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Original poster

1 in 4 primary schools are c of e run

26 replies

Blandmum · 03/10/2006 12:34

I don't want this to end up as a pro/anti religious school thread.

I had no idea that so many of our Primary schools are C of E run. Am I alone in this? Is this a well known fact?

OP posts:
Uwila · 03/10/2006 13:38

So that doesn't include the catholic ones then?

PferPferPumpkinEater · 03/10/2006 14:09

Didn't realise it was as high as that. I knew there were a lot - there are two primary's in our village - one C of E and one 'not'. I know there is one in the next town along as well, I think there are just 2 primary's there as well. Actually, I went to a C of E run school as well, so yes, there are quite a lot aren't there.

Just out of interest - why is it of interest?

PrettyCandles · 03/10/2006 14:10

Why shoudl that be a surprise? UK is after all nominally a CofE country, and until relatively recently most schools were established by the Church.

sorrell · 03/10/2006 14:13

I think it's horrendous and a huge surprise. THe numbers are growing under our mad Prime Minister. Most people in this country do not go to church at all, and the CofE does not pay for these schools, yet is able to pick and choose children according to what their parents happen to believe (or say they believe). Totally wrong IMO.

Tinker · 03/10/2006 14:13

And even the ones that aren't seem to be very tied to a local church - grrrr

FluffyOHaraOfSnugglesville · 03/10/2006 14:15

The only school in my village in CofE, I'm christened but am not at all religious, dd attends the school... doesn't bother me tbh... next village along is CofE also so no escaping - why bother about it?

WideWebWitch · 03/10/2006 14:15

No I didn't know and I agree with Sorrell.

2shoescreepingthroughblood · 03/10/2006 14:18

isn't that some of them say cofe but they are not church run iynwim.
one of our local schools waslike that when i was little.
ds went to a chrch school..the kind of one that you HAVE to go to church

Gobbledispook · 03/10/2006 14:19

Agree with sorrell but hey, let's back off this one sorrell - we end up in a right old ding dong last time

sorrell · 03/10/2006 14:19

Well, I think it's obvious but here goes. Many cofe schools run highly discriminatory admissions policies. If you don't go to Church you don't get in which means people who are not religious or belong to another religion have to drive their child to another school a long way away, instead having a short walk to the nearest one. Even if the schools do condescend to admit the children of atheists and Jews, for example, these parents may very well not want their child to be indoctrinated in a faith they think is superstitious nonsense.

sorrell · 03/10/2006 14:20

No, you are right GG!! I'm off!

sorrell · 03/10/2006 14:21

But in response to the OP - no, I didn't know.

WideWebWitch · 03/10/2006 14:21

still agreeing with you sorrell (but also walking away, slowly, backwards from this thread!)

Original poster
Blandmum · 03/10/2006 14:22

Just out of interest today they said that they are extending the numbers of school that they run (particularly the secondary schools which I think is currenetly 1 in 20). In these new schools 25% of places will go to children from other religions or those who practice no religion at all.

OP posts:
Gobbledispook · 03/10/2006 14:23

Oooh 25%, how generous of them when they are funded 95% (or something ridiculous) by the general tax paying public - most of whom probably don't go to church.

SharpAndSpikeyOHara · 03/10/2006 14:24

I think I will have to leave this thread as don't really understand but... on my dd's admission form I put our religion as 'none' my dd is not christened, we got a place no questions asked. I really didn't think it mattered if a school had links to a church or not.. I could have requested that she did not attend assembly but I didn't want to isolate her

Tommy · 03/10/2006 14:25

I didn't know (and not sure if that's the case round here tbh) but DS1 went to a CE nursery and I was shocked at the lack of religion in assembly - so I wouldn't worry too much that your children are beig indoctrinated.It's only the Voluntary Aided ones that can be more specific regarding admissions etc and most of them are Voluntary Controled which means that most of the connections are historic anyway.

Original poster
Blandmum · 03/10/2006 14:26

gdg!

Walk away from the potential blood pressure induced brain heamorhage

I was just amazed that they ran 1 in 4! It just doesn'tr seem like that where I live. [baffled emoticon]

OP posts:
HRHQueenOfQuotes · 03/10/2006 14:27

this makes interesting reading.

"Voluntary controlled schools have their admissions determined by the Local Education Authority"

I think you'll find that it's Catholic schools which are worst for discriminating against people that don't go to church.

SharpAndSpikeyOHara · 03/10/2006 14:29

ah, ours is 'voluntary controlled' don't really know what that means.

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 03/10/2006 14:30

voluntary controlled: the school is owned by the Church, the Church appoints governors, but there is no Church majority on the governing body, the teachers are employed by the Local Education Authority, the LEA funds repairs and capital projects, religious education follows the local agreed syllabus, the worship is Anglican;

GeorginaA · 03/10/2006 14:32

I didn't know that, and I now feel (bizarrely/unexpectedly) very cross about it.

But as you say, step away step away...

(but SO agree with GobblediSpook (love that halloween name ) about their generosity)

PferPferPumpkinEater · 03/10/2006 14:35

Hmmm, well DS1 goes to a CofE school. Yes they have assemble, links to the local Church, Harvest Festivals, Xmas Carol Services etc, they ask on the paperwork what religion your child is.. Mine? None. Me None. You get the idea. The reason I opted for this particular school over the non CoE one was it's reputation and knowing people whose children go there and are very happy with the standard of education which to date I am as well - but then he's only been there since Sept so there's time yet. The other school is linked to the secondary in the village which IMO is crap! Low pass rates, bad behaviour in students etc etc (but that's a whole different story) so being the wonderful mummy that I am I am chosing to try to keep DS away from that particular school and all of it's 'extensions'.

Bramshott · 03/10/2006 14:47

MB - it may be an urban / rural thing: round here there is mostly one school per village (or for several villages), and for historical reasons, they are largely church schools. If it works well, it serves to anchor the school in the community, in an area where the church is often the only community building other than the school.

PrettyCandles · 04/10/2006 13:59

OK this is 20+ years ago, but I went to a CofE school were Christians were in the minority. We had a Christianity-oriented assembly (I probably know more hymns and carols than many Christians) but other faiths were represented too and I left there with my Jewish identity intact - strengthened, if anything. I did get confused a few times, but that's what the home environment is for.

I find it odd that, as a member of a different faith to the majority in the UK, I seem to be more accepting of the situation here than those who are not different, IYSWIM. This is a CofE country. I would likethere to be more non-faith schools, but don't take it personally that there aren't. If something bothers you - something about it. Campaign for changes, don't just gripe.

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