Question for Christian Parents and school choice

[QuestioningParent]

We will be looking at school soon for my dd and I'm torn between two school.

One is slightly closer, majority of the children on our road go there, it is highly praised and has a forest school attached.

The other school which is slightly further away (but still walking distance) is a C of E school, seems to have a lovely ethos but not the same outdoor provisions that the other school has.

I'm really torn between the two, we're a Christian family who go to church regularly and I went to a C of E school and loved it. We can't be the first parents to be in this dilemma. I guess I want her to go to a school where she will have her spiritual side encouraged but I also think it's important to have friends nearby and the forest school is very appealing.

What are parents in a similar situations experience?

It sounds like the distance isn't really an issue. They are both close. She will make friends if she goes to the CofE and still have her friends on the street.

It seems that the wood school is a big draw. How much do they use it? Is it part of the curriculum? I have my dc in wood school in the holidays but I don't feel it's something they need in school time in particular. More a fun holiday activity.

Your feel for the school is important. There is a bit of instinct that comes into play here. I go with my gut on school choice (currently struggling with secondary due to lack of open days and covid).

Will the CofE be very faith led? I went to CofE schools and we sang a lot of hymns but the spiritual development was negligible really. So I'm not sure what this school is like. My dc are at their Catholic school which has class or school mass, daily prayer, Catholic teaching in RE, regularly raising money for Catholic and other charities, and a very Catholic ethos in everything.

You have to consider if you will regret them missing a faith based education, if there is a Christmas play but no nativity, chocolate eggs and Easter bonnets but no mention of the easter story, I always used to enjoy harvest festival when I was at school which would be missing. Presumably you will make up for this via Sunday school and regular church attendance which is what's important.

Hope this helps!

In England non-denominational schools often still have nativity plays, Easter services, harvest festival. All schools, unless of another faith, have a broadly Christian ethos. It is interpreted differently by different heads. We have seen a fair few heads come and go, some place a greater emphasis on faith than others. Some CofE schools just pay lip service to the religious aspect, some non denominational schools had the local minister in every week telling Bible stories.

You really need to investigate the school itself rather than assume based on the title. Ask them, find out what assemblies consist of, ask them what they do at Christmas/Easter. One school we visited the Head wrongly assumed that when we questioned them we were looking for a less religious school so started going on about 'we just do x and y to keep the diocese happy'.

Even if the school is more faith based it will partly depend on the intake as to what they offer, for example a school with a large Muslim minority (who in the absence of a Muslim school might opt for a CofE school) might also celebrate Eid to recognise the importance to the children in the school. I personally feel that my children's education has been enhanced by learning about different faiths and understanding their celebrations but you might not.