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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.

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Original poster

Hymns in assembly

32 replies

junkinmytrunk · 07/02/2008 09:49

dd1 is in reception and is settled in and loving school.
When she started back in september I asked for her not to go into assembly when there were hymns being sung and other religious activities due to our beliefs. Her teacher is more than okay with this and sits with dd1 in the classroom and some some one on one work with her. Teacher has told me how much she enjoys sitting with her once a week and doing this one on one work.

School now has a new headmaster and he kicked off this week about dd1 being taken out of assembly. He now wnts a meeting with me tomorrow about it.

It is not a religious school, RC or C of E, so how can he object to this.
I have offered to come and sit with dd1 myself if he feels its a problem for the teacher being out of assembly but he still insists on me meeting with him tomorrow.

I'm petrified and hope dh can get the time off work to come with me as I know when I get in there, I'll fall to pieces!

OP posts:

morningpaper · 07/02/2008 10:35

agree procrastinatingparent. Generally a man who is in charge of a secular primary school and earning 100k a year is unlikely to be some sort of religious fundamentalist.

Junk I would give the LEA a ring and have a word with them so you are 100% sure of your rights, then write a letter simply stating that you wish to withdraw your child from assembly and other religious activities (there is no need to justify it, just one sentence is fine). Then go in calm and smiling. You have done nothing wrong and I'm sure he is well aware of your rights as a parent. You don't need to stress or worry, just be calm and non-confrontational. I'm sure it will be fine.

Original poster

junkinmytrunk · 07/02/2008 10:37

Thanks for your advice, I'm feeling a lot better now and hopefully dh can come with me.
Just really panicked me this morning.

OP posts:

morningpaper · 07/02/2008 10:42

I would go in with a bottle of whiskey and a card wishing him good luck in his new job

But I am a brown-nose like that

RosaLuxOnTheBrightSideOfLife · 07/02/2008 12:07

MP - how many primary school heads do you know who earn £100k a year? I'm not sure the pay scale goes that high!

morningpaper · 07/02/2008 12:29

lol they CAN go up that far

I think ours is about 60k

London Headteacher's Salary scales

morningpaper · 07/02/2008 12:31

(that payscale is not JUst for Primary schools, obv!)

haggisaggis · 07/02/2008 12:39

My 2 don't go to assembly when the local minister is taking it or they have a religious group in. On other times they do attend. The school are perfectly happy with this and in fact told me that as a parent I could withdraw my child from ANY lesson I was unhappy with.
Our school also seems to use the music lessons to practise hymns - which I'm not ecstatic about as there are so many other good non religious songs they could sing.

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