Has anyone's DC's gone from a non-faith primary to a catholic secondary, and if so how difficult was it to get a place?

[sandyballs]

I presumed because I didn't choose the local catholic primary (for various reasons), then I wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting into a catholic secondary. When my DD's started reception I didn't even want them to go to a catholic secondary.

However, 4 years on, the catchment area for our local very good comp has changed and we are now in the catchment area for an extremely poor academy so I'm wondering if I'm too late to go down the catholic route.

I am a lapsed catholic and my girls were baptised in the catholic church but haven't been to church very often. I understand a points system works in the catholic secondaries, based on when the child was baptised, when it had it's first communion, how much you do in the church.

Can I catch up on 'points' in the next three years if I start flower arranging in the church and scrubbing the pews .

I know this is a contentious issue and don't flame me, but if you saw this local academy, you would also do anything to avoid your kids going there. They have a couple of full time policemen there to stop all the drug dealing and fighting, FGS .

bump

AFAIK all that matters is your attendance at mass, and the form that your priest has to fill in. If you read the admissions criteria of the school you want to apply for, it will all be in there. When will you be applying?

A lot can change in three years. A local Catholic secondary has just changed its admissions criteria to specify Catholic feeder schools so kids at non-Catholic primary schools now have little chance of getting in. It is a bummer for all those parents who, until this year, would have had a chance on the "points" system.

Why was wrong with the Catholic primaries?

Check their admissions criteria.
For our local outstanding Catholic secondary, you'd have no chance.

Thanks for replies.

I have checked their website now and it is very over subscribed and the kids on the waiting list are allocated points according to when they were baptised, when they had their first communion, and how active they and their families are in church, and how often they attend. Doesn't look particularly likely that we would get in, as they haven't even had their first communion, although the points are allocated for that if you have it done prior to year 5 - mine are in year 4.

So I am looking ahead a bit, we won't be applying for secondaries for another two years but time seems to fly!

The reason I didn't choose the catholic primary is that I thought it was too pushy academically. It is a very good school and it achieves excellent results but the school they are in now seems more rounded with more emphasis on sport, music, art, drama, rather than just pushing maths, english and science which was the impression I got when viewing the catholic school.