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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Atheists Sending child to Catholic school

53 replies

othership · 05/05/2018 03:38

We are looking at schools for DS who is due to start in Sep 2019. We have just moved to a new city so we weren’t sure what schools were like here, but 95% of them are catholic Schools. We want DS to have the best education but the nearest outstanding ofsted rated is 2 miles away for a catholic school but for a non religious school it’s 5 miles (where we live that’s about a 20 minute drive). The five nearest schools to us are all catholic school. Would you send your child to a religious school even if you weren’t practising? The city is very catholic and we were aware of that already but had no idea the amount of catholic schools.

OP posts:

Hideandgo · 05/05/2018 03:42

Yep, without hesitation. It’s a local school. My son has a right to access it. The religion is irrelevant to me.

isthisspring · 05/05/2018 03:57

Yes, we have done this once as we felt the school was the best fit despite the religious aspect. There were no serious issues. But DC were small.

AltheaorDonna · 05/05/2018 04:05

I did because I had no choice (we were living in Ireland at the time). It was a good school but the spent a lot of time on religion, and I was glad to move away and get my son into a secular school. I wouldn’t do it if I had a choice.

Janus · 05/05/2018 04:17

Yes I have and similar to you (although my husband is catholic). To be fair, each one was my catchment school so the only one I was guaranteed a place. One was extremely popular and favoured those who practised going to church. A LOT of parents suddenly became religious a year or so before Intake as they had priority by getting a letter from the vicar. I refused to do this and despite being a 2 minute walk initially we didn’t get in. I rang up to ask and it was because so many parents ‘had found faith’ basically! I said I wasn’t going to play the system and it seemed unfair and the receptionist agreed. As it happened a few turned down their offer so we got in.
Anyway, I’d check what is your catchment school as you may not be able to pick and choose anyway, that may be the only one you will get in.

DioneTheDiabolist · 05/05/2018 04:19

I assume you are not in the UK OP. If you give the country you're in, the advice will be more useful.

purpleme12 · 05/05/2018 04:21

I wouldn't choose a Catholic school. Church of England I would feel differently.

However if my situation was like yours where the non Catholic one was miles away then I would have to. Not prepared to go to one miles away.

DioneTheDiabolist · 05/05/2018 04:27

Oops, missed the Ofsted reference. Sorry for being presumptive but I thought you were in Africa/South America or Asia.

I can't think of a UK City that has 95% Catholic schools.

catherinedevalois · 05/05/2018 04:30

Where is this catholic city? I know in rural areas it is hard to find a non c of e school but to have all catholic local primary schools is a surprise.

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 05/05/2018 04:39

Will you get into an outstanding school 2 miles away in a city environment? Here the distances are around 2-300 meters and this is not a city. I think you need to do a bit more research. Are you renting?

purpleme12 · 05/05/2018 04:43

I didn't think there were that many Catholic schools anywhere either

Jobbieshitkakaboudin · 05/05/2018 05:11

Scotland?

WhiskeySourpuss · 05/05/2018 05:46

DD goes to a catholic school because the catchment school is awful.

However we have the option of requesting that DD is excused from the religious aspects (not religious education).

Thundercracker · 05/05/2018 08:19

Sounds like you may be ignoring closer Good schools? Ofsted isn't everything (and I would still take a recent Good over an old Outstanding which hasn't been inspected since). Have you looked at the admissions criteria and how places were offered in recent years?

purpleme12 · 05/05/2018 08:20

I agree. Forgot to put this. Why does it have to be outstanding? You should still be looking at good schools too

HelenaJustina · 05/05/2018 08:21

Another one who is intrigued as to the location of this Catholic city!

CPtart · 05/05/2018 08:32

Both my DS are at an outstanding catholic secondary. I am (non practising) catholic. No problems at all. By far the best results in the area which outweigh my morals IMO.

borntobequiet · 05/05/2018 08:45

There’s no better way of preventing religiosity in later life than a Primary School Catholic education. Well, it worked for my children and most of their friends.

thethoughtfox · 05/05/2018 08:50

In primary school so much of the curriculum is religious if Catholic: they prepare them for the sacrements, have assemblies and regular singing and prayer practice for assemblies ad well as priest involvement and trips to church. A huge chunk of the year when they are 7 is about preparing for confession and communion. There will also be daily prayers led by the teacher. It would be impossible to insulate a child from that. They will be talking about all these religious ideas as facts and a child will be very unlikely to not believe their teacher and all their friends.

DioneTheDiabolist · 05/05/2018 09:10

I don't think they have Ofsted in Scotland.

Nothisispatrick · 05/05/2018 09:17

I work in a catholic school and also live in an area with many catholic schools but I wouldn't send my child to one unless there were no other options.

Nothisispatrick · 05/05/2018 09:18

Also not guarantee you will get a place in these schools if you're not catholic btw. I work in a standard catholic primary and the admissions criteria is pretty catholic focused.

RainbowFairiesHaveNoPlot · 05/05/2018 09:21

I'd have no issues at all sending my kids to a CofE school if it was the nearest and best... I've point-blank said I won't send them to a Catholic school though but that's because of my personal experiences with RC education (let's just say I did not have a good time at school - either primary or secondary).

TheresSomebodyAtTheDoor · 05/05/2018 09:24

That's simply not the case thethoughtfox
The catholic primary my dc go to feels less religious than the CofE one they attended previously. I think it very much depends upon the school. Over 50pc of the children that attend my dc school are not Catholic.

Are you only looking at Outstanding schools though?? If so, I would strongly recommend you rethink!

bunbunny · 05/05/2018 09:48

Go and have a look around- on a normal day rather than an open day if possible.

Ask plenty of questions - particularly about the religious aspects and how much time is spent on these during the day and week... if it’s just a case of saying the Lord’s Prayer in the morning and grace at lunch then it’s not what you’d choose but it doesn’t take a lot out of the day and you can use it to teach your ds that it can be a moment for thim to have a moment of reflection/thanks at the start of the day/lunch, which isn’t a bad thing. If however it’s several hours a week being prepared for communion or similar, and they don’t learn about other religions then that’s very different.

Also find out how he will be treated as an atheist - what will he have to join in with, will he be told off for saying he thinks religion is isilly/wrong/a means of exerting control and good behiour over the population/just old stories/etc or will they do the some people believe x, others believe y, both are fine. And check he won’t be told that non believers are sent to hell complete with vivid descriptions... even to an atheist child some of those stories can trigger worries, doubts and nightmares!

GottaFindTchange · 05/05/2018 09:49

In my experience, you need to look at the schools you have the best chance of getting in, and apply for those. No good choosing 3 outstanding ( so presumably over-subscribed) schools if you are too far down the entry criteria to get in. You'll just be assigned your catchment school.
You don't really 'choose' your child's school- unless you choose one that hardly anyone else wants to go to...
Plus 5 Catholic primaries nearest to your house. Most unusual. Never heard of a city with this concentration ( not in England?).
I'm Catholic. Dcs went to C of E primary and Catholic secondary. I would not recommend sending them to a church school and then insisting they will not take part in the 'worship' elements. They will just be singled out and made to feel different from all the others.
Preparation for communion/ reconciliation are done in our parish rather than in the primary school anyway.

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