can act in a caring way towards people who are sometimes very unpleasant to be with. I can 'love' people who naturally speaking I don't particularly 'like'.

poison, I take your point but it sounds like your DD ended up accidentally in the firing line.

vdb was talking about teaching her DCs to go out of their way to "love and care for" a child who is known to display violent behaviour.

vdb, it's not the standard response of a parent.

It's the response of someone who has spent many years working with children with challenging behaviour and their parents.

You may think your DCs can "fix" this child with their love and care, but you need to speak to the school to find out if whether this will help or hinder the situation for that child.

SuburbanRhonda...it has been the response of most parents at the school, to the degree that most would like her removed to another school. My children are not overly trying to engage her,I am just teaching them to be compassionate and understanding.Not to seek revenge if they are spoken to rudely.Not to enjoy winding her up like some of the kids do. That is what I see loving and caring to be.I leave the teaching staff to decide whether the school is right for her. They are giving her a chance at mainstream and I respect that. They are managing the situation quite well and sit the class down regularly to discuss any concerns. They debrief after difficult scenarios.

suburban It depends what you mean by firing line. ADHD is a brain difference, the child did not act out of malice but hyperactivity and impulsiveness. My DD did not get picked on more than others. It was certainly not the last person she encountered whose brain difference has made them act in way that would normally be deemed inappropriate. She is a Scientist, so encounters plenty of autistic traits in colleagues. This is exactly the sort of moral issue we should be guiding our children in how to handle. If a child had a physical disability would you be advocating telling a child to avoid it and not try and pay attention to their special needs? In Year 6 she and her friends did get picked to have the autistic child in their class in their tent at camp, she couldn't cope with the communal activities for more than a few minutes before going into sensory overload and needing quiet time alone, and the teachers knew they could rely on my DD and friends to be understanding and not throw a strop about it. Obviously they were fed up that they were at a disadvantage in the camp competitions but was that a firing line, or a chance to learn about team work and helping the weaker members? That child incidentally although prone to hiding in your wardrobe and refusing to come out when she came to play is actually now a Air Hostess, who can also fly and repair planes......

Obviously if a child is causing physical or emotional harm or has needs that simply cannot be met in a mainstream environment then it is not fair to put other children in the firing line but if it is an opportunity for them to gain an understanding of the differences, and needs and what they have to offer society, shared by a significant number within society?