So, now we have decided to at least start DD1 off in school, we have a choice between two local primarys. One (at the end of the road-the school bus parks outside our house) is catholic, marginally better ofsted and bigger grounds. The other one is secular, up a big hill, swimming pool, Deaf unit (although ours aren't Deaf) children's centre, bit bigger and marginally worse ofsted. Also in a slightly worse off area, but not sure if that is good or bad.
In trying to choose between the two, we really need to know what is involved in being a catholic school. DH seems to think that catholic schools are automatically better, but I am really worried about some of the dodgier aspects of catholicism. We are both very supportive of the Christian tradition and keen for our children to have a good basis in the stories etc (as they will struggle with much of literature, music, etc without it) but we are atheist socialist liberal guardian reading types and so some of the scare stories about religious school are a bit, well, scary.
How do I ask them HOW catholic they are (eg the catholic school in my village lost half a day every week to praying and mass and whatever, which obviously isn't ideal for our family, and you hear all kinds of horror stories about homophobia etc) without offending them?
Otoh, I went to a secular school, and they had creationists talking to us about how evolution is apparently "scientifically impossible", so I know this kind of thing isn't confined to religious schools.
I hope that the issues that come into play with teenagers aren't an issue (the abortion films, refusing youth workers access, lack of support for gay pupils, etc- again, though, could all be scare stories) although I suppose sex ed does start in primary school...there is nothing contreversial in SRE for primary kids though, is there? In a catholic sense I mean.
Although, actually, now I remember our SRE, there were several bits that catholics wouldn't like (in fact, I think it may have been illegal at the time, as the teachers definitely told us it is ok to be gay), but again I suppose it depends how hardline they are.
We love the general ideas in christian ideology- love thy neighbour etc, and DH is very keen for the kids to learn Latin etc (but he does seem to think that is somehow part of primary school- I have no idea where he got this notion) but it is the more "out-there" bits that we are worried about.
I hope this is coming across right- basically, I don't want to end up fighting with the school, and they are, after all, blatantly a catholic school (named after a saint and with the words RC primary school on the sign) so I can't moan. BUT we would be very supportive of a bit of lightweight moral guidance, some bible stories and even a bit of praying- I am still trying to get my head round some traditions, possibly because of how the catholic kids were so "other" when we were growing up in a secular school and c of e/evangelical church (when we had phases of church, anyway)
Also, it seems daft to send our kids to the other achool if all this school does is goes to the local church on special occaisions and tells the odd bible story. If that makes sense.
Also, DH is totally for the catholic school, and doesn't believe me when I say some schools are very religious- he says it is just the anti catholic propaganda.
I did grow up being told that catholics worship idols, beat their wives, are terribly repressed, etc, which I can now see was just predjudice, but is this the same?