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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.

Original poster

dd's school calls itself "NonDenominal" but they take hte children to church harvest, easter and xmas (etc) ????

33 replies

nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:08

doesnt make sense

OP posts:
beansprout · 26/09/2007 17:09

Mine was the same but we also celebrated other festivals too, e.g. Eid etc.

KristinaM · 26/09/2007 17:10

i think you'll find that all Christian denominations celebrate Easter, Christmas etc

non-denominational doesnt mean the same as non - religious or non- Christian

Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:11

yes possibly they will celebrate other festivals
but going ot church....?
and they sing hymns in assembly

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Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:13

"i think you'll find "

why say that kristina

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tiredemma · 26/09/2007 17:14

Our school is like this- they celebrate all religious significant dates.

beansprout · 26/09/2007 17:14

I would be surprised too tbh np.

Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:15

i feel a bit better knowing they will celebrate other religious festivals too

having a minister at assembly makes me feel a bit uneasy tho

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KristinaM · 26/09/2007 17:16

sorry i dont knwo what you mean?

lemonaid · 26/09/2007 17:16

Non-denominational isn't the same as non-Christian. It just means not specifically CofE / Methodist / Catholic / whatever (although do they always go to one particular church for these festivals?)

Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:18

kristina
i do know that all christians celebrate easter xmas etc
thanks

lemonaid
the school is split in 2 - the RC school and the ND
they go to a 'parish' church for the services (to me that sounds like C of S) but i dont know
and the minister comes to assembly

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Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:20

iwant to ask the teacher but i dont want her to think im against the idea when im not!
i dont go to church and i dont like church much (at all actually) but i like the idea of dd being told about religion
i just dont want her to be told "this is fact" iyswim

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Mercy · 26/09/2007 17:20

Nailpolish - Kristina was only tryign to explain.

ANywya, your dd's school has a very odd set up by the sounds of it!

FioFio · 26/09/2007 17:22

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Message withdrawn

Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:23

seems old fashoined doesnt it fio

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FioFio · 26/09/2007 17:24

This reply has been deleted

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Blu · 26/09/2007 17:24

nailpoish - Kristina is trying to explain that non-denominational does not mean 'non religious'.

It just means that it doesn't adhere to one of the branches - or denominations - of the christian church. So, it IS Chritian, but not one particular form of Chritianity. therfore would be celebrating harvest, christmas, etc.

Theclosetpagan · 26/09/2007 17:25

But what will you do/can you do if this turns out to be the school's policy? Is it enough of a problem to you to consider moving your DD to a different school? If not well - it's an odd set up but something you may have to get used to.

Is there an option allowing you to opt your DD out? If so that's good but your DD may end up feeling and being the odd one out.

PS. I don't think Kristina was being difficult - just trying to give you an explanation of why your school might do this.

Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:26

i dotn want some ancient minister telling my dd sunday school stories though

i hated sunday school so much

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Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:27

im happy to go along with dd going to the church for harvest festival etc
as long as shes not told that the bible is fact etc etc etc and that other people believe other stuff and thats its ok to not believe any of it

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Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:31

also im slightly worried as ive been elected for the shcool council
first ever meetng tomorrow night

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hippipotami · 26/09/2007 17:34

My ds's school is the same. They use 1 particular church (it is next door). Also, once a term the reverend from that church takes assembly. And, once a term they get the SCAT team in for assembly. (Schools Christiam Assembly Teaching ?) So for a non-denominational school there is an awful lot of churchy things going on!

I am happy to go along with it for now, but I do answer dd's comments of 'God made the world' with 'well, that is what some people believe' because I refuse to let her be brainwashed at such a young age. (The school is an infant school, so the dc are aged 4 - 7 and thus so very impressionable)

Ds is at the local junior school and that is also non-denominational. But they say a hymn in the daily assembly and do a prayer too. Luckily ds (now just 8) is more open-minded about it all and is questioning different religions with interest. At the moment he wants to be a bhuddist.

pointydog · 26/09/2007 17:34

You in Scotland?

Nondenominational means 'not catholic', just generally Christian as that is the predominant religion of the country.

I'm not particularly happy with the necessity for 'religious observance' either, mind you.

However, in nd schools no one is allowed to teach religion as fact. I wouldn;t worry too much.

Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:35

hippi thats good to know
feel slightly better now

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Original poster
nailpolish · 26/09/2007 17:36

pointy
a lot of schools round here still seem to be protestant or cahtolic

where i wen to school it wasnt like that but it appears to be here

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pointydog · 26/09/2007 17:36

all the minister stuff, it's to do with 'religious observance'. Schools have to do it. You have the right to withdraw your child.