Primary school shenanigans

[V8Granite]

Well I finally think I am becoming an adult

Our eldest luckily got our first choice primary school which we are very pleased with. The area we moved into has 3 well regarded primary schools which is partly the reason we bought the house but getting first pick was nice.

It has though opened up my eyes to a whole world of strange that I never thought would bother me but it has.

Primary schools be crazy

Primary school 1, it’s a CofE school, good ofsted, well regarded and a friend has wanted their child to go there for a long time. You need to show you regularly attend the local church etc to be able to get a place as this massively helps with the selection process. Turns out the front desk people make the average doctors surgery receptionist look like a angel of love and compassion. The church they were told to attend and was linked with the school, a year of hassle going to a church further away and all that entails was pointless and they could have instead gone to their local one. No reasoning given, just blunt answers and bureaucracy.

School 2, great offsted, amazing facilities, music and media department which are ridiculously good. The headmaster was a bit up himself and I got a bad vibe so wasn’t sure. He is now suspended after a huge bed swapping problem at the school and mis-conduct. Also quite a few instances of people being pushed aside for strange reasons. A friends wife being one of them.

School number 3 needed a freshen up, facilities not that great but an honest account of the pupils work both from the gifted and not so gifted. Also the headmaster knew every single child’s name and commanded respect. I felt like I needed to watch what I did in case I got a dressing down. Ex private school head of 10 years who he admitted wanted a challenge and expects to run the best primary school in our area in a few short years.

Already seeing and hearing the grumblings of friends and nursery folk about the school system. It’s quite strange feeling so strongly when before I would have been happy with anywhere as long as it was walkable each day.

Now I look forward to the schoolyard rumours and if our youngest gets in the same preschool, the £1200 a month better off we will be

Anyone else going through the school situation this year ?

Dave!

[duncs500]

Oh, you've gone the full mumsnet.

[JLv3.0]

Yeah, FFS Dave, Facebook / Mumsnet is that way yeah? ---------------------------->

Does David Need A Glass Of Wine?!

[Rich B]

I confess, I did find myself on google the other day investigating catchment areas. Sam is 6 months old.

[Nefarious]

I have a friend in south London who had to pretend to be Greek Orthordox for three years so her son could go to the only school in the catchment area without regular stabbings/shootings.
In the UK we have c.10% church attendance, and 53% self-identify as "having no religion", so why do we still allow a medieval protection racket run our education system?

[JLv3.0]

In the UK we have c.10% church attendance, and 53% self-identify as "having no religion", so why do we still allow a medieval protection racket run our education system?

I can answer that question actually - give me a little time though. I need to broker peace in the Middle East first, and finally make a call on which colour is best. All about the same in terms of difficulty!

[unzippy]

In Aus private (religious) schools are funded by the taxpayer.
As much as I wanted to troll the interview panel, I've just turned down an interview down at a Plymouth Brethren school.

[NotoriousREV]

I have a friend in south London who had to pretend to be Greek Orthordox for three years so her son could go to the only school in the catchment area without regular stabbings/shootings.
In the UK we have c.10% church attendance, and 53% self-identify as "having no religion", so why do we still allow a medieval protection racket run our education system?

Yeah, fucking faith schools with their good results and lack of violence. Ban them.

[unzippy]

This particular "faith" school:

"The children are told what jobs they will do and who they will marry. They were not being equipped to live in the outside world. The Brethren were cutting off the children's pathways."
Most modern novels were banned, pages were removed even from permitted 19th-century works and entire chapters were censored from science books.
"One science book had all the chapters on reproduction cut out," one teacher said. "Most modern texts were banned."

From the pre interview readings:

A dress code applies and is to be upheld by all staff at all times. A strict differentiation between male and female dress must be maintained. The wearing of short trousers by male staff is not considered appropriate, and female staff must wear dresses or skirts (at least knee-length), and clothing must be modest and not revealing or low cut in design.

You can't be gay and work there.

I'd ban them.

[Nefarious]

I have a friend in south London who had to pretend to be Greek Orthordox for three years so her son could go to the only school in the catchment area without regular stabbings/shootings.
In the UK we have c.10% church attendance, and 53% self-identify as "having no religion", so why do we still allow a medieval protection racket run our education system?

Yeah, fucking faith schools with their good results and lack of violence. Ban them.

I think you can put that eye roll away, good sir, unless you're genuinely going to try to defend a system where everybody pays, but only those willing to pledge allegiance to a particular cult get access to an even half-way usable service.

[NotoriousREV]

This particular "faith" school:

"The children are told what jobs they will do and who they will marry. They were not being equipped to live in the outside world. The Brethren were cutting off the children's pathways."
Most modern novels were banned, pages were removed even from permitted 19th-century works and entire chapters were censored from science books.
"One science book had all the chapters on reproduction cut out," one teacher said. "Most modern texts were banned."

