Church schools "a year ahead" of other schools

[Caligula]

here

Hmmmmm....

From what I have seen of the children that I teach, children do well (ie reach their individual potential) when their parents value education. Parents who have gone out of their way to get their children into a particular school will, by definition, be interested in education.

parental involvement and support is the single most important factor in a childs progress. you get the odd child who bucks the trend (in both directions) but they tend to be the exception.

My DS goes to a catholic school as did I and one thing that struck me is that children from all different backgrounds go to these schools, not just rich or poor because they do select on a religious background. All the church schools in our area are popular and the catholic schools in particular are very popular with moslem parents because they value the faith teaching and it not just the catholic religion that they teach. One of the parents would rather send their children to a moslem one (their religion) because they prefer the broader background. Also our school has less facilities than some of the State schools around and we have to work really hard to raise money through the PA. The class sizes are 30 and therefore the only reason I can see the higher results is that the parents generally take a great deal of interest in the school and the Head is brillian. The same could apply to a non-church school.

Do church schools have to take non-church goers? Personally I don't particularly believe (but willing to keep my big gob shut) and the best school nearest us is a church school. Local primary schools all over subscribed (200m catchments etc) and we would be sent over a mile away to a beautifully failing school (sorry don't feel its my social responsibility to prop it up with dd's one chance at education). Any non-believers have any experience of getting into a CofE primary school?

it all depends on how full they are. if theyve got the space then they would usually admit your child.
my dd`s are going to start at a c of e school about 20 miles away from where we currently live (we are moving to the area at some point though) & we had no problem getting in (non religious family)
i think that catholic schools are pretty strict though & i personally wouldnt send my child to one, theyre a little bit too much if youre a non believer.

DS1 transferred from normal school to Church School when we moved house, and yes exactly a year ahead! In his old reception, it was much like a nursery, very little work beyond write your name/ point to number four. Here the kids read and write well, DS has a lot of catching up to do but helikes a challenge- fortunately!

Have any of you non-belivers attended church for the sake of your childs eduaction?

We are non believers and have one child at a c of e and one at a catholic school

I found them both to be excellent but the catholic one definitely works them harder which is good for my daughter.

I feel more welcome at the c of e school and a bit of a 'heathen' at the catholic - I feel like they all 'know' i am a non believer. My daughter (10) says she want to turn catholic but this may be because she has to go up in mass with her hands crossed across her chest and all the others hold them together as if in prayer

I would recommend a church school - i believe a lot of the teaching has a good moral basis regardless of religious leaning!

Barefootmama-that's the standard way of showing that you want a blessing not communion, happens in CofE churches and RCs who can't/don't wish to take communion also do this.

thanks marialouisa - i do feel really ill educated with regards to all this! Any informatuion helps!