Shocked by negative feelings towards faith schools

[BellaLasagne]

Hi,

We've just applied to send our ds to a very popular and oversubscribed CofE secondary school. As we're out of the catchment area we've had to apply for a Church place and have had our commitment and activity within the Church scrutinised and reported on by our parish priest.

While, on the whole, I generally think it's rediculous that anyone has to go through this to get a school place, I'm getting concerned about the amount of 'anti faith school' comments that exist not only on this website but in the media in general.

Is my ds going to be 'victimised' by others in the future for what we are doing, because we believe that we're doing the best for him.

Just need some reassurance I think.....

Thanks, BL

Colours to the mast of course!

I'm pretty much a non-believer and I'm always surprised by the negative reactions to faith schools on here as well. I don't know anyone in real life who has anything against them though (and know people with kids who go to them, people with kids who don;t go to them, churchgoers and non churchgoers). I've always assumed its a mumsnet thing. Also think it a bigger issue in places like London. Locally the church schools are full of children from families who have no religion.

I don't think it's a mumsnet thing. A guy who works with my DH is very much of the anti church school of thought. DH came home one week and told me how he went on and on. Of course, the problem is he was clued into the system too late to get on the church bandwagon, and I believe he lives in an area where the good schools are difficult to get into.

My DD goes to a church school (fingers crossed for acceptance into reception -- she is in nursery now) and I'm thrilled with the system. It has served us well.

Although faith schools do have a better than average output, it's not so clear that they are better schools.
The stats show that on average they take notably fewer "difficult" children, so the perceived quality may be down to this alone.

Since many religious school require the parents to act as if they believe, and we know that the number of adults who attend church is tiny compared to those whose kids go to such schools it's pretty evident that the parents care enough about education to pretend faith.

A parent who takes more of an interest, is more likely to have a child who does better.

Or it may be that Christians are on average genetically smarter, and thus their kids do better.

Proving that faith schools add more value is thus quite hard, and I've seen no real evidence for this.

I don't think it's just a mumsnet thing either.

That programme, perfect parents, was quite highly advertised and they obviously expected it to hit a few nerves and be an audience talking point.