From the pre interview readings:

A dress code applies and is to be upheld by all staff at all times. A strict differentiation between male and female dress must be maintained. The wearing of short trousers by male staff is not considered appropriate, and female staff must wear dresses or skirts (at least knee-length), and clothing must be modest and not revealing or low cut in design.

You can't be gay and work there.

I'd ban them.

That’s terrible, but it’s also not representative of all faith schools. Additionally, no one is forcing you to send your kids there. HTH.

[NotoriousREV]

I have a friend in south London who had to pretend to be Greek Orthordox for three years so her son could go to the only school in the catchment area without regular stabbings/shootings.
In the UK we have c.10% church attendance, and 53% self-identify as "having no religion", so why do we still allow a medieval protection racket run our education system?

Yeah, fucking faith schools with their good results and lack of violence. Ban them.

I think you can put that eye roll away, good sir, unless you're genuinely going to try to defend a system where everybody pays, but only those willing to pledge allegiance to a particular cult get access to an even half-way usable service.

Your anger is focused in the wrong place. Firstly, the fact that particular school is a “half-way usable service” will be exactly because it’s a faith school. Not because of the religion (although having a strong moral ethos is a factor) but because it will be receiving additional funding from the church.

You really should be getting angry at the heads and governors of those other schools for failing to instil discipline, the local education authority for failing to maintain standards, and the government for chronically underfunding education.

Or, you know, ban the good schools as at least it will level the playing field, right?

[V8Granite]

I have a friend in south London who had to pretend to be Greek Orthordox for three years so her son could go to the only school in the catchment area without regular stabbings/shootings.
In the UK we have c.10% church attendance, and 53% self-identify as "having no religion", so why do we still allow a medieval protection racket run our education system?

Yeah, fucking faith schools with their good results and lack of violence. Ban them.

I think you can put that eye roll away, good sir, unless you're genuinely going to try to defend a system where everybody pays, but only those willing to pledge allegiance to a particular cult get access to an even half-way usable service.

I went to St Johns church school and we had a big mix of religions. It had a chapel used at the weekends and all children attended assembly once a week where the vicar (also our maintenance lady) gave a service but you only had to bow your head, no forced Lord’s Prayer or anything.

I was quite surprised when religion was a factor in selection at the one near us, it wasn’t at the one I went to.

Dave!

[V8Granite]

Yeah, FFS Dave, Facebook / Mumsnet is that way yeah? ---------------------------->

Does David Need A Glass Of Wine?!

It’s ok, I drive noisy cars, let him climb up the garage un-supervised and he tries my beer, so I think it evens out

Dave!

[unzippy]

That’s terrible, but it’s also not representative of all faith schools. Additionally, no one is forcing you to send your kids there. HTH.

I think you will find Jesus forces the parents to send their kids there. HTH.

[NotoriousREV]

That’s terrible, but it’s also not representative of all faith schools. Additionally, no one is forcing you to send your kids there. HTH.

I think you will find Jesus forces the parents to send their kids there. HTH.

[Carlos]

For anyone not on Twitter , you really don't want to engage Rev on this one, it will go on for days and he will dominate the hallway

[NotoriousREV]

For anyone not on Twitter , you really don't want to engage Rev on this one, it will go on for days and he will dominate the hallway

I don’t know why this has become a theme for me this past week

[Nefarious]

Yeah, fucking faith schools with their good results and lack of violence. Ban them.

I think you can put that eye roll away, good sir, unless you're genuinely going to try to defend a system where everybody pays, but only those willing to pledge allegiance to a particular cult get access to an even half-way usable service.

Your anger is focused in the wrong place. Firstly, the fact that particular school is a “half-way usable service” will be exactly because it’s a faith school. Not because of the religion (although having a strong moral ethos is a factor) but because it will be receiving additional funding from the church.

You really should be getting angry at the heads and governors of those other schools for failing to instil discipline, the local education authority for failing to maintain standards, and the government for chronically underfunding education.

Or, you know, ban the good schools as at least it will level the playing field, right?

Gah! Not sure what happened to my previous reply...hey-ho

We're in full agreement that the problem lies at government level with the design of the system. Communal resources should be not be allocated on the basis of tribal allegiances. Religious organisations should not be allowed to use their dirty money to buy access to children's minds. Public funds should not be used in any part to fund religious indoctrination.

[ste]

None of those things happen though.

I'm a governor at a C of E school and I'm a devout atheist. As are my kids who attend the school. Church schools don't get additional resources from the government, they get less, because they are funded in part by the sky-pixie crew.

Religious indoctrination? What year do you think it is?