The Priory CofE - Wimbledon - Too religious?

[Iamdefinitelyworthit]

Hello everybody this is my first post. First of all can I just say I do not mean to offend anybody, this is just my opinion and only applies to me. So! My DC go to the priory cofe primary school in Wimbledon. We are not religious but reluctantly chose this school based on its proximity to where we live as our nearest non-faith school is Garfield which I am not keen on.

From other people's comments I was under the impression that the religious aspect wasn't too strong. However, since the new Head (who has come from Dundonald) started there, I am finding that the school is becoming quite 'militant' in its religious approach.

Assemblies are now called 'collective worship' and children are made to pray. Parents are regaled with a passage from the Bible in every newsletter (I find this wasteful and patronising but mostly boring and no, I don't have to read it). These are just two tiny examples; Religion has basically permeated on every single aspect of education, quite pointlessly in my opinion, and I no longer feel comfortable with my DC attending the school. I find the overall religious approach to be passive-aggressive despite the constant reminders that they believe in community, being inclusive, love to all and so on.

I know you might argue that it is a CofE school and I knew this when my DC started, all I'm saying is that I didn't mind before but I do now. So, bearing in mind I don't want my DC to attend my nearest non-faith school, what do you think my options are? I would be delighted with Dundonald or Pelham. If any of you out there are familiar with The Priory I would love to know your opinions on how things have changed since the new head started. Or am I going mad?? Cheers all.

Yes it is a good sign but no action as yet. We are going to write to the humanist member and ask what she is doing to represent our beliefs and values as I feel we are a minority group in the school. The RE co-ordinator told me 'the humanist was really lovely (as if this was exceptonal) for a non-godly person?? It was said in a lovely way but very patronising as far as I could see (especialy as my Dad had had a humanist funeral only a month prior to this discussion!!)

One profound question I have not really found the answer to:
Did God make our shoes? maybe it was Richard Dawkins? or the elves ?
OR maybe even the shoemaker!!

Alright great, but what about The Priory in Wimbledon? Come on, there must be someone out there who knows the school.

I'll try again

Hey, does anyone want to know what today's Christian thought in the newsletter was?

Go on then.

?And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.?

The verse changes every week and follows the following permanent sentence:

THE PRIORY IS A VIBRANT, CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL, AIMING TO PROVIDE AN OUTSTANDING EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN AS THEY ARE CHALLENGED WITHIN A CHRISTIAN ENVIRONMENT OF CREATIVITY, LOVE AND RESPECT.

I'm soooooooooooo bored

So let me get this right. Your school is a CofE school, was always a CofE school, and your objection is that it is too....Christian?

So what you are saying is that you wanted them to be CofE but not actually do any of the CofE related stuff?

Lou031205, hi, yes, I guess my stance is nonsensical, I can't deny it. Here's the thing.

When I found out this was our nearest school, I made some inquiries around the neighborhood, friends, friends of friends and so on, and the impression that I got was that yes, it was a Christian school, but rather low key. Initially when my dc started it did seemed this way, there were assemblies and other stuff but I felt it was manageable for a non-religious family. My current concern stems from the fact that the new head seems to be taking things to a whole new level with the way she's recruiting, the changes she's introducing and so on. They sometimes go on about other religions making a big point of how community focused and inclusive they are, but disregard the existence of non-religious families.

I mean to cause no offense whatsoever, I know it's a Christian school and it's not my first choice of school, it's just our nearest one. I was also hoping to hear from people who know the school and confirm/deny my impression about the way it's going. That's all.

Oh bugger off to your nearest non faith state school and stop bellyaching.

You are a hypocrite.

It is a C of E school, you a loon to be complaining about religious content.

But your kids are too good for the local community school I guess.

Its funny cos the impression I get from Merton friends is that Garfield is actually fine and in fact more rounded than the Priory - whats your beef with Garfield?

Oh and btw I think BIWI was actually politely asking you to namechange - or at least consider it...

Have they appointed a new head at Garfield yet?

Keith, The OP is merely asking for feedback; your post is laden with insults and assumptions. Shame on you.

It's okay Cuppy, I can take her... Oh wait, actually I can't be arsed...

I've just come across this thread, which sadly looks as if it ran out of steam a few months' back. I just wanted to make a few points: I have taught as a supply teacher at both schools, and remember them being quite different, although very close geographically. HT was an infant school which fed into Priory as a middle school, and it is this history that made the differences. I won't go into them now, as they are not from a parents' POV, but I remember they both did the whole Christian thing in a cultural, rather than a spiritual, way, and they also celebrated Diwali, Ramadan, etc. I am an atheist and although I am not brave enough to come out in the staff room, I make sure that all my teaching is entirely fact-based; I regularly draw parallels between the stories from the major religions and myths/fables. I don't just hint that they are fictional, I tell the children that these are all stories which give us moral guidance, or in primary-speak "teach us how to treat other people kindly". I've done this throughout my teaching career, and the only complaints have come from 'born-again' colleagues. I would love to wish away faith schools, but then like grammar schools and independants, they are part of the landscape.

