Which primary school?

[Sunisshining12]

What would you choose & why?

School A - 1 class of 30 per year group, non faith, very academic driven, more modern/liberal approach to teaching, newish building, equal distance as school B but logistically a bit harder to get to

School B - 2 classes of 30 per year group, faith school (Christian), more traditional approach to learning, old building & a bit tired, equal distance as school A but easier to get to

First child going to school & worried about which to put as No.1 choice. Both in catchment area. Tia

great emphasis is put on kindness, tolerance, forgiveness, reconciliation, justice for the lowest and least, critical thinking, spiritual development, joy and wonder. The want to develop the ‘whole child’ not just SATs results

Yes, all that is partly why my DC’s non faith school is ‘Outstanding’ and why such a wide diversity of children looked after each other.

My neice and nephew, however, came home and said that we were having storms because God was angry with us, we have bread to eat because god gives us rain (people suffering Tsunami or famine must have done something so bad, right?) and that people who are not married cannot have children.

It all comes down to the individual school, it’s ethos and approach and faith and non faith can both be good or not.

What is the logistical challenge of school 1? Can you drive to both but only walk to one due to having to cross a dual carriageway or something like that?
You or your DP/H will be doing that journey for at least 5 years, longer if its not feasible for your DC to walk / cycle home on their own ever.

weary
This is what the government say are faith schools:
www.gov.uk/types-of-school/faith-schools

And

Of course it was bad teaching. Probably even one moment of one thoughtless teacher. The point is, you can’t generalise, as you did massively in your post s about the supposed differences between faith and non/faith.

They’re both a 25 min walk & doable. To drive to school A is going with all of the traffic heading towards town & getting stuck at a junction (which everything backs up from). School B is going in the opposite direction with less traffic. But I feel surely I can’t make a decision on which school due to this?

Well you can base it on anything you like really. If you consider the two schools basically on a par, then why not go with the one that is easier for you to get to?
Equally fine to base it on wraparound care provision/ religious content/ where the neighbours kids go.

Ok, so turns out CofE has better wraparound care. I’ve tried the commute this week & CofE was quicker & more parking. But, am I a total hypocrite to send my DC to CofE when I’m a non believer? Just how religious are CofE schools?

Religiouswise it honestly varies from school to school. Our most local CofE junior school is "CofE" pretty much in name only (ie no different to the school my DC attend from what i can see). Another CofE closer to town though is more "full on" with daily prayers and visits from the vicar + attending the nearby church.

Unless faith is very important I’d go for school a. Do you think you have an equal chance of getting into either?

@frazzled yes - I live 1.5 mile from both. They are both the nearest

@Wearywithteens

Faith schools are only for people of that faith. So generally speaking you have to be Catholic to go to a catholic school for example.

CofE schools are for ‘all faiths and none’ but their Trusts are tasked with making the education distinctively Christian.

What this means in practise is that collective worship (which all schools have to have by law) will mention God and prayer but your children, or any of the staff for that matter, will not be compelled to have to join in if they don’t want to. Prayer is invited ‘if you would like to join me in prayer please do, if you would like to sit silently with your own thoughts that’s fine too.’

The beauty of church schools, whether you are a Christian or not, is the values - great emphasis is put on kindness, tolerance, forgiveness, reconciliation, justice for the lowest and least, critical thinking, spiritual development, joy and wonder. The want to develop the ‘whole child’ not just SATs results.

LOL

I have never heard anything so untrue regarding the CoE school my DSs went to. It was like a fricking cult, there was no 'invitation,' refusal to engage with the faith was met with scorn. They absolutely did not care about the 'whole child,' as was evidenced in their complete refusal to do anything at all about bullying, and the SATs results were so important they falsified my DSs (without doubt). They have absolutely no interest in SEN and merrily run any kids they can't be bothered to deal with out.

They have an 'outstanding' church inspection report and are OFSTED 'good.'

It's our catchment school and I'm now looking at absolutely anything else rather than sending DD there too.

I'd go for the non-religious one OP.