How much of one faith in a non-faith school is okay?

[thehorseandhisboy]

I don't want to start a discussion about religion, but I just want to gauge whether my gut feelings are shared by others.

My children have all attended the same primary school, youngest now in Y6, so I know we haven't got long left and not trying to crate problems.

The school is a very typical, multi-cultural, multi-faith, multi-ethnic non-denominational school in London. Children from lots of different backgrounds, about 1/3 of the school Muslim. Fab - love this about the school.

Previously, the school has recognised and celebrated Eid, Divali, Chinese New Year, Hannuka and civic events like Black History Month etc. Christmas and Easter have been acknowledged in quite low key ways eg end of year performance singing mainly secular Christmas songs, a few carols, chocolate nests at Easter. Fab - no problem.

A new head started earlier this year who is a practicing Christian. My children have had Christian, Muslim, Hindu and aetheist teachers who have been open about their faith/beliefs and interested in and tolerant of others. Fab - living alongside people of faith and being able to ask questions/reflect a huge privilege imvho.

Since the new head started, there has been no acknowledgement of important days for faiths other than Christians, and important events in the civic calendar like Black History month have been ignored. A priest from the local denominational church now leads a Christian assembly once a week. There is much talk about God and Jesus as facts. Representatives from the local church have been invited to events like the Winter Fair (renamed the Christmas fair, of course) to ask for 'contributions'.

The end of term has been something else. Five separate nativities and a Christingle Service (in school) as end of year events. The newsletter has been full of 'Christmas is coming' since November although Divali hadn't even had a mention.

I could go on, but you get the drift...

Some parents spoke and then wrote to the head to express their discomfort with the dominance that Christianity is now taking in the school, and the head's response was to cite the Education Act and suggest that they remove their child from these events.

For a school that has always taken a stance of including all children, this doesn't sit well with me. If you don't want your child to be involved in a nativity or Christingle, they might as well not be at school for the last two weeks of the autumn term, as there have been endless rehearsals etc. Some children are removed from these events, so excluded from end of year shows and events that they used to take part in.

My stance isn't anti-Christian at all; I would feel the same about any faith being imposed so suddenly and extensively and also if an atheist head started and failed to acknowledge faith at all and focused on the solstice etc.

Is this within 'normal range' for a non-denominational school in a very mixed community?

Views please. TIA.

The children didn’t have to keep secrets. What tosh. Any parent could find out what was happening. You have your own agenda and the Head has theirs. That doesn’t make either of you correct. There might be a history that you want included but it doesn’t have to be. What do you not understand about that? I’m fed up with explaining that too. Also really grateful where I live this isn’t an issue!

Actually, parents have been very in the dark about the changes the head has made. No-one knew the usual end of term shows which included all children would be replaced with 5 nativities and a Christingle service until they were put on the school calendar.

People didn't know about the Priest leading a weekly assembly. Some parents asked to sit in, and heard nothing back.

If you live somewhere where ethnic, social and religious diversity aren't issues that does sort of explain your inability to grasp the importance and complexity of the situation though.

If the Head has made changes then she/he needs to inform parents and staff about them. They do need to consider communicating changes to parents which includes non English speakers.

If the Governors and parents have not been informed the Head has overstepped the mark. They are accountable to parents as is the Governing body.

That sounds about right cabbageking for major changes like a radical rejig of the school calendar and changes in curriculum ie not teaching RE.

She did indeed overstep the mark, and I hope that the governors take a less laissez faire approach in future.

@BubblesBuddy Black activism?! Seriously??

There's some valid questions to raise about the change of religious focus and lack of diversity.

But when you start citing Blair for changes that pre-date his time as prime minister and repeatedly argue safeguarding for things that aren't safeguarding you risk sounding like someone who has an issue with the head and is muddying the waters to suit their gripes.

The change from what it was seems wrong but my kids have always attended ordinary state schools, two had full on Christian assemblies and were as young describe

I’m not defending the Head. I’m definitely saying the Governors should know about changes because they are responsible for the ethos of the school.

Governors are not directly accountable to parents. Parents cannot get rid of them. Nor can parents sack the Head. There is nothing about direct accountability to parents in any form of school governance documentation and its clearly impossible to orchestrate. There are parent governors and that’s it. Even they are not delegates. They have no mandate from parents.

Clearly a sensible and well run GB would have asked the Head about parental and community involvement at the school and their ideas for direction of travel and improvement. If they didn’t, they didn’t do their job.

