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Original poster

Cant get DC into a faith school

581 replies

angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 14:46

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.

OP posts:
JassyRadlett · 26/10/2014 18:18

I pay for them too, so why should I equally not be able to access them?

Taking that argument and applying it in a non-discriminatory way would mean than at you would need CofE, RC, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and truly secular schools in close proximity to ensure that everyone has access to the faith education of their choice.

Or we could just say that all state-funded schools should be faith-neutral, and faith education should be carried out by churches or through schools funded by the church.

Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 18:25

The teacher told her she was a nutcase? And a silly girl believing in fairy stories? And she is still at that school exactly why? If she was mine she wouldn't have gone back.

Because I have nowhere else to send her at the moment. Why do you think I am trying so hard to find out how I can get her into another school?

OP posts:
Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 18:26

I am trying hard to move schools during this next week - half term.

OP posts:
minifingers · 26/10/2014 18:35

"She was told she was a nutcase because she has an imaginary friend called Jesus. She was told Jesus hadnever existed and it was all a fairy tale"

If a teacher said this to your child and it can be corroborated then you need to make a formal complaint to the governing body and the head. It sounds like your dd is being bullied and this needs to be addressed.

"I have a genuine faith."

But really - it's not about you. You are not the person who is taking up a place at school - your child is. Allocation of school places really needs to centre on the needs of children - all children of all faiths - to have a safe, happy and LOCAL education.

Camolips · 26/10/2014 18:41

If the mocking as you describe is actually true then you should have contacted the school, ht, governors, lea etc because it is completely unacceptable. And nothing to do with being a 'non-faith' school.

Pinkandpurplehairedlady · 26/10/2014 18:44

I haven't read the whole thread but we had a similar issue and found a faith school in a village nearby. It means a 15 min drive to and from school but for us it's worth it.

Are there any schools in the surrounding areas you could look at?

Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 18:46

If the mocking as you describe is actually true then you should have contacted the school, ht, governors, lea etc because it is completely unacceptable. And nothing to do with being a 'non-faith' schoo.

I have contacted the school. I have made a complaint. I have asked for her to be moved to another school I have even contacted the RE advisor for the Local Authority.

But the school have taken little or no notice so far - or at least they have said nothing to me.

I have been told though ,following my complaint to the Re advisor that I would be prioritised on the list for the next available place at the faith school I chose but that is like waiting for gold around here. It requires someone to leave and that is unlikely to happen.

Meanwhile I am stuck with a poor school or looking for something else.

OP posts:
queenofthepirates · 26/10/2014 18:50

If there's no place at the local faith school, I can only suggest you start one yourself. There's lots of info here www.gov.uk/set-up-free-school to help you.

SanityClause · 26/10/2014 19:03

Can I just remind you, OP, that the schoolgirl who was groomed by her maths teacher, Jeremy Forrest, attended a faith school.

I get that you are unhappy with your DD's current RS teacher, but it doesn't follow that a teacher at a faith school will be much better.

The DD of friend of mine was bullied at a faith school. The school denied that any bulliying happened at the school, ever.

So, sort out the bullying, at the current school, either within the school, or by removing her, but remember a faith school may not be any better.

fairgame · 26/10/2014 19:11

I went to an non-faith school. My RE teacher was the local Reverend! He used to teach RE part time, he was a lovely man.
We have similar situation in my area OP. There is only 1 faith secondary school (catholic), everyone else has to go the state schools.
How far up the waiting list is your daughter for the faith school? If she's near the top would it be worth hanging on maybe til the end of this term rather then move her now and move her again if a place does come up?

fairgame · 26/10/2014 19:12

Sanity i don't think that your supposed to name the child that was groomed by jeremy forest, the papers certainly don't. I've reported your post just in case.

ArsenicChaseScream · 26/10/2014 19:20

That's a bit left-field Sanity

SanityClause · 26/10/2014 19:21

Her name is all over the newspaper sites online, so I'm guessing it's okay, but I'm happy for MNHQ to delete my post, if they think it's necessary, fairgame.

SanityClause · 26/10/2014 19:24

I don't think it is, Arsenic.

The OP seems to think if her DD goes to a faith school, all her problems will cease, but, in fact, there may be problems at any given faith school, as well.

fairgame · 26/10/2014 19:25

It's probably my mistake then Sanity. The last few times i read the articles in the DM (the ones about her writing to him in prison) they didn't name her so i just assumed she can't be named. I apologise if i've got it wrong.

SanityClause · 26/10/2014 19:28

No problem, fairgame. I'm happy for it to be deleted if I shouldn't have named her. (I don't think I've ever been deleted before.)

NerfHerder · 26/10/2014 19:39

I think you should pray.

Obviously if your god wants your children in a faith school, he would provide

Personally, I think anyone that wants a faith based education should pay for it. Religion has no place in a state education system- even the US, the most God-fearing nation on earth, the nation with the highest rates of belief in a deity or higher being, has a separation of church and state.

NerfHerder · 26/10/2014 19:42

And yours is a genuine faith? Really?

But so is that of Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Jews, Buddhists, Rastafarians, Sufis etc etc etc

Which of you are right? Which one of your gods is the true one? Confused

pointyfangs · 26/10/2014 19:49

Nerf to be fair to the OP, I think what she means is that she really believes, as opposed to people who 'get' religion just so they can get into a school they perceive as better than others.

Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 19:50

You are quite right nerfherder, but God also helps those who help themselves. I am just trying to get the appropriate result.

Clearly nothing is going to be right in DC's current school now. I have complained. The teacher is unlikely to take that kindly. My DC will bear the brunt of that.

I originally chose a faith school. My DD wanted this school but not for the reasons you may think. Like everyone else she knew it was a good school and was looking forward to being there. It is also nearer than the school she is currently at. Its the place most of her friends have gone to. Its probably my fault for not being pushy enough that she didnt get in there.

The minute I start to push she miraculously goes up the list to first priority!

But if she does go there now of course, she will have a history and a label following her.

Best we can do is hope the church and my minister will sort something out now.

I would pay if it was AFFORDABLE.

OP posts:
Phineyj · 26/10/2014 19:50

Given current affairs at the moment, students at secondary are asking a lot about these issues of faith and how they connect to war. The students want to understand what they see in the news, and rightly so. It takes quite a lot of skill in the part of the teacher to handle those discussions without anyone feeling uncomfortable (including the teacher). I wonder if this teacher is not a RS specialist (most RS teachers aren't). While you consider what to do about the school, the best thing to do might be to often watch the news with your daughter (age-appropriate - Newsround maybe) and discuss the issues that come up. It will be a useful skill for her to be able to defend her views in a calm way - and great preparation eventually for GCSE.

Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 19:53

Whatever happens she will not be returning to RE classes.

OP posts:
Phineyj · 26/10/2014 19:55

I wouldn't assume the worst. They may be able to put your DD in a different RS class. She won't be an 'issue' or have a 'label' just for changing schools unless you make it a big issue. It's not unusual for students to change in year 7 if a place comes up somewhere they'd rather go.

Please don't assume the school are doing nothing. Whoever you complained to will have to look into the issue. It takes time.

Hakluyt · 26/10/2014 19:56

What I mean is, if that is what was actually said- which I find almost impossible to believe- my child would be staying at home until it was sorted.

Camolips · 26/10/2014 20:01

State schools have to follow their published admission criteria, pushy shouldn't cut it.

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