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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

C of E primary schools

25 replies

sillytilly · 13/04/2008 22:30

Can someone tell me if there is any hope in applying to an consistently oversubscribed CofE primary without a letter from a priest with your application?

we are rubbish and only go at Christmas/Easter

is it too late to go more now and ask our priest for a letter in October? or is that totally immoral?

thanking you.

OP posts:

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 13/04/2008 22:53

It depends whether all those who apply are regular church-goers or not. The requirement here is that you need to attend at least monthly for two years to get a letter from the church.

There are two highly oversubscribed CofE schools near us and the majority of those who attend did not have a letter.

Do you know any parents already at the school that could tell you?

Original poster

sillytilly · 14/04/2008 08:05

Hello,

I don't know any parents there atm as it is the other end of the country from us BUT a friend of mine does teach there (currently on mat leave) and she says she just cannot believe that many that go there are churchgoers...the school's over-subscription policy gives priority to those with letters from the parish priest though.

Just can't work out how I know whether to apply for the CofE school (we will be living literally 300 yards away from it, so well in catchment) or to not risk it and put a non-church (not so good or convenient) as first choice. darn it...

OP posts:

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 14/04/2008 10:23

What are the class sizes? If it's 20 or 30 then I'd apply. Phone the school and ask, tell them you're moving into the village and that you need some help!

Whereabouts is it? There are probably MNers who know the school!

tortoiseSHELL · 14/04/2008 10:30

It depends if the school is VC or VA - it sounds as if it might be VA in which case you might need a letter. If it's VC like ds1's CE school, then churchgoing isn't an issue - it has the same admissions criteria as any other school.

peanutbear · 14/04/2008 10:32

When are you moving I dont think you can apply till you live in the parish then when you move there introduce yourself to the vicar and start going to church

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 14/04/2008 11:02

t/shell - ours is voluntary aided but only about 4 out of 30 had letters. It was 1st choice school for more than 40 children last year. And it's similar numbers every year.

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 14/04/2008 11:04

Original poster

sillytilly · 14/04/2008 11:54

thanks everyone! it's Dinny here, btw

it is VA, and has a double intake, so 60 per year

I just can't believe all those people have letters....

we are moving a month before we start in sept 09, but we already have an address in the parish.

OP posts:

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 14/04/2008 11:55

In that case, I would wager that you'll get a place without any trouble at all.

Original poster

sillytilly · 14/04/2008 11:55

btw, I have spoken to the school secretaries and headmistress and they say a priest's letter will help the application

OP posts:

Original poster

sillytilly · 14/04/2008 11:57

what a bloody malarkey

wonder if I can just ask the vicar outright if he'd give us a letter, I am kind of on his mailing list

OP posts:

rolledhedgehog · 14/04/2008 11:57

Well it might be! We moved just before application time to a house very very close to our local oversubscribed C of E school which you usually need to be a church goer to get a child into.

We applied on the off chance that it would be a slow year for kids with no real hope. We got in as did lots of other non-church goers because it was a bulge year and because there were not enough reception places locally they provided another class.

I am now really hoping they don't change the admission criteria that currently gives priority to siblings because if they do, we will be stuffed.

DrNortherner · 14/04/2008 11:59

I would ask then deffo. He can only say no!

Good luck.

Original poster

sillytilly · 14/04/2008 12:01

this is the vicar in the new parish, I mean....

just don't want to risk not getting into the other school on our list, which is not a church school, if I don't get into the church school, iyswim

OP posts:

Original poster

sillytilly · 14/04/2008 20:48

oh, and does equal preference on an application to primary really mean just that? thanks!

OP posts:

FunkyNora · 15/04/2008 13:30

Hi Dinny,
Have you thought about getting a letter from your current vicar? It is not at all unusual for families to have this when they move into a new parish. I think that even if it were to say that you were known to the vicar or an occassional worshipper (as opposed to a regular worshipper) then that could only support your application. I also suggest this because if you decide to put the CofE school first, you increase the chance of being higher on the list than as many other applicants as a possible.

If nothing else, it would show that you had a least stepped into a church before you considered the issue of the school application. Just a thought, HTH.

dinny · 15/04/2008 18:27

thanks, FunkyNora

we kind of only go to church here about once/twice a year (eek) - seems really cheeky to go more and then ask for a letter

though suppose could go more between now an Oct....

Lotstodo · 16/04/2008 16:10

Also as you live so close to the C of E primary school they may, in their criteria give a (very) small percentage of places to the closest aoolicants to the school so you could be lucky from that aspect.

Lotstodo · 16/04/2008 16:10

Also as you live so close to the C of E primary school they may, in their criteria give a (very) small percentage of places to the closest applicants to the school so you could be lucky from that aspect.

Lotstodo · 16/04/2008 16:11

Ooops! Don't know what happened there.

foofi · 16/04/2008 16:13

The CofE school where I work has children from all different religious backgrounds. Places are offered on the basis of proximity to school.

MsPontipine · 17/04/2008 00:49

I think priests are Roman Catholic.
You'll need to say Vicar!

dinny · 17/04/2008 08:36

no, MsPontipine, it is also an Anglican term - they are often called vicar or rector but they are the parish priest

our priest is called Father X and is CofE

MsPontipine · 17/04/2008 12:57

Ooh thanks - see that's a new one to me - these religious terms absolute minefield I think for those trying to appear more into it than they actually are!

purpleduck · 17/04/2008 13:28

I don't think it actually makes a difference

dh is a govenor at our dcs CofE school, and he says it is about 4th down on the list in importance (ie, those who don't live in catchment, who don't have siblings there..)

So if you live in catchment, you "trump" someone who just has a letter.

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