Proposed Selective Catholic Schools in Surrey Yes or No

[surreydadcoolest]

It's 2015 and the Conservatives sweep into power with a majority, within the first 2 months they give the greenlight for a return to grant-maintained selective faith schools. John Fisher & Coloma schools in a landmark move ask Catholic parents in Croydon and Surrey to vote Yes or No to the following:

*all children to be interviewed for places, interview subjects to include the child's interests, motivations, character and work ethic
*all parents to be interviewed to see if they share in the ethos of the school
*proof of mass attendance, parish priests reference
*school reports from prep or primary detailing whether the child is 'suited' to Fisher or Coloma
*no priority given to distance, meaning these schools can select children from all parts of Surrey and other counties

These schools will by their own admission be exclusive, do you vote YES on the chance that your DD or DS will get in, or NO.

I should add that these schools would only select 100-150 pupils each year

Well, it's not 2015. Neither are school admissions a central government responsibility. Some of the proposed changes you list are currently illegal (ie explicitly banned by Admissions Code, which is backed by law).

I would vote NO, and agree with meditrina this is almost entirely hypothetical.

Selective schools of any ilk only prove more divisive and a school like John Fisher for example has done lots of good work in the past 10 years to become more inclusive by banning all selection.

NO selection in Catholic schools, no return to the bad old days of increasing educational apartheid. You would have boys and girls coming from all over London and South East to get into these schools so they wouldnt actually serve surrey families in the way you are suggesting.

Yes, yes, yes.

more choice for middle class parents, selected kids, supportive parents- just as John Fisher used to be when I sent my DSs there.

I would also hope for 2 new Catholic Indies as alternatives for those MC parents who don't managed to get their kids into JF.

PWB

pwb...why am I not surprised!