School applications questions about a Church of England school?

[EmziixBo0o]

Hiya.

Around where I live are a few horrible schools, theirs a really good school 1089 meters away which the lady on the phone I spoken to said we won't get in as the furthest distance they let in last year was 800meters.

Do I push my luck and try it?
Also my other choice is another really good school we possibly could get it but its Church of England.. My daughter is not baptised, do I still attended the church and make appoint of getting known by the priest or is there no point? I don't know wether to put down the Church of England school first and then what would of been my first choice as my second. Their is 2 schools right by my house but they are so rough I refuse to send my DD to them both!

 

[JJKCB]

my son isnt baptized or had ever been to church and he got accepted to a catholic school

 

[MummyMana]

I went to a c of e school as a kid, none of my family have ever been religious or gone to church but I got in. It was the only school in the area though so I didn't have a choice...

 

[JJKCB]

oh and I was christened ecumenical at 8 (a year after starting a c of e school) so my dying aunt could be a godmother but I wasn't 'religious' or anything at the time of joining

 

[mummy2o]

My son goes to a C&E school and we're not religious. I think being Christen only applies to Catholic schools as they tend to be more strict on who they let it. However, attending them my whole school live it didn't seem like as we had a lot of non Catholics in them.

 

[EmziixBo0o]

Thank you for your replies, my fingers are crossed she gets in x

 

[discoclare]

My son goes to a C&E school and we're not religious. I think being Christen only applies to Catholic schools as they tend to be more strict on who they let it. However, attending them my whole school live it didn't seem like as we had a lot of non Catholics in them.

not necessarily. where I live in London most of the local C of E schools give priority for church attendance (usually at least every other week for at least a year prior to admissions deadline) and are so oversubscribed that if you don't fulfil this you have almost zero chance of a place. Many of our local catholic schools don't require church attendance. It really is very variable depending on where you live.

OP: how many preferences do you get on your form? We get six so I am putting down a C of E that I have barely a chance at, followed by my catchment area community school that we have a good chance at, then two other local schools that we were a "near miss" on distance for last year, a school that is having a "bulge class" this year, and finally a school which was not full on offer day last year so anyone who applies got in (I like the school but it is new so people are a bit wary of it and I think it may still not be oversubscribed again this year).

Read the admissions criteria for the schools you are interested in. Some C of E schools have their own criteria (church attendance etc) and some just use the councils community school criteria. Then do some research on who was admitted to each school last year (you've already done this for the C of E it sounds like, but you don't say if that is 800m for the last church attender or baptised child or any child). If it's for church attenders then you are probably too late for this years admissions to fulfil the criteria, if it's distance only without any church attendance then I would apply, as the furthest distance could go up as well as down, it tends to depend on how many siblings apply etc (don't agree with the lady on the phone who said you have no chance - the applications aren't all in yet so she can't possibly know what the furthest distance will be this year). I would try and put one school down that you know you are fairly certain of a place at, if you don't like it then put it last. Better to get a crappy school you don't like near home than one on the other side of the city. You can always go on the waiting lists for all the schools you prefer after offer day and something may come up from the continued interest lists.

 

[CRWx]

My brother goes to a CofE school and we aren't religious

Also, no WAY is Grace old enough for school?! Whaaat! xxx

 

[EmziixBo0o]

Yes!! September

 

[CRWx]

Bloody hell! When I saw you she was a little dot, now she's growing up!

Hope you get the school you want xxx

 

[JJKCB]

My son goes to a C&E school and we're not religious. I think being Christen only applies to Catholic schools as they tend to be more strict on who they let it. However, attending them my whole school live it didn't seem like as we had a lot of non Catholics in them.

not necessarily. where I live in London most of the local C of E schools give priority for church attendance (usually at least every other week for at least a year prior to admissions deadline) and are so oversubscribed that if you don't fulfil this you have almost zero chance of a place. Many of our local catholic schools don't require church attendance. It really is very variable depending on where you live.

OP: how many preferences do you get on your form? We get six so I am putting down a C of E that I have barely a chance at, followed by my catchment area community school that we have a good chance at, then two other local schools that we were a "near miss" on distance for last year, a school that is having a "bulge class" this year, and finally a school which was not full on offer day last year so anyone who applies got in (I like the school but it is new so people are a bit wary of it and I think it may still not be oversubscribed again this year).

