Experiences with faith schools

[ChargedAndReady]

My DD is due to start school next September and one of our closest infant schools is a Catholic one. I never went to a faith school and have no experience of them, although I did grow up going to church but it wasn't a Catholic Church.

Does anyone have any experiences of Catholic schools that they could offer insight? On the surface it looks like a good school and I will be happy to send her there if we get admission in, but obviously with covid they have said no open days this year so I'm just in a bit of a fluster really. As you may be able to tell this is my first born

As someone who went to all Catholic schools - I'm in my 50s - and whose daughter went to a Catholic primary (currently at non- Catholic secondary), it's as much it as little of a big deal as you want it to be.
There's loads of religious stuff in the background but you can tune in and out of that as you like. Although that probably depends on the area you are from. Mine's pretty working class so there's not the posing I've seen in fancier places.
If you aren't used to it, you might feel it's a big deal. I am so I had a pinch of salt handy.

Oh we are not a fancy area at all, much more working class. I'm fine with the religious stuff in the background, I guess I'm just after whether they teach it to the detriment of other subjects - for example will all the other subjects get adequate time and emphasis on them or does the religion overshadow everything? Sorry I know this sounds ignorant, I just don't have a clue.

My kids have all attended Catholic schools. DS has just progressed to 6th form college, DD1 is at Catholic secondary and DD2 is still at primary.

The schools follow the National curriculum for RE lessons, but how pervasive the religious element is outside RE can vary. Our secondary is very holy, primary less so.

At primary all my kids have had friends who aren’t Catholic, DD’s best friend isn’t, but certainly most of the kids in her class are, and regularly attend church (pre Covid).

Op, religious stuff is just kind of there. A non-Catholic or someone not used to it might feel overwhelmed by it. There were a couple of non-Catholic kids in DD's year. They didn't have to, for example, take any of the sacraments. When there was a Mass, they usually went up for communion and got a blessing rather than a communion wafer. There's a gesture you do to show you aren't having communion.
A lot of the class projects might involve a religious theme. But not all of them.
Again, it's run of the mill, part of my own childhood for me. It might freak you out.

I don't think it would freak me out as I attended church regularly as a child/teenager.

Such a pain that the year I need to apply there's no open days etc!