It’s difficult to know if some parents like the changes though. How does anyone know? Were the events well attended? Have views of all parents been sought? Parents were informed via the calendar but didn’t DC need costumes and didn’t parents have to get involved? How were DC chosen for parts?

You don’t, as parents, have a right to sit in on lessons or teaching periods. The Governors can do this via the mechanisms set up by the GB and the Head. In this case I would expect the GB to know about and monitor changes. It should have been reported to the GB and if it wasn’t, the Heads report to Governors is poor. Parents cannot demand to monitor the curriculum. Again, the curriculum is agreed by the governors and for RE it covers the agreed local syllabus. Perhaps there are DC and parents who want to celebrate a more “traditional” Christmas ? That’s for the Governors to find out.

I don’t get the point about black activism? There are issues in Birmingham with Muslim activism in schools. We shouldn’t tolerate any activism in schools. Parents also have a role in education at home and many take this seriously but schools should follow the agreed curriculum because it stops angst and argument. The Head is probably over zealous with the changes made but is now faced with parents wanting to monitor class activities. That’s not acceptable. Do keep talking to the Governors but you need to understand the role of parents as distinct from Governors. Also the role of the Head in the day to day operational running of the school vs the governors who look at strategy and ethos. They cannot tell the Head what to do on operational matters. Some further reading and understanding of these roles might help you go forward op.

Lola I obviously didn't mention Blair in my letter to the governors, but his government was a major driver of increased faith education in schools, and increasing faith specific schools, which has caused a number of very significant problems.

bubbles I don't think any parents asked to sit in on lessons or 'monitor the curriculum'. Some asked if they could attend one of the new Priest-led assemblies, but they received no response from the school. Parents are invited to some assemblies, so this was hardly a wild card request.

Others requested the the head follow the agreed RE curriculum, which wasn't actioned until the governors got involved.

Costumes were supplied by the school, so no parents weren't involved in any preparation for the multiple nativities and Christingle.

It was in part the head not following the agreed curriculum that prompted my letter to the governors. She stopped the teaching of RE which the governors immediately reinstated.

And yes indeed, the situation in Birmingham illustrates in part what happens when relationships between the GB, SLT and parents break down and schools become the focus of a particular religious agenda (that of some of the parents/community leaders in Birmingham or the Head in the case of our school).

I would encourage parents to use Ofsted parent view if there is a whole school problem.
Q 5 is about the school informing parents about what their child is learning in school.

The Academies programme followed by both Conservative and Labour governments has increased faith schools. Also around me the faith schools in villages have increased in size to go from 4:11 to meet need. Other sponsors are available. Governors can seek them out. There is no need for community schools to become C of E.

Parents don’t have a right to sit in and monitor assemblies either. I would pick your battles and keep referring to the agreed curriculum. Assemblies do normally include a daily act of worship which should be of a broadly Christian character. So a priest every so often doesn’t depart from this. If could even enrich what is presented if it’s done well.

bubbles I have no interest in sitting in on assemblies.

Parents are invited into some assemblies. Once people had heard that a Priest was running one weekly, some parents asked to attend one. I got the impression they were curious/interested about this new direction, rather than trying to monitor anything.

The school didn't respond to their request.

I am indeed picking my battles, and it's been effective in terms of alerting the governors so far thanks.

I

@BubblesBuddy since when is exploring history activism?

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/08/black-british-history-should-be-in-mainstream-says-campaigner

Thought this was interesting

Thanks cabbage yes very interesting, thanks for posting.

My dc went to community schools and they had collective worship with a visiting Christian Minister.
They also celebrated/ studied other religions though, too.
I thought this was normal for all schools. I see it's still done in schools round here, with no problems.

It was the introduction of weekly assemblies led by a Priest at the same time as celebrations and even study of other religions was stopped that was the worrying thing.

Islam is the dominant faith among the school community, so it wasn't to better meet the needs of the pupils.

I've had a similar issue with my DC's primary school, which I specifically chose because it was the only non faith school locally. The Head is very involved with a local church and it has definitely had a big impact. This is a very multicultural school where over 30% of pupils are of other faiths. Fortunately she is retiring at the end of this year. Given the law mandates 'broadly Christian' daily worship and allows you to opt out of the religious bits, I doubt you'll get very far with a formal complaint.

Roomba the governors have taken my concerns seriously - see up thread.

Other parents are pursuing a dialogue with the Head. I'm not - my only dc there now is Y6, so we haven't got long left.