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Primary education

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Original poster

Only religious schools around, and we are not. Any sugestion?

45 replies

DaniFromSP · 11/05/2012 18:51

I´m catholic, not practicing, any chance my daughter enter at Catholic Primary School or even a CofE according to disctance criteria?

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 11/05/2012 18:57

Yes, but you may find yourself stuck with the less-good undersubscribed schools. Some CofE admit a proportion of non-faith places - you need to look at the admissions criteria for them all.

SchoolsNightmare · 11/05/2012 20:06

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An0therName · 11/05/2012 20:40

depends on the area - I live in a village where the only school for a few miles is Cof E - all the children in the village pretty much go there - all religions and none. Find out where parents near you send their kids?

PooshTun · 14/05/2012 11:05

If American politicians can fake it then so can you :o Spending a couple of hours at church on a Sunday for 3 years is a small price to pay.

I should have followed my own advice. It would have saved me £20k a year :(

EdithWeston · 14/05/2012 11:12

You need to look at the published criteria, and see what is necessary to qualify for a place on religious grounds, and also whether there are designated community criteria places (much commoner in CofE schools). You should also be able to find out the distance to which each type of place has been allocated recently, which will give you an idea of your chances, though of course that distance can vary a lot every year.

WyrdMother · 14/05/2012 11:31

Our school is C of E and also has no admissions criteria. Have you checked this with your local ones?

It is in a small village and when my DD joined was undersubcribed, it isn't now and I shall be interested to see if this changes.

Rainydayagain · 14/05/2012 18:17

I would lie!!!

Thankfully our village school faith is not an issue, if it was i would be there every week ( for a couple of years)

faith schools are shocking, council Tax pays for schools, schools belong to communities, being excluded due to your faith sucks!

sunnyday123 · 14/05/2012 18:20

check the individual schools,in Lancashire all the RC schools stipulate baptism certificate only (no mention of church attendance or age at baptism) whereas many of the CofE stipulate church attendance. I expected it to be the other way round to be honest!

SchoolsNightmare · 14/05/2012 18:22

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SuePurblybilt · 14/05/2012 18:23

What happens if the only option is a faith school and you are an atheist? Do they have an obligation to find you a place elsewhere? I should imagine the same applies.

SchoolsNightmare · 14/05/2012 18:27

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ChopstheScarletduck · 14/05/2012 18:27

I have this problem. My dts are Hindu, the nearest is cofe, and the others offering entry at 7 are all cofe, catholic, or miles away.

I got flamed actually for starting an AIBU because I wanted to send them but withedraw them from the religious worship. Surely if it is catchment and you are catholic albeit lapsed, you should be ok?

SchoolsNightmare · 14/05/2012 18:28

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pointythings · 14/05/2012 20:59

My two went to a CofE primary (DD2 is still there) - the school only takes 10% on religious criteria, the rest if catchment/sibling.

I chose the school purely on gut feeling, at that time though neither school in our town was oversubscribed - not sure it's like that now.

Rainydayagain · 15/05/2012 11:01

Sorry yes i did mean get baptised! :-)
I know its not right but its all about making it fair.
A village school near us has kids driving miles ( for faith reasons) then village kids can't get in!!

You need a signed letter from the vicar.

sunnyday123 · 15/05/2012 19:32

dont rely on just being in the catchment - dds RC school takes RC out of parish (any distance) above non RC in parish. This year people in the parish with siblings (non RC) lost out to RC out of parish with no siblings as faith comes above distance generally. Ensure you read criteria fully and be aware of impact on future siblings

TalkinPeace2 · 15/05/2012 20:05

Church attendance for religious schools is predominantly a London problem.

I was the atheist governor of my kids CofE School
I wrote the "collective worship" policy as I was deemed unbiased by the vicar!

GrimmaTheNome · 15/05/2012 20:59

Church attendance for religious schools is predominantly a London problem.

Its a problem in Lancashire too, if you want a good one rather than a crap one that is. Fanbloodytastic 'choice'.

Milgod · 15/05/2012 21:22

I feel sick when I hear things like this. How and why should any state funded school be able to select children based on religion.

TalkinPeace2 · 15/05/2012 21:32

They always have
they always will
as an atheist I have SERIOUS problems with the US and French approach
it is something to work round rather than get het up about

Milgod · 15/05/2012 21:36

No, it is something that needs to be changed. There won't always be, that I am sure of. How soon they are gone, depends on the slack attitude of too many people.

Religion should not be state funded.

meditrina · 15/05/2012 21:44

It's not "slack attitude", it's hard fact of ownership of land and buildings.

Where will the money be found to replace the schools which are not owned by the state?

Milgod · 15/05/2012 21:48

We could start by not spending new money on faith schools. It will take time but new schools would start to replace the faith ones. Money can always be found. Things will just need to be phased in.

SchoolsNightmare · 15/05/2012 22:55

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Rainydayagain · 16/05/2012 13:58

Just needs a change of law!
Can you even comprehend a school with a policy of race or only those with orange hair or those with married parents....

Its discrimination based on religion. If they fund themselves 100% its a different matter, but we all know that they don't.

Not just a london problem at all! Massive issue in yorkshire and manchester for a fact.