Considering a Catholic School for a Non Catholic child...

[VerintheWhite]

We are considering sending our DD to a Catholic all girls school because it seems to be the best fit for her, however, we are not Catholic or even CofE. Has anyone had any experience of this situation? The school has mostly Catholic girls with a small minority of other religions.

And yes, I read the entire, pathetic thread.

If the system is going to be this way, I hope it's reformed to where the pupils have to be baptised Catholics and have First Confession and Communion before entry to secondary school so you don't get a bunch of parents putting them whilst mocking the beliefs under which the school is founded.

I don't go around mocking other peoples' beliefs, I don't see why Catholics (or, increasingly, Jews) should be acceptable targets for it.

If the system is going to be this way, I hope it's reformed to where the pupils have to be baptised Catholics and have First Confession and Communion before entry to secondary school so you don't get a bunch of parents putting them whilst mocking the beliefs under which the school is founded.

Good idea. Similar for CofE. Then the proportion of state faith school places would better match the actual numbers of people who take their faith seriously.

Personally I'd have never sent my DD to a faith school - but I try not to be judgemental of my neighbours who choose to for whatever reason and actually don't mock the beliefs.

GregorSamsa, you?re quite right, I can?t see it anymore at this top north London Catholic grammar school?s website. It?s been quite sometime since I last visited this site when my DD was there (3 years ago), and I only do look at a few distinguished Catholic schools. I might have inadvertently got myself mixed up because I remember my DD?s primary school classmate, although baptized since birth but in the Far East and didn?t readily have her baptism certificate with her, was refused permission to sit the entrance exams. But I swear I?ve read it somewhere thinking to myself, ?some Catholic schools have now gone smart on temporary Catholics?.

I?ve noticed many school websites have changed recently, including the one we?re talking about - upgraded, some might say. This school was another one I used to look at closely and had massive issues with their administrators which caused me to lodge an official complaint with the then DfES who subsequently ordered them to rewrite their prospectus. Even today their prospectus still have this page, See Notes on page 8 ? Note No: 3 about timing of baptisms.

From what I gather VerintheWhite is not particularly talking about "BS"ing to get her kids into the catholic school. As has been pointed out, catholic schools often taken kids who are not catholic, whether because that is an active part of their recruitment policy or just because of undersubscription.

I would tend to take the opposite view from expatinscotland. It's not so much a question of holding peoples' faith in contempt, as of holding the whole system of discriminatory state-funded faith SCHOOLS in contempt. That being so, it makes more sense to play it as a game and show it up for the nonsense that it is, than to treat it with some kind of undeserved reverence. It would take a lot to make me send my kids to a proper faith school, but I suppose if I had to I could send them there and then encourage them to subvert it from the inside.

To be fair I do hold most organised religions in contempt too. And yes, that goes for islam at least as much as for catholicism. But that's not the point here. I'm yet to read a single cogent argument for an admissions policy that uses the taxes of the whole country to discriminate on the basis of peoples' superstition.

I also thought it was odd when I found out that the religious schools there aren't private like they are here, because I'd be very irritated that my tax dollars went to fund something I didn't believe in.

Verin are you religious at all? If you are, just not Catholic, it might turn out all right, but I think it would be hard if you're an atheist.

I went to religious schools all my life although I am atheist.
So long as you teach your daughter to be respectful of the beliefs of others while determining what her own beliefs are then I see no problem. In fact it can be a good lesson to learn.
I find that having a strong understanding of Christianity can be surprisingly useful in all sorts of ways - I am amazed at the number of cultural and literary references my husband completely misses because he doesn't know any bible stories for example.
My parents sent me to the schools I went to because they were excellent academically and offered amazing facilities.
Your daughter is going to love in a world filled with people with beliefs different to her own so she may as well get used to dealing with it now.

FWIW, my children will be going to religious schools from the age of about 8 or 9.

expat - I'm allowed to express a view about religion just ask am allowed to express a view about politics. I am an atheist. I have similar views on Islam ( by the way the oh you wouldn't say that about Islam is an interesting statement, why Islam?)

I respect peoples beliefs in that I would defend their right to have them. But in the context of educationI happen to believe that it is wrong for children to be taught this as fact. It should be left to parents. Children should go yo church. Religion should be taught as an academic subject along with philosophy, and examined critically.

To clarify: we are considering sending our DD to a Catholic school as a non-Catholic. We are giving it careful thought and not trivialising other people's religions.

She already has a clear view of different religions, her grandmother is Christian and her uncle is Buddist. She treats both beliefs with respect as we have taught her to do.

I am hoping, when I look at the school, that I will find that I like their moral view and ethos, pastoral care etc, and that they teach children to think independently and to question (as a post previously described her experience). Should we find it otherwise it wouldnt be a good fit would it.

There are some angry posts on this thread, most directed at the system we have and not directly at me. Just to make clear, we are not planning on pretending to be Christian and we are not mocking the religion, mearly looking for information about others educational experiences as/or with children other different faiths in a Catholic environment.

Again, thank you for your input.