Read the admissions criteria for the schools you are interested in. Some C of E schools have their own criteria (church attendance etc) and some just use the councils community school criteria. Then do some research on who was admitted to each school last year (you've already done this for the C of E it sounds like, but you don't say if that is 800m for the last church attender or baptised child or any child). If it's for church attenders then you are probably too late for this years admissions to fulfil the criteria, if it's distance only without any church attendance then I would apply, as the furthest distance could go up as well as down, it tends to depend on how many siblings apply etc (don't agree with the lady on the phone who said you have no chance - the applications aren't all in yet so she can't possibly know what the furthest distance will be this year). I would try and put one school down that you know you are fairly certain of a place at, if you don't like it then put it last. Better to get a crappy school you don't like near home than one on the other side of the city. You can always go on the waiting lists for all the schools you prefer after offer day and something may come up from the continued interest lists.

All religious school HAVE to take a minimum of 10% of children outside their religion which is at least 3 per class (priority goes to disabled children who need facilities but after that its anyone's chance )

 

[discoclare]

My son goes to a C&E school and we're not religious. I think being Christen only applies to Catholic schools as they tend to be more strict on who they let it. However, attending them my whole school live it didn't seem like as we had a lot of non Catholics in them.

not necessarily. where I live in London most of the local C of E schools give priority for church attendance (usually at least every other week for at least a year prior to admissions deadline) and are so oversubscribed that if you don't fulfil this you have almost zero chance of a place. Many of our local catholic schools don't require church attendance. It really is very variable depending on where you live.

OP: how many preferences do you get on your form? We get six so I am putting down a C of E that I have barely a chance at, followed by my catchment area community school that we have a good chance at, then two other local schools that we were a "near miss" on distance for last year, a school that is having a "bulge class" this year, and finally a school which was not full on offer day last year so anyone who applies got in (I like the school but it is new so people are a bit wary of it and I think it may still not be oversubscribed again this year).

Read the admissions criteria for the schools you are interested in. Some C of E schools have their own criteria (church attendance etc) and some just use the councils community school criteria. Then do some research on who was admitted to each school last year (you've already done this for the C of E it sounds like, but you don't say if that is 800m for the last church attender or baptised child or any child). If it's for church attenders then you are probably too late for this years admissions to fulfil the criteria, if it's distance only without any church attendance then I would apply, as the furthest distance could go up as well as down, it tends to depend on how many siblings apply etc (don't agree with the lady on the phone who said you have no chance - the applications aren't all in yet so she can't possibly know what the furthest distance will be this year). I would try and put one school down that you know you are fairly certain of a place at, if you don't like it then put it last. Better to get a crappy school you don't like near home than one on the other side of the city. You can always go on the waiting lists for all the schools you prefer after offer day and something may come up from the continued interest lists.

All religious school HAVE to take a minimum of 10% of children outside their religion which is at least 3 per class (priority goes to disabled children who need facilities but after that its anyone's chance )

Where did you read that? That isn't true I'm afraid. A school could choose to do that and write it into it's admissions criteria but it isn't required to offer "open" (non-religious) places unless it has opened or expanded in the last few years. If it's been open more than about 3 years it doesn't have to do that. My local Catholic school (state) has not admitted any non-baptised Catholics for many years. It has a few non-catholics in years 5 and 6 as it wasn't so popular back then so they were able to get through all the baptised catholics and start to offer some places to non catholics based on distance. But for the last few years they have been so oversubscribed with baptised Catholics that they have not got into the next admissions criteria so all the admitted children for the last few years have been baptised Catholics even though other local children are applying. The headteacher said without the baptism certificate there is simply nothing they can do as they will have too many baptised children above them in the queue.
My closest state primary (just around the corner) is actually a Jewish primary school. They are oversubscribed with jewish children meeting the religious criteria and never make it down to the local non-Jewish children applying.

 

[JJKCB]

My son goes to a C&E school and we're not religious. I think being Christen only applies to Catholic schools as they tend to be more strict on who they let it. However, attending them my whole school live it didn't seem like as we had a lot of non Catholics in them.

not necessarily. where I live in London most of the local C of E schools give priority for church attendance (usually at least every other week for at least a year prior to admissions deadline) and are so oversubscribed that if you don't fulfil this you have almost zero chance of a place. Many of our local catholic schools don't require church attendance. It really is very variable depending on where you live.

