How long do faith schools want you to pray for?

[Rosebud05]

I ask on behalf of a friend who has just realised that there's an Ofsted outstanding church school at the end of her road. She's culturally rather than religiously catholic, and has her her children baptised though hasn't been to mass for years.

She's planning to start going to mass; her oldest is due to start reception Sept 2012. I was suggesting that she might have left it a bit late and that she's going to have to enrol her children in the Sunday school, but she thinks a couple of months of devotion should do it?

What are other peoples' experiences?

lynette, I agree with you that beneath the glossy exterior of Ofsted and SATS result, this school wouldn't be a great experience for many children.

For these friends, mass was something they did for a school place. They are both from Catholic families, but were very up front about the fact that they had their children baptised and started to attend mass when their oldest was 2 in order to get into the school.

I don't think this is uncommon practice? Although I'm sure lots of people do have their children baptised/christianed and go to mass/church regularly regardless of whether it will enhance their child's prospects of entry into a faith school.

I don't know if you were trying to be funny OP but your post is quite offensive.

Not half as offensive as the fact that schools discriminate against children (and potential teachers) on the basis of religion - even worse, on the basis of faked religion.

I'm not as dismissive of Ofsted as SGB (quite!), but I agree with the rest of her post.

I'd avoid faith schools personally (scarred for life from being one of 3 non-RCs in a primary run by nutso nuns).

On a less instinctive/personal level, I'd definitely give a wide berth to SATs factories.

I teach secondary English & spend time every September explaining to parents from one 'outstanding' feeder primary that their child really won't cope in set 1, regardless of their heavily coached level 5.

I'd say she's got no chance TBH.

Ofsted reports are box-ticking and bean-counting for unimaginative middle-class smuggoes. A school that gets great exam results because all the parents are comfortably off and actively interested in exam results education is not necessarily (and probably not at all, actually) better than a school which has a high number of children with serious difficulties and gets them from total hopelessness to an adequate level of literacy and numeracy and happiness.

bringinghomethebacon, in our parish, for FHC and Confirmation, it is asked that the DC attend mass 10 in a certain number of weeks prior to the sacrament. Most (all?) priests understand some parishes ask this, and although waiting behind after mass to get a signature can be a bit of a pain if there is a queue of old biddies wanting to discuss flower arrangements/the health of old Mrs O'Bryan with him, I wouldn't say it's embarrassing. But yes, if they are unwell, it can be a bit harsh to drag out a Calpoled-up a 7 yo out on a Sunday morning to make sure you get all 10 signatures.

lynette I seem to remember you were debating a while back about sending your dc to a faith school where there was no uniform? has it turned out well? I think we are from a similar neck of the woods

I am a Christian but this sort of thread makes me wonder if faith schools should even exist. Nothing against you op as you said you were asking for a friend but what's the point in faith schools if a large proportion of the pupils are

(oops hit post too soon) not religious and are only there after being dragged to mass for months to get them in.

I don't think you worded your title in the best way, it does come across. Bit like praying for x hours a day will get me into school which is not quite what praying is all about.

Across a bit (iPhone typo)

ninah, DS has been there a year and it has turned out VERY well. Thank you!

(Although they do have a uniform now, but teachers are still known by first names.)

It depends on the school and the parish priest. An outstanding catholic primary recently told us that they've always accepted all catholic families. My parish has put a notice saying the priest will be signing letters every Monday evening. But my priest (who signed our form willingly coz he sees and hears DS every Sunday!) did say that he wasn't going to just sign a form without seeing mass attendance amongst other things).

Having said that I really cannot bear this idea that one need only attend x no of times to 'qualify' for a place. Obviously attendance doesn't always correlate with devotion etc but surely to tick off attendance just smacks of hypocrisy?

If there was an Islamic school that was outstanding in my area I wouldn't proclaim to be Muslim just to get in!

As I said earlier, I have no intention to offend and have not ridiculed peoples' sincere religious beliefs, devotions or practices.

In the instances I'm talking about, mass attendnce/prayer has been something that these people have taken up in order to get a school place (and have been very up front about how many 'weeks left they have to do' etc) and I can't see that the tone of my posts are in anyway at odds with this.

Exactly, debi, I've no doubt for the majority of people who pray, pray is about their relationship with their faith, be it in collective worship or privately.

In the instances I'm talking about, it most definitely wasn't and I don't think a reverential tone would be suitable for pragmatically notching up the priest's signature for a school place.

Not necessarily criticising people for doing this, but surely it's this practice which is offensive to the faith and church/synagogue/mosque not a few words on an internet forum.

Lynette glad it all went well, the children I've met from there are all lovely and seem very happy; a great advert for the faith imo. I'd love to send my dc but am not of any religious persuasion so it seems unlikely they'd get in.

my local catholic school is outstanding only only specifies baptism - no reference to church attendance

"Because its at the end of the road and has an outstanding OFSTED perhaps?"

Yeah, but it's still a faith school.

Why choose a school with a particular faith if you are not committed to the ethos of the school? Read the mission statement and R.E. policy before taking a sought after place at a school that a committed R.C. family might need and appreciate more than you.

Given the current arrangements I don't see anything wrong with parents pretending to be religious to get in. It's just jumping through hoops.