Did anyone start going to church because of good catholic primary?

[toja555]

I just realised that the closest catholic primary school (very good) belongs to a neighbouring parish, from which I am 3 streets away. I am occasional mass attendee in my parish catholic church, but went to the neighbouring parish church last Sunday and liked it much more in terms of priest and community. Obviously that non-parish residents praying in a parish church gets preference over non-parish residents praying in non-parish church, when it comes to admission to a school. On the other hand, I feel a bit uncomfortable if someone asks why I have started going to neighbouring parish church. I know many parents do this, and in my case it is not like I am cheating (although transferring from an occasional to a regular attendee requires some discipline), but still feel a bit funny about this.

Has anyone got similar experience?

My friends dd goes to catholic school out of catchment, catholic schools have a much wider catchment area.

How old is your child? Just keep goinh each week to new parish as many good catholic schools are massively over subcribed and have a diary system in place, mine does anyway.

My child is just approaching 2.5 years. What do you mean by a ?diary system?, CharlieBoo?

I don't have any similar experience myself as I am not catholic but from friends it seems to be the done thing to rediscover your relegious convictions just in time for school admissions. If that means attending church regularly rather than occassionally and changing churches then all the better for it. It's all part of the game known as faith schools. You won't be the only one doing it. I daresay you can tell them you just prefered the priest/community spirit/church decor if they ask why you changed churches. If you were being really christian about the whole thing you may wish to own up and say 'I want my DC to go to a better school'.

Does your parish have a school attached or is it associated with another RC primary? In my area several parishes feed into each primary so it may not matter that youlive in another parish if that school is the provided RC primary anyway?

marialuisa, my parish church has its own primary school, but it is not so good and further away from my home than the neighbouring parish school.
I just wonder if I should introduce myself to the priest/someone of the neighbouring parish church, otherwise how would they know I attend mass?
In my parish church, where I have attended so far, it is always so packed that I doubt if priest can remember who is attending and who is not, unless there is a register somewhere which I am not aware of.

It is a shame that it is a bit of "faith school game", but I am willing to play it...

Check the admissions criteria for the schools. Ours have nothing to do with where you worship (at the moment), but are based on which parish you live in and whether the child is baptised. Children who are baptised and live outside the parish come lower down the list (and are split into categories according to whether there is a place for them at their parish school)

If there is a register, or a "diary" which you have to get signed, the school would be able to tell you.

We attend mass every week at our parish church, but if we don't make the usual mass DH will drive to another church rather than attend the 10am Sunday morning, as it's REALLY not something he's happy with (too "happy clappy" with children running up and down the aisles- he's very traditional!) We still attend mass though.

If you're not in the parish (ie resident) you'll be lower in priority than those in the parish. So if its oversubscribed you wont get in. Our school had 75 non-sibling applications from practising families in the parish for the remaining 32 places after siblings were allocated. So non-residents had no chance.

Having said that, we didn't get the parish school but are number one on the list for a parish school 2 miles away which is actually better.

it is usually based on the parish in which you are resident not where you go to Church ime.
you will need to get a priest to sign your form, but this can be any priest.

I don't know of any diaries/registers at Church for Catholic schools, seems to be a CofE thing around here. But in some schools the Parish Priest is on the board of govenors and can recommend you get a place, so it helps if very oversubscribed if the priest knows you very well. (very well as in comes over for dinner very well).

oh and don't feel uncomfortable. we flit between 3 different churches based on mass times/at my parents, but made an effort to go to one more consistently in the year before form-signing time. I certainly wanted to make sure the parish priest signing the form knew recognised us.

The school's admission policy gives first preference to regular worshipers residing in parish, then regular worshipers non-residing in parish, and also there is criteria of proximity to the parish church. I know someone who was outside the parish like me, and got place in the school last year... this gives me hope!

"regular worshipers residing in parish"

doesn't necessarily mean regular worshippers at THAT church. just you go to church regularly and live in the parish. which is the norm. but do double check!