My children are at two different Catholic schools. One is, to the outside observer, more Catholic in that it has a chapel, chaplaincy (with a full time priest and lay chaplain). They do lots of different retreats and pilgrimages. However, to my DS, he doesn't feel that it is particularly Catholic and certainly doesn't feel left out in any way. The other school very much reflects the religious observence of the local community. Here the minority are Catholic, with most people being Anglican, Sikh or of no religion. There are a similar number of Muslims to Catholics.

We find that neither school is catechetical, and their ethos focussed on kindness, respect, charity, etc.

I think you will find a similar ethos in non denominational schools. DD1 is using pester power to make me buy Fair Trade products

non catholics do go to catholic schools and shock horror, have no problems. With primary it is harder as some of the early years is taken up with confession, communion etc. I went to a mixed catholic school way back in the 80's and really there wasn't much religious or catholic emphasis, many kids are really catholic in name only these days through tradition. Visit the school and find out how 'religious' it is.

to the OP - ive not read the entire thread but both my children are non catholic and went to a very oversubscribed catholic secondary - both mine went to the "feeder" school so they got in.

they have never had any problems with it - they have to take RE to GCSE but they both did really well in the subject and its another GCSE at the end of the day - and a fairly easy one to do well in.

the school is/was excellent, lovely ethos, tiny (400 kids) and has an excellent reputation.

if you feel its the right thing then do it - for my son it was and his sister followed - he had special needs and i wanted him in a small friendly school, it was completely the right choice.

oh - and of course i never pretended that they were catholic - that would be very wrong - both mine went as non catholics., they went to the feeder school that was a primary.
DD is still there and loves it. in fact, i cant keep her away from the place, i practically have to tie her down if she is ill, she loves it so much. she is 13 so im not knocking it!
i just have to pay transport costs as its out of county, which i really dont mind.

Gobsmacked yet again a the level of anti-Catholic venom here by some posters. Truly horrible.

Expat, yes, the mockery is a sight to behold. Fantastic post at 23:04.

And LOLOL at the fearfulness of people who don't want their children thinking thoughts they haven't been fed in their bottles, while at the same time asserting that Catholics can't think for themselves and that prayer and physics can't go hand in hand.

I don't think posters are anti Catholic - I will defend your right to practise your religion. I will respect you as you are a human being. But I have a right to my opinion.

I don't agree with faith schools. I have very little patience with people who don't believe it sending their child to one.

I don't agree with segregating children from the age if 4 according to their religion. Whatever religion that is.

And the whole you wouldn't say that about Islam argument is frankly pathetic and is straight from ghe pages of the Daily Mail.

And it's about leaving your children free to make up their own minds, nit be fed mythology and superstition as fact

Parents can do that at home.

Then don't send your child to a faith school and campaign for a reform in the system to make all faith schools independent.

I don't read the Daily Mail any more than I express scorn for anyone's spiritual beliefs or philosophy, even if they don't have one.

i sent my children to a non catholic primary thinking there would be no religious emphasis. Didn't realise they were still required to pray and follow a christian ethos. The school takes them to religious services at the local COE church.

'i sent my children to a non catholic primary thinking there would be no religious emphasis. Didn't realise they were still required to pray and follow a christian ethos. The school takes them to religious services at the local COE church.'

Mine go to a non-faith school and made 'diva lamps' for Diwali, cards for Eids and learned about Ramadan.

Campaign for a change in the system.

They do learn about other faiths which i think is good but I was surprised that it does actually teach religion (christian) - thought only the catholic or COE related schools did that. It's not a problem for me I just was surprised.

You need to check out the school, do you know any parents who have children there, talk to them about it.

be aware that sending your child to a catholic school would be on a par with sending them to a jewish school or a muslim school, in terms of how much religion you're going to get. It's not usually like a standard CofE school where they do the main festivals and a bit of a pray in assembly, it's more than that. The catholic schools I know of (understandably) feel that the religious aspect permeates and influences the whole school day. The teachers are going to all be practicing catholics, the whole thing reflects teh religion. It is a religious school.

So actually what you need to do is familiarise yourself with the teachings of this religion, what the pope has to say about topics that you feel strongly about and so on.

Personally I wouldn't do it. These people all believe strongly in something. If you don't, it could cause problems.

In fact I wouldn't do it and I haven't done it! My friends are all going to send their children to the local catholic primary, which would have been lovely for DD as it's all her friends and nice for me too TBH. But I had a good long think and decided it wasn't for me. (Am a catholic, theoretically, so could have done if I'd wanted IYSWIM, the school does not take any non-catholics).

There is also an excellent catholic grammar school for girls nearby - so I've written the DDs out of that too.

You need to think about it really very carefully, what it will mean to you as a family. I thought long and hard and the answer was no.

I believe the earth is flat, there are pixies in lederhosen at the bottom of my garden, it is wrong for men and women to speak to each other on a Thursday, and anyone eating onions should be stoned to death.

I have no choice - I have to believe these things because they are written in a book my parents read to me when I was five.

I demand the following:

Respect for my beliefs
No laughing at the silver cloak and platform boots I am required to wear to show my reverence for the pixies in lederhosen
A school at the taxpayers' expense which excludes non-believers

The teachers are going to all be practicing catholics, the whole thing reflects teh religion

Rubbish, my son goes to a catholic secondary and his RE teacher is jewish.

Nationally catholic schools are educating 30% of non catholic children.