Catholic Primary School

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Does anyone have experience of sending their non-catholic child to catholic primary school? I've put this down for my daughters school as it's the closest one and I don't drive.

I don't have a problem with religion at all really and I'm happy to educate her on other religions etc. I was raised a christian but now more of a non-believer I guess and open to all ideas, not shutting anyone down etc.

The school itself seems nice and both events I have been to (ie summer and christmas fair) were not overly religious and seemed just like any other school really.

Just after reassurance really that I've not made the wrong decisoin and interested to hear how it worked out for others

They vary widely in observance be honest.

Have you checked you would be likely to get a place looking at the admittance criteria?

Thanks Patricia, I think she would get in yes as it seems to be undersubscribed

I work in catholic education (support staff) and funnily enough was at an event this morning and I think the stats overall are 45% of children in catholic schools are not catholic. It will vary massively of course, our schools I'm sure are much higher rate than this.

RE is taught as a broad subject as in all schools so your child will be taught the same as s secular school - except more emphasis is given to RE than probably is in other schools.

School should have a morning prayer and usually a weekly liturgy and of course there will be christian artefacts around. The down side will be when the children are preparing for their first holy communion as non catholic children will not be involved so your child may feel left out - but it depends on how many other non catholic's there are.

It shouldn’t be a problem as long as you are happy with the ethos and the religious foundations of the school. As a Catholic school there will be prayer, regular attendance at Mass, and assemblies and teaching based on the teachings of Catholicism.

All Catholic schools are different, they will all have a strong focus on RE, regular prayer, religious assemblies/collective worship. They will all go for Mass, at some schools this might be weekly, at others once a term.

First communion may or may not be a problem.
My kid's catholic school/church this year: 4 kids from 1 class, 2 from another, plus one child from another school, all lessons done in church at the weekend, barely mentioned in school.
The neighbouring school/church: 40 kids from the school, including the entirety of one class, plus 2 children from a different school.

Thanks all, it's really helpful to read people's different experiences on this.