Church school for non-believer?

[chicaguapa]

Without wanting to start a debate about religion etc, DD (8) is adamant that she doesn't believe in God and can be quite open about it. She has formed this opinion herself btw. I wondered if it would therefore be a bad idea to send her to a CofE school or if it wouldn't matter?

I don't think it would matter. C of E schools generally tend to be quite low key as far as formal religion goes and are stronger on things like being kind to each other and respect etc. It may be worth showing her how to express her thoughts and opinions without causing offence, and how to be tolerant of people whose beliefs may differ from hers though.(Not saying she isn't tolerant already, but just in case...)

I was similar to your daughter and went to a very "churchy" school. Most of the time it didn't matter, apart from being bored sitting through weekly chapel, but I did come unstuck a few times with the chaplain not accepting my views in RE. Just made me more argumentative and keen to prove my point!

Agree with Runout. If she shows respect for other people's beliefs, and I hope receives it re her own, why not?

That's promising then. It looks like a lovely school and I like the idea of kind Christian values. We're going to have a look around it after half term. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in DD's RE lessons to see how the teacher would respond to her logic!

How dare a Christian school focus on the religious rather than the secular side of christmas. It's not fair and should be stopped. And as for giving charity to others than presents to our DC well that's just not Christian is it.

My daughter is at a church school. It is really lovely. They do pray at the beginning and end of each day and they say a childrens form of Grace.
They also learn about Christianity through daily activities, discussions and obviously Christmas and Easter are very religious occasions.
Not sure what I'm trying to say really, I'm too tired.
My point is, that I think church schools are great. As long as she respects others beliefs, I think she'll be fine.
Hope this makes sence.

Hia

If your DD attends a CofE school she will be asked to pray every day and attend services in church (possibly weekly depending on the school)?

Does she currently attend church of a weekend?

Have you spoken to your Rector to see what he thinks about it?

Are you religious yourself? If not, then I would say don't send her.

TP

My dc's C of E school doesn't make them pray every day! One line of non-denominational (there are children of other religions who attend) grace before lunch and that's it! One church service at Harvets (where the vicar does his potato speech ), one at Christmas and one at Easter.

That's it! Oh and FC does visit at Christmas and does give out presents and they do have a party!

My DC are at a C of E school. They do say grace before lunch I think and there is a birthday prayer in the celebration assembly on Fridays.

They go to a service at church for Christmas and Easter and also have Father Christmas visiting, with presents

It would be a big no for me.

The CoE schools round here ARE very "churchy" (baptising your teddy bear anyone?) but weekly or daily acts of worship, grace-saying and church visiting.

And I wonder if her views really would be respected?

What other options do you have?

my older two go to a cofe school. I don't like it much because obviously the religious education is going to be a little unbalanced. They can spend a whole term learning about one story from the bible then cover hinduism in two weeks.

I had hoped the christian values would be a good thing, but in the two years she has been there dd has learned to bully and lie from her classmates, so I wouldn't count on that aspect!

Having said that, they have never been forceful about the christian belief, which I am glad of. Dh is hindu, so our younger two are hindu, and I've left it up to the older two to make up their own minds. I don't have any worries about christianity being forced upon them.

I think I would ask the school how they respond to athiesm.

It's between two schools so I do have choices. Just wondered if it was the 'done' thing or not. I'm not religious myself but try to live by Christan values. I have always encouraged DC to have an open mind re God & religion so I have no problem with what the school would teach. She'd have no problem with Christmas, presents, true meaning etc. It was more to do with how they would accept DD and if her views would make her stand out, as I know she wouldn't 'pretend'. It's a good idea to ask how they respond to athiesm, I'll do that. Thanks.

I disagree Pixie, certainly regarding the teddy baptising (and to be honest I would have expected anyone with a profoundly held belief to find this highly dubious).

I think so much depends on the individual school. It is clear that the ones local to me would not be particularly tolerant and where religious views and practices permeate the curriculum. For me as an agnostic parent I felt that I personally had to be 100% behind the school's ethos - this is perhaps not a problem for the OP.

Talking to the head would give you the best possible idea about how your child will fit in.

I'm an atheist and am about to send my DD to a church school (we're moving to a village where it is the only school). I don't object because I feel it gives her a balanced outlook in life. She is 6, and has already said she is undecided whether to believe in God or not. I have told her she needs to listen to all opinions - ours, as atheists and the religious views she hears at school (currently a community school) and make her own mind up.

My only stipulation is that if she chooses not to believe in God, the school must not force her to pray if she does not want to. She must be allowed to remain respectfully quiet, otherwise I will exercise my right to remove her from collective worship.

I get the impression that CE primary schools are very different to CE high schools. I understand that virtually anyone can go to a CE primary, if they want to....

We have only one CE high school in our area, and to go to it you need to have a reference from a churchy religious leader and need to have attended church regularly (at least 48 weeks per year) for at least 10 years together with a parent. It's a complicated form to fill in too and churches often have evenings where they help people to fill them in!

I think whether a CE primary school is religious or not depends on whether it is controlled or voluntary aided, but I'm not too sure....

A CE school is going to be religious whether it's voluntary controlled or voluntary aided, but the latter means it can apply religious entry criteria. I have a suspicion (possibly unfounded) that CE secondary/high schools are more likely to be voluntary aided than CE primaries, hence the religious entrance criteria.

I don't think for the most part that DD's CE primary (voluntary controlled) is any more religious than the normal state primary I went to in the 70s/80s, although it does have a specific link with the local church.