first on the wait list due to start school on Monday

[nuks]

We moved recently and were allocated a Reception place in the only school that had places available in our area, luckily it's 5 min walking distance. We went for the school visit today. DD was very happy to be in there, she asked if she could stay with the older children. School looks good, outdated a bit well organized, head teacher nice.

This school is Ofsted Good and gets great results. I talked to local parents and from what I understand it is a good school, very cosy, normally 1-form, only this year 2-form as they added an extra class and that's how we got in. All schools around are oversubscribed.

The problem is - it's a Roman Catholic (RC) school and I'm not Catholic in fact I'm not religious at all (baptised Christian but that's irrelevant). I would like DD to eventually go to a regular school.

DD is supposed to start school on Monday and the council told us that next week there is a slight chance we might get a last minute place in our preferred school as she's 1st on the wait list. This is a regular community school, next door, outstanding school, 3-form so larger but I don't mind that. I visited it a couple of months ago and liked it a lot.

I'm worried about DD a bit though... she's now looking forward to going to the RC school on Monday and not sure how to deal with the transfer thing if it happens. Should I (Can I) keep her until half term in this RC school or it's better to transfer right away? How does this transfer work? I can't afford to defer and keep her at home until she gets a place in the new school, if ever.

Many many thanks.

Only you can make that choice but I would send her if she liked it and seemed happy. I am (non practising) Catholic and went to Catholic schools and regular (moved about a lot), I never found the Catholic ones particularly more churchey or preachey than the others and they often have a lovely sense of community about them. Not saying other schools don't (DCs attend regular village primary and have all be christened c of e).

Go with your gut but don't let the label 'catholic' put you off.

Smaller schools can be more nurturing a larger school can be daunting for 4 year old.

my 2 children attend a local independent Catholic primary school - and we are not catholics. No one in our family attends church or is particularly relgious. We took my son out of local state school and moved him here, and my daughter also attends.
Based on my own experience of my sons state school and that of his independent catholic one the catholic one is not more religious. They are not constantly saying prayers or doing Catholic RE etc, and actually so far his state school was bringing in weekly vicars for lessons so the state school was more religious in some ways. His current RC school does like to take the children to church a couple of times a year but you can opt out if you wish but i have no problem with that and the children seem to enjoy it. They also learn about other religions also as they do in other schools.
I guess what i am trying to say is don;t necessarly be put off by the RC status of the school if your daughter is happy and its a good school.

Thanks, I think we're pretty set on wanting to go to the regular school - again it's an excellent school and it's literally next door, hopefully someone moved out and we get a last minute offer now, or later during the year.

I'm just worried about the transfer, is that difficult on kids, does it happen right away or we have to wait until next term? I tried to explain to DD that we might go to the other school but not sure she understood. Perhaps I'm stressing too much over this?

At our school, if you are offered a place as a mid-year transfer you have to take it up immediately.

There have been many children coming in and out pf DCs classes through their time at primary. There never seems to have been a problem.

sorry i was typing and didn't see the other responses. yes I get the argument that Catholic schools may or may not be that Catholic but there are other argument... this school is normally 1-form and all kids are catholic and so are the parents. i just have this feeling about DD not fitting in with the other kids, again perhaps it's just me but why not give her the choice if I can.

@tiggytape so transfer happens right away then, that's better in some sense.

if the option to keep her at home until a place at the regular school comes up isn't possible for work reasons, then your choice is actually quite simple, send her to the RC school on Monday and IF a place at the regular school is offered, make your choice at that stage as to whether to accept it or not, based on how you have found the school, the parents, how happy your DD is, how well you think she would cope with a new school based on how quickly she settled at the first one etc etc. I probably wouldn't mention that it might be a temporary school as it might confuse her, or prevent her settling in.

another thought - does the RC school have a staggered start in terms of intake, and if so, are other children starting later than her? If so, I would probably ask if she could join the last intake, as that might give the first school enough time to chase up any no-shows on the first day.

Have to say i regret moving my DD. She was in a small (16 in class) school. Job change meant we had to move. Now in a 3 class year school. So about 90 in her year. Feels like you are just a number

I think that very much depends on the school. DSs school is 3 form intake and there is never the feeling that you are "just a number". The relevant staff (head team and office/support staff) really seem to know all the children by name, which I've always found quite amazing TBH