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Original poster

why do church schools have such good reputations?

122 replies

startingtobehalloweenylover · 26/10/2005 17:02

The best school in my area is a Catholic one and it would seem from various threads on here that this is the case in a lot of other places too...

but why? is it a respect thing? do church schools seem to have better "control" (for want of a better word) of the children... is it the school environment... is it just the kids that go there?

hmmmm

OP posts:

aloha · 27/10/2005 13:45

I am also strongly opposed to Academies for exactly the reasons Blu has posted.
I never said Church schools were a drain on the state. I said I objected to being forced via general taxation to fund schools that directly discriminate against children like my son simply because of what their parents believe.
My 14th century reference was about religious schools generally, not just CofE ones. Religious education predates the CofE of course. But I think it is a little disengenous to claim that at that time the church stepped in where the state did not. At the time the church WAS the state.

Tinker · 27/10/2005 15:48

Ooo, it's on his homepage now so can read Johann Hari's article for free, if you like

Blu · 27/10/2005 16:21

Aloha - I was under the impression though that early education was for the children of the rich, and the more recent (17C onwards) church schools enabled education for a wider range of children until state education for all. But I am hazy on that, I must admit.

bossykate · 27/10/2005 16:30

that is a lazy, sloppy, posturing article with no hard evidence cited for the assertions it contains.

ok - i'm PARPING now...

Blu · 27/10/2005 16:57

I would be interested to read the civitas study (if I were to really get obsessed with this subject) and the Welsh Assembly one, but i think anecdotal stories can only be about one aspect of one individual school.

Out of 4 similiar schools we applied for for DS that we felt could meet his needs when he has his mobility severely restricted for a few years (prolongued bone surgery), on exactly the same evidence, two community schools turned him down (one even on appeal), one community school accepted him, and the one voluntary aided CoE school on our list, (both over-subscribed) accepted him. We accepted the community school place, but I really appreciate that the CoE school, which had two admissions priorities we don't meet (proximity and religious), made a positive choice in terms of SN. (I sent them a donation to their PTA when we declined the place, just to show you that I am not a viscious militant secular fundementalist!)

bossykate · 27/10/2005 16:58

i've just been to the civitas website and couldn't find it - but i did find a load of right wing rubbish!

Blu · 27/10/2005 17:03

Are you ok? There may be a helpline for people accidentally caught up in right wing websites....

Marina · 27/10/2005 17:10

BK, you poor love. Not to mention accessing Twit of the Millennium Johann Hari's own website. You've had an appalling day!

Tinker · 27/10/2005 17:11

Thought 'right wing' and 'rubbish' were synonymous.

However, am I missing the point? He's quoting (or not?) because they're right wing? ie one would assume that they would be in favour of faith schools but even they (Divvytas) found their performance to not be as they seem?

Tinker · 27/10/2005 17:12

Oh, I disagree Marina, about JH. He has written some good stuff, I think. He can't help looking 12 years old.

Tinker · 27/10/2005 17:18

I've just emailed him for further info. Will report back.

Marina · 27/10/2005 17:18

He's a scattershot noodlehead though Tinker. If he was as consistently good as he can be I'd feel I could trust his writing a bit more. And does his mummy know what he gets up to when he should be doing his homework?

Marina · 27/10/2005 17:18

Send him my love and tell him to make sure he gets an early night for school in the morning Tinks

aloha · 28/10/2005 09:55

I thought it was an excellent feature. Spot on.

Enid · 28/10/2005 10:03

it sounded hysterical and crazy to me but then I am biased

snailspace · 28/10/2005 10:45

Message withdrawn

Enid · 28/10/2005 10:47

hmmm yes and it has really helped the French integrate

aloha · 28/10/2005 11:22

I think apartheid in south africa meant that the white schools were excellent. Doesn't mean it was right though.

QueenVictoria · 28/10/2005 11:22

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. Have learnt lots! (You see - having a high IQ means nothing at the end of the day ).

bossykate · 28/10/2005 15:35

i would have thought it impossible for such a farrago of elided, confused assertions to be spot on. aloha, come on it is not even well written.

HRHQoQ · 28/10/2005 15:42

IME CoE schools tend to have fewer 'restrictions' on who can attend than Catholic. I wouldn't have had a cat in hells chance of getting DS1 into the Catholic school (not that I'd want to it's pretty dire) even if I had wanted too, because I'm not Catholic, DS1 isn't Catholic, we don't attend a Cahtolic church, my great-great-great-great-cousin-22times removed wasn't a Catholic etc etc.

The CoE school which DS1 now attends USED to be selective, but now uses almost exactly the same criteria as the other schools in the area. However, it IS difficult to get into as it's on of the top infant schools in the county.

HRHQoQ · 28/10/2005 15:45

Oh, and I have to confess it DOESN'T have as high number of SN children - but that's because the (not so good overall) primary school literally 5 minutes walk away is THE primary school with the best reputation for SN provisions in the county - children come from further to attend the not-so-good school down the road (because of their SN) than they do to attend the CoE school.

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