OP: how many preferences do you get on your form? We get six so I am putting down a C of E that I have barely a chance at, followed by my catchment area community school that we have a good chance at, then two other local schools that we were a "near miss" on distance for last year, a school that is having a "bulge class" this year, and finally a school which was not full on offer day last year so anyone who applies got in (I like the school but it is new so people are a bit wary of it and I think it may still not be oversubscribed again this year).

Read the admissions criteria for the schools you are interested in. Some C of E schools have their own criteria (church attendance etc) and some just use the councils community school criteria. Then do some research on who was admitted to each school last year (you've already done this for the C of E it sounds like, but you don't say if that is 800m for the last church attender or baptised child or any child). If it's for church attenders then you are probably too late for this years admissions to fulfil the criteria, if it's distance only without any church attendance then I would apply, as the furthest distance could go up as well as down, it tends to depend on how many siblings apply etc (don't agree with the lady on the phone who said you have no chance - the applications aren't all in yet so she can't possibly know what the furthest distance will be this year). I would try and put one school down that you know you are fairly certain of a place at, if you don't like it then put it last. Better to get a crappy school you don't like near home than one on the other side of the city. You can always go on the waiting lists for all the schools you prefer after offer day and something may come up from the continued interest lists.

All religious school HAVE to take a minimum of 10% of children outside their religion which is at least 3 per class (priority goes to disabled children who need facilities but after that its anyone's chance )

Where did you read that? That isn't true I'm afraid. A school could choose to do that and write it into it's admissions criteria but it isn't required to offer "open" (non-religious) places unless it has opened or expanded in the last few years. If it's been open more than about 3 years it doesn't have to do that. My local Catholic school (state) has not admitted any non-baptised Catholics for many years. It has a few non-catholics in years 5 and 6 as it wasn't so popular back then so they were able to get through all the baptised catholics and start to offer some places to non catholics based on distance. But for the last few years they have been so oversubscribed with baptised Catholics that they have not got into the next admissions criteria so all the admitted children for the last few years have been baptised Catholics even though other local children are applying. The headteacher said without the baptism certificate there is simply nothing they can do as they will have too many baptised children above them in the queue.
My closest state primary (just around the corner) is actually a Jewish primary school. They are oversubscribed with jewish children meeting the religious criteria and never make it down to the local non-Jewish children applying.

I think you will find it is under discrimination laws if they're are failing in that area then report them unless they are a 100% private school any school with state funding HAS to follow the discrimination act regardless of being VA or not

 

[discoclare]

I think you will find it is under discrimination laws if they're are failing in that area then report them unless they are a 100% private school any school with state funding HAS to follow the discrimination act regardless of being VA or not

I would LOVE to report some of these schools (apologies for this thread going completely OT BTW!) but can't because it is legal what they do. It is a huge problem in London. I think you are referring to the Equality Act? Unfortunately religious state schools are exempt from the Equality Act in terms of faith discrimination. I don't agree with it but there you go. There is more information on it here:
https://fairadmissions.org.uk/about/
and here:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/schedule/11/paragraph/5

Just to highlight how bad the issue is where I live. In the London Borough of Camden 21 of the 41 state primary schools are either C of E or Catholic. Of these 21 Christian schools, 18 prioritise children of the relevant faiths above those who do not meet the faith criteria, 2 have a mixture of faith places and "open" (distance) places on offer and one does not give any priority to children based on faith. According to Camden's starting school booklet, in 2012, 11 schools "only offered places based on their faith criteria and not on distance" (their wording not mine). ELEVEN! There's only 41 primaries in the entire borough FGS! And out of the other faith schools most of them offered the majority of places based on faith but maybe had one or two left over to offer on distance. It's pretty much the same situation in all the London boroughs (and in some other pockets of the country).
Anyway I've applied to the two C of Es which offer a mix of faith and open places (though I have virtually no chance of a place at either) and four non-religious local community schools. Hoping to get one of my top three choices, but nothing I can do now until April, just securing a place at any school around here is tough.
Good luck OP, hopefully the situation where you are for schools is better!