And there is a very good head at Garfield now.

I have changed my nickname as I have two DC at the Priory. I am afraid the OP is quite right. Unfortunately, the new head is a bit of a Bible basher and unashamedly so. Some of the parents now feel that the school pays lip service to the concepts of community, integration, tolerance and respect. The constant Christian references and the way religion has permeated into every aspect of education within the school is alienating a lot of families. The head is not particularly well liked amongst the parents but she seems to be good at her job from an admin/bureaucracy point of view. She's just not very personable.
Ouma, from what you're saying, you thought at the school before the current new head because things have changed quite a bit and they're set to change even more, for the worst as far as many parents (Christians and non Christians) are concerned.

hello mums my daughter goes to a catholic school in merton, the school is just not pushy enough on education so Im thinking of transfer to a school called Singlegate in merton, has any one heard of this school or does your son or daughter goes to this school? please let me know my daugter is in year 3 so time is running out need to transfer her quite urgent. thanx

I hope everyone is also following the other 'local school' thread entitled "Another Wanky Guardian article"

First read the article itself:
www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/04/andrew-penman-schools-education

Ouma, I'm intrigued but link doesn't work for me

Hi there, I just happened to stumble across this post, and whether it is still helpful or not, I thought I'd submit my ideas. I know both Holy Trinity and Priory well as my children have been to both. My opinion is that the Priory is a really good school. I haven't noticed the new head being much of a bible basher and people get far too wound up about that kind of thing. As another post mentioned, they celebrate diwala and ramadan and all sorts of things and the school itself is pretty multicultural and open (especially compared to HT although that has changed a bit after the school went to two form entry and found their catchment area expanded). I think religion is fine so much as the very woolly C of E message is just about caring for each other etc. And that feeds into all the fundraising for South Africa and Tanzania etc. There is also a hardship fund for kids who can't afford school trips. I don't think there's any danger of any kids being brainwashed.

The main thing I have noticed is that the school is a good all round one. There are around 35 after school clubs (and a post school club) which is way more than any others in the area. It has a really good rounded emphasis. I think last year 5 kids went to grammar schools, which is a bit less than HT, but as one poster pointed out, HT has a culture of extra tuition which the Priory doesn't have so much. That is changing a bit though. Last year I noticed their level of level 5 attainment (ie kids getting better than the bog standard) was also much higher and comparable with the best schools in the borough. Their CVA scores (ie how good the teachers are) were really good, better than HT. And raw scores - the ones you see in the newspaper - aren't a very good way of assessing a school as it doesn't tell you anything about a school. For example, a couple of years ago, about 30% of the final year had some kind of special need. Unsurprisingly the raw scores dipped a bit. But the bright kids were still attaining.

I would encourage the mumsnetter who wanted to swap from HT to do just that - we did and haven't regretted it. The atmosphere is a bit friendlier and more people stay at the school into year 6 than at HT which says something. Generally I think the head has brought about many positive changes. She's made some good appointments and weeded out a few of the weaker teachers. Remember that she ran Dundonald before - a) previously the best primary in Merton and b) a COMMUNITY school so she can't be a missionary. The word is that if OFSTED had done a new report (they seem to have run out of money), on the basis of the SIP reports they would have given the school a good with outstanding elements, which sounds good to me.

So, I would say, stop moaning and support the school. And if there's something you don't like, feed it back, it's not constructive to gripe online.

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

Didn't you investigte what you applied for before you applied for it???

Don't gripe about it. There are some of us in this world who would love for their children to go to a CofE school BECAUSE of the religous teachings rather than in spite of them but can't because some athiest has managed to get their child in first and then belly aches about the teachings.

You have very probably taken the place of a Christian child who would have benefitted from the spiritual guidance rather than a confused athiest child who doesn't know whether to 'beieve' his/her parents or 'believe' the doctrines the school teaches.

I hope you are proud of yourself.

Idiot.

Gah.

The word is that if OFSTED had done a new report (they seem to have run out of money), on the basis of the SIP reports they would have given the school a good with outstanding elements, which sounds good to me.

Hello. I am interested in this information. What is a SIP report? How can I find the latest report on this school? Thank you!

Sorry, bump
x

Hello,
I started a post like this a while back as i had similar issues with my son's C of E school. Whilst i'm by no means anti-religion, I personally believe that no state school should be secular and believe me when i say we didn't have much of a choice when it came to picking a school.
I think one of the problems is that C of E schools vary so much in how religious they are. Even if you do ask, i think it's hard to get a feel for it until your child is actually attending. You can withdraw your child from the collective acts of worship, but i do understand that you don't want your child to be singled out.
Unfortunately, apart from moving schools, i'm not really sure what else you can do. The new head was probably employed, in part, for her ability to uphold the Christian faith. She's just doing her job.
My solution to the problem was to flexi-school my son one day a week, so i could give him a well rounded religious education (among other things obviously). It's been very successful, we've had loads of fun and both learnt so much.