Has your child attended Catholic school when not Catholic?

Spendless

My son had a place at a CofE school for Reception. I applied because I disliked the HT of our nearest (non faith) school. CofE school was oversubscribed and many didn't get it, several took them to appeal where the school admitted it hadn't stuck to it's own published admission criteria. They had to let the kids in who'd missed out and employ another teacher.

I didn't take up DS's place, a school that can't stick to it's own rules doesn't make me think very highly of it, so I really wouldn't assume that it will have better values purely because it's a faith school.


Fortunately for me the HT of the nearest school left, so I sent DS there. Though not a faith school, it does have a connection to the Church through it's history (because the first school in the village was one taught by the vicars wife centuries ago and has maintained that link) as such there was more religion in it than I was finding my neice and nephew were getting at another non-faith school a couple of miles away. The amount was probably at the limit of my tolerance level eg I once attended a music concert during the school day and at the end the whole audience were told we were now to pray to say thanks for the music, so I'm very much of the view that if I'd sent DS to the faith school it would have had even more religion within it.

We've had faith schools here, in special measures and one (a CofE primary) closed down, so I also wouldn't assume that the education would automatically be better. Do your homework and look into it.

I've no idea if you are talking about Primary or Secondary, but something I have seen mentioned before (about a Catholic secondary) was that if you need a school bus to transport the child there, Catholic children take priority. If all the spaces are filled, you'd have to make your own arrangements. It's a few years since I read this so I don't know if this is still true or how widespread this is.

bugslet

I went to a Convent girls school in '76 through to finishing O levels. My parents were loosely Christian, though not Catholic.

The school was excellent in academic terms. Yes, I had to attend mass occasionally and there was an emphasis on religious studies to a degree. I think by age 11 I had my parents influence as far as morals and ethics were concerned and the school merely reinforced my parents' influence.

I really enjoyed my time there. I didn't feel that I was discriminated against for not believing in the Catholic version of Christianity. I don't think at that age you can really know if you are a believer and in what faith or if you are agnostic or atheist, my parents let me work things out for myself. As I got older, after leaving a catholic 6th form, I became an atheist.

susancs

OP, I do not have experience as a non-catholic attending a catholic school, as both myself and my husband as Catholics attended catholic primary and secondary schools and our children attended catholic primary school and are in a catholic secondary school. I also have taught at Catholic, COE and non catholic primary schools over the years.

I must admit that I do not see the point in attending a Catholic school unless that faith is important to the child or family. The reason I say this is that there are more lessons given over to R.E that have to come out of the curriculum time compard to non-faith schools. Then you have time out from the curriculum for mass and prayers. In other schools there will be more core subject lesson time. In primary school, they often have Religious Education Catholic based homework that Parents have to help with. There are masses, parents are encouraged to go to, such as Mothers and Fathers Day, Saints Days during school time. Also a lot of the children will do their First Communion in Juniors and Confirmation in Secondary School. In one daughter's year 3 class there was only one non Catholic child, who did not do her First Communion in the church one Sunday (or attend the weekly after-school preparation classes). Her mother did say she was really feeling sad and a bit left out, when all the talk in the playground for weeks before was about this. The Parent said she also felt a bit embarassed when she did not know certain aspects of Catholicism that other parents knew. For example she sent in a ham sandwich for her child's packed lunch on a meat abstinence day (not a big issue, but she felt emabarassed), she had to ring other parents to get help with understanding what was required for the R.E. homework at times.

In Secondary school it similar as they may have a termly retreat day when they have no other lessons or they may miss a core subject lesson to go to mass. Non Catholic friends of mine who teach at Catholic secondary schools often complain about the need to make up this time, especially in the GCSE courses. Also in secondary school my children only had two GCSE option choices due to having to do R.E. as a compulsory core subject but other local schools get a choice of 3 options. My eldest daughter does 4 A levels at 6th form and they do regular additonal compulsory R.E. non A level lessons that are timetabled in, that takes away from revision time (unless you are taking A level R.E.). Having said that the school is rated as Outstanding with excellent academic results, but even so there is only one child who is not a Catholic in the Sixth form. Also another thing you may want to consider is that VA Catholic faith schools get 90% capital costs funding compared to the 100% that other schools get. This means that there may be a drive in these schools to persuade parents to pay schools funds to help make up the 10% or they may just have less funding than other similar non-faith schools if this shortfall is not made up.

gunsandbanjos

My daughter isn't catholic but is in the local catholic primary school. It is great, she doesn't get excluded from anything for not being catholic. She's in P7 now and I know I made the right decision in sending her there.

moomoomama27

The Catholic school in our area is on paper a better school! However we are not Catholic, do not agree with Catholicism and frankly would never want my child to be excluded from some subjects ( sex ed, my community) in favour of heavy religious undertones in ither subjects.

When I was doing my educational placements I worked in a catholic school, the silent abuse verbally of non Catholic children was shocking, and led me to make a complaint to the LEA and 'whistleblow' their antics.

I later worked in 2 other Catholic schools, and though not as bad was definitely an obvious way if thinking among many staff, that and the brainwashing in subjects like history, art and English has led me to view it that unless you are Catholic then it's not the place for a non Catholic/religious family!

marywooyeah

My son attends a C of E School and although we are not catholic we are Christians so are religious. His school is absolutely amazing in terms of education and values, only this afternoon I've been to see my son receive a certificate in assembly for living his school's values.

I have found that catholic schools focus very much on being good people and instilling values such as sharing, friendliness, forgiving others and saying sorry etc. There's the odd rough kid at the school but overall the children there are so lovely and I feel that's strongly down to the teaching. I'd totally recommend sending your child to a catholic school if you have the opportunity.

susancs

Spendless wrote: »

I have seen mentioned before (about a Catholic secondary) was that if you need a school bus to transport the child there, Catholic children take priority. If all the spaces are filled, you'd have to make your own arrangements. It's a few years since I read this so I don't know if this is still true or how widespread this is.

This was stopped some years ago in our area. Some years ago, school bus places were offered to children living 5 miles from their nearest faith school. However now if there is a nearer school, then as it is a choice situation to go a faith school further away, parents do not get offered a priority or funded place on school transport. I understand that historically the free transport to nearest faith schools over 5 miles from children's home was given to children practising those faiths, by way of recognition of the fact that many faith groups own the land and orginal buildings and provided these free of charge for educational purposes, saving the LEA leasing and or building costs.

Kayalana99

Just another who attended a catholic school (early 20's so recently I guess!) absolutely no problems whatsoever regarding my non religion stance..it was never mentioned even my friends the only thing I did differently to the other students was not eat that white circle thing they give you....it was annoying having to attend mass and extra R.E lessons but it didn't do me any harm

Gloomendoom

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

Do not force this on your child, unless you want them to resent you for it for the rest of your life. Yes, I mean that. It is something I still feel strongly about, more than 30 years later.

My experience is rather less melodramatic. Although not a Catholic, I went to a Catholic school, so did my sisters.

None of us resent our parents. It was a good school and I'm grateful that my parents sent me there.

Callie22

My mum tried to get my brother and I into the local Catholic secondary school. Despite being baptised Catholic, we were refused places on the grounds that my mum was a divorcee. I remember that we even had a visit from the Headmaster at home and he commented that he felt that having divorced parents made children 'a bad influence'. This was quite a few years ago but it's annoyed me ever since. Not that I particularly cared about going to that particular school but it struck me as a distinctly un-Christian attitude.