Clegg jnr to go to state-funded comp

[LondonMother]

Just an ordinary state school, after all the talk - he's going to the London Oratory.

Are they still doing their dodgy interviewing, which Ruth Kelly waved through for them when she was Sec of State for Education?

[LaVolcan]

We mentioned 'convenience catholicism'

Here is a funny cartoon from The Guardian about the same.

[merrymouse]

Also, I'm not sure that it does more for nick clegg's credibility as a champion of Wandsworth state schools and leader of government if he would have been completely happy for his son to attend any local secondary, but his wife and child weren't quite convinced.

[merrymouse]

How lucky they are to have a choice.

[CloudsAndTrees]

Exactly Grendels.

How many of the people criticising Clegg on here would be prepared to send their child to a particular school on the basis that it would make their husband look good to his friends for a couple of days before it all gets forgotten about anyway?

[GrendelsMum]

Gosh, maybe the boy himself even had a preference for one school over another.

[GrendelsMum]

But why assume (particularly on the Mumsnet Education forums) that the boy's father got the deciding vote in his education rather than his mother?

How are we to know that Miriam Gozales Durantez didn't have the strong preference over the choice of school, and Nick Clegg accepted it?

[JakeBullet]

merrymouse you have made a very good point there,

[JakeBullet]

Yes am aware the State already pays for faith schools....it was more the land and buildings I was thinking of.

[CecilyP]

No, travel for the under 16s is free.

[CloudsAndTrees]

Run of the mill comps will always be either negatively or positively affected by their intake, no matter how good they are.

[KateShrub]

I think the run-of-the-mill Putney Comp is probably better than average tbh.

Wandsworth schools are generally very good.

[merrymouse]

I don't have any problem with Nick Clegg doing what is necessary to ensure that his son receives a good education.

I do take his actions as an indication that he, as Deputy Prime Minister, has no faith that this kind of education will be available at a run of the mill Putney Comp (the only choice for the vast majority of Putney residents, assuming they don't have lots of spare cash), any time soon.

[GrendelsMum]

As I understand it, Miriam Gonzales Durantez is a practicing Catholic, and as such is keen for her children to attend a Catholic secondary school, as well as a well-regarded school. Which doesn't sound too unreasonable to me.

She might even think that her children's education is more important than her husband's political role, or what strangers might have to say about her choices.

Having worked with teenagers from some other Catholic state secondary schools around London, I wouldn't worry too much about the kids being brainwashed

[OhDearConfused]

There is no such thing as a catholic child ((c) Richard Dawkins), only a child with catholic parents.

[LaVolcan]

JakeBullet - that's really good to hear and what the Church should be about.

[CalamityJan]

The value added scores at LOS are not terrific, anyway.

Jake - the state does pay for the education at faith schools. Though there would be an issue with many of the buildings.

[JakeBullet]

Some is fact based and can be verified to certain times but others such as Genesis certainly not. ...although some have suggested I have no proof it ain't . My feeling is Genesis was written at the time of Exodus when people were writing down their history and legends and myths passed down were written as fact.

Generally though the message I follow is of the New Testament which was about love and compassion for others......and Jesus did not discriminate and say "only love Catholics" etc. this is why I believe there needs to be a healthy mix in schools and they should be state run. Religion should not be a part of the equation.

My DS is in a Catholic school because it was the only school with a place when we moved here...he wasn't Catholic at the time but loves all the smells and bells of the church and is right in there as an altar server. I am thankful to the local Catholic Church who have accepted my DS just as he is (he is autistic) and welcomed him as an altar server. This was his choice and not mine......lots of children in his class are not Catholic and even the Catholic children rarely attend Mass. DS loves it.....but only on a Sunday. Midweek is a bit too much even for him.

[StoicButStressed]

Woah - Majurormi, you have just utterly proved the point I was making above....

• 'despite being a good Catholic we were ranked...' So as a 'good Catholic', I'm guessing that does/would imply you have certain standards of humanity; tolerance; a deep faith (with all that usually carries...) - right?
  

• 'This post sickens me and reeks of sour grapes.' Eh? Other people's valid opinions 'sicken' you? And you 'judge' that fact? And worse, 'label' as 'sour grapes'?
  

• 'The LOS is not elitist, it just cheery [sic] picks the most devout Catholics.' Really? REALLY? Then I'm baffled as to how the Blair boys got in, as they were nowhere near as devout as Ms Clegg is, or indeed as 'devout' as you do genuinely sound and as vile as you unfortunately sound towards others.
  

• 'One poster railed against his not looking at ARK Academy - you vultures would have pounced on that one if he got in too' ' You VULTURES??? Nice, Majurormi, nice. Only problem with that is I haven't seen any 'vultures' here? Ditto, is a faintly staggering - and presumptive - judgement on others. Yep, uber full of 'faith' and humanity not.
  

• 'Let's not forget his tax dollars (which are higher than many of us pay) fund the state school system.' Err, as do ALL of ours (and conversely, just as his might be higher than some; others may well be higher than his) 'fund the state school system'. Even people like me who ended up with NO choice but to send my 2 youngest DS's to a private school but de facto STILL 'fund the state school system'. Whatever taxes any of us do or do not pay, that still has NO bearing on the simple fact that ALL of our children should have a right to, and access to, a good education in the state school system?
  

A system which is broken; fails a vast number of our children; and has been battered by politicians for own political (& VERY non child-centric reasons) for years. And THAT is why people are, legitimately, affronted by those who play the system and get THEIR DCs the education & safety denied to so many other - equally of worth - children. And now worsened by the fact that Clegg reneged on manifesto re Uni tuition fees, which by definition WILL affect the poorest in our soceity hardest, and WILL (and already has) stopped many DCs from going to Uni. Hardly an act of helping social mobility (but NOT one that will in any way affect the Cleggs as they WILL be able to help THEIR DC's); and suspect that too is why people may be affronted at his self-serving behaviour - again a view that any of us IS ENTITLED TO, and just as you are to yours. Although ideally without the judgements; the insults; etc etc ETC.

TBH, the only 'sour grapes' I can detect from your post are your own. Ditto, how a 'devout' Catholic or any normal decent human being believes they can insult - and JUDGE (cast not stones etc.?) - others for voicing their own very valid opinions is just beyond me.

[Nicecuppachar]

True. But based on fact, it ain't.

I'm surprised at Miriam being a Cafflic. I was always under the impression she was a feminist.

[JakeBullet]

I would be happy to see the State take over all the faith schools but it would be expensive quite honestly. The money isn't there to do it so we have no option but to accept it....unless people want yet another thing to come out if their taxes.

The Bible is based on ancient books and writings....loads for debate there so not all myth and magic.

[Nicecuppachar]

People pay lip service to a religion which frankly is a load of medieval superstition and which has presided over the most horrendous mistreatment particularly of women and children - look at the magdelene sisters, the child abuse cover ups, the nonsense spouted about homosexuality.

Yet these parents pay lip service to it so they can get their child into a certain selective school to learn about these values which are obviously so dear to them.

Faith schools are divisive to a community and i don't think they should exist, and I particularly don't think exclusive schools such as the Oratory should exist.


I agree. The sooner state funded schools based on superstition and magic are banned, the better.

[CalamityJan]

The problem (if you think there is one) is not with the Cleggs deciding to take a perfectly legitimate route open to them to get a place in a selective state school. They meet the criteria, many highly motivated aspirational parents apply to schools with various selective admissions processes.

The problem (if there is one) is with faith schools admissions within the system as a whole, and the London Oratory's own admissions process within that. I find it quite outrageous that admission to any state funded school should rely so heavily on the applicants activities outside the education system. And especially outrageous that admission should rely so heavily on the parents leisure time activities!

This is the basis of the 'back door' selection. Given that once the piety points are added up admission is by random ballot I don't know how else they have a FSM % so much lower than most London schools in areas of mixed demography, or how the % of cohort labelled 'high achievers' is so high compared with other mixed ability schools. It must be the parents with the time and determination and ability to be able to carry out all this flower arranging and silver polishing.
On the other hand, it does give an equal chance to a kid from a devout family living on a council estate in Hackney an equal opportunity to get into a socially / religiously selective school. I wonder how the FSM % of pupils compares with the FSM% of applicants overall ? Are the economically disadvantaged put off applying? I am assuming that catholics are not as a group of higher academic ability and higher earning power than the population as a whole?

Maybe that's the answer!

Anyway, good luck to Clegg Jnr, starting secondary is a big jump for all kids, and most don't have MN poring over the choices of named and identified children.

[lrichmondgabber]

well cleggy tested the water and bowed to public opinion