Incredible shananigans to get kids in chosen schools?

Soon, I agree. But for many, there is little choice is a CofE school is your village school. I had absolutely no idea that could be the case- I only discovered this when DD1 started school- and that it meant the Vicar had direct and uncontrolled access to the children, and that he had such a huge influence on the school. The next 2 village schools were also CofE- we would have had to pluck DD1 and then 2, away from the local community and drive out of the area to avoid CofE schools. For me, sending our children to the local school, with the local children, was very important. We later moved away to a much more mixed community, and DD2 went to a non CofE school as it was our local school.

I don't always agree with you Soontobe but do this time!!
To have missed the sign at a village school gate which would have shown the C of E ness of the school or failed to read it in the paperwork takes some doing!!


Our Rector, a dear old chap, used to pop in to assemblies from time to time, but indoctrination was not his style.
I had no arguments with either the caring atmosphere or ethos. Maybe just lucky, but I would have done my research first before applying.

I guess that it then comes down to priorities.
For me, I would not do some things if I felt strongly, end of.

I come from a place that parents send their children to schools that are miles away and dont think much of it.

Alea. We agree on something!

Alea I totally agree that personal attacks and comments are way out of order. Your too, perhaps? As a young mum from abroad- I am afraid that, yes, I had no idea that state village primary schools could possibly be Church Schools- how could I have known or even suspected that our local village school was religious affiliated? Call me naïve is you wish- but for me, the state village primary just down from our house was just that, the local village school.

The Vicar told my daughter she could not possibly not be Christened- when she told him. She asked us and we explained simply why she was not- and when she told the Vicar next time he visited the school, his reply was 'Just do not believe that can possibly be true. Your parents would never deny you baptism, as it would mean you would not be part of God's family' - oh yes, to a 5 year old. Tears and nightmares for a long time.

Soontobe, for me, being part of a community and going to the local school with other children- was the norm, and an essential part of growing up. Taking kids by car to outside community to school would have been totally alien.

Granjura - you've been very unlucky for your daughter to have comments like that.
All our 4 went to the nearest primary school which was C of E . None of them had been baptised, and never had any comments made. At least they didn't tell me of any.
Then they all went to the local comprehensive which was quite a good school.
One of our priorities was that they stayed with the friends they had grown up with from age 5, and now at 40-50 are still in regular touch with many of them. I think that aspect of choice of school is often overlooked, friends are so important.

Indeed Tricia- it was for me as a child growing up, and felt that was so important for our children too, and as you say, they still have many of the friends they made at primary school all those years ago.

But do you know, I've just re-read this, to see if I was being over-sensitive, so was that incredibly rude:

To have missed the sign at a village school gate which would have shown the C of E ness of the school or failed to read it in the paperwork takes some doing!!
wink

or not. I think it was.

I agree with Alea, Luckygirl , Jane ainsworth and several others on here about what we do to try and make sure our children have a good education.
Silly sanctimonious posts about ' other children' do not come into it, who doesn't wish all our schools were excellent? We hope the system, whatever Goverment is in place will try and improve things, and hopefully it will in the future. we all have the right to do what is best for us and ours.
I am also not at all sure that our schools are terrible, some will be, but that is likely true of a lot of countries.

I am filled with admiration for the teachers at those schools where they are presented with a high proportion of pupils who do not speak English or for whom it is not their first language - they work their tripe out to give their pupils all the possible help they can, and hats off to them. But this must make it very hard indeed for them to offer a high standard of education to every pupil - they are only human and cannot move mountains. Of course I understand the importance of the tolerance and open-mindedness that such a school can impart to all its pupils, but I cannot see how those teachers can hope to keep up standards in comparison with a school that is not presented with these challenges. It is such a mammoth task.

Unconnected with the above, some schools struggle with parents who do not back them up, whose behaviour standards are low and who take no interest in supporting their child's education. The children who wish to learn are confronted with others who think it is just not "cool" to do so, and disruption becomes the norm. I would not want my child to go to a school where this was the case - why would I? I am sad for those children, but would not see it as a help to my child's education and would seek to find a place elsewhere.

So far as I can recall, I've not have previous experience of agreeing with soon2be or even roses are red. Just logging in to say on this occasion I agree with them. Goodness me, off to make a restorative cup of camomile tea.

Before I do though, a word of support for Luckygirl's post about teacher at those schools where they are presented ith a high proportion of pupils who don't speak English, or for whom it isn't their first language. That would be one of my daughters who last year had a class of 6 year olds who had never previously attended school and only one of whom had English as a first language. On top of this challenge, the school serves an area of very high deprivation and her class wasn't full of aspirant parents, there were the challenges we associate with white british families - drugs/alcohol/domestic abuse/neglect. No, she doesn't plan to send her own children to that school…… she loves it, loves the children, the inspirational head teacher but doesn't want that environment for her own children. Is she selfish? No she certainly isn't.

Oh dear Iam64 -

Well done to Iam64's DD amd others like her.

Enjoy your cup of tea!

You see, every cloud has a silver lining

Iam64....... There's a first for everything!
I may not agree with you or others on some subjects, but never disagree ' on principle' if my thoughts chime with what anyone says then I say so.

Quite, roses. I've never understood the need to say 'I don't usually agree with you, but...' . Very odd.

I did not have a choice re church school as a teacher. In those days ILEA placed you in a school. That is what I got. It served a deprived area between Battersea dogs home and the Wandsworth Rd. It was a very Christian school in that it took all comers and selected none by faith/church attendance. Mr White the HT was a real Christian with a personal faith that he demonstrated every day in school. I then chose the next chuch school and was shocked at how different it was...99% white families compared to the school in the next rd 99% black families. It was selection. The HT was faux christian and a snob...all bