nursery place for non-Catholics?

[feelingfedup]

Trying to get my ds into school nursery starting sept (he will be nearly 4) , but have been refused because it is an oversubscribed voluntary aided catholic school. (we are regular worshipers at local CofE church)

My ds has dyspraxia and his consultant at the hospital thinks going to nursery will help his development.

If consultant writes a letter saying this, and identifies the school nursery by name, will the school re-consider our application, or will it make no difference because we are not Catholics?

This school nursery is our nearest - within 3 minutes of our front door, and it offers high quality support for all children, including those with SEN.

have you had a look at their admissions policy? We had trouble getting into a VA C of E school because we don't go to church but I think their first priority was those with SEN rather than the church goers.

You need to take a look at their admission criteria - but IME it won't make any difference. Our Catholic school has admission criteria of

1. looked after children
2. baptised children living in the parish
3. siblings
4. baptised children living in other parishes
5. non-baptised children

That said, that is the school, not the nursery. Nursery admissions maybe different - give them a ring and see?

Are there any other nurseries in your area?

Message withdrawn

Checked admission criteria and I don't think SEN will make a bit of difference, but still feel miffed that I can't get my child into my LOCAL school because it is filled with children who don't live in the area (traffic jam at drop off and pick up times) who happen to be Catholics.

To be honest, that just irritates me, what burns me is that my money, via taxation, is subsidising this place but my children can't access it.

If it were private, and not using my money, I'd have no beef about it..........

I see your point, and it must be frustrating when this is your nearest school and it's a good one.

But the money we pay in taxes doesn't just pay for our most local school.

Your point is that you resent the fact that you want your child to go there but you can't because you don't meet the first admissions criteria.

But what if I said 'I'd really like my child to go to the lovely village school in the next village, but I can't because their first admission criteria is that you have to live in the catchment and I can't afford to'.

That would be just as fair / unfair a system. It's nothing to do with being Catholic or not, it's to do with meeting the admissions criteria.

Thanks for your soothing words mshardbroom, nice to know that someone is listening to my rants!

I have nothing against having religious, cultural, language, or ability to stand on one leg as an admission criterion, as long as schools are self-funding/private.

If schools are funded from general taxation then the admissions criteria for all schools should be the same - looked after children, siblings, distance from home and so on.

This would not necessarily guarantee my ds a place, but at least it would be fairer.

If church schools are so keen on only having religious parents or those hypocritical enough to use religion to get in, let the church/religion pay for it's own schools and staff and maintainence.

Speaking about religion and education, i don't think it is right to include religious bigotry and discrimination on any education institution. What happened to John Locke ideas? What happened to the secular humanism? what happened to the enlightenments?

FF
London tailor

I'd agree that it's not right for there to be religious bigotry in any situation whatsoever, especially not in an establishment charged with the development of young minds!

But having a religious denomination as an admissions criteria is not the same as religious bigotry.

My DD's school is RC. It's also one of the most nurturing and ecumenical places I've ever been into... from a very young age children are taught that although we are Catholics and we believe XYZ, there are Muslim families who believe ABC, Baptist families that believe 123... and that all these beliefs are reasonable, personal and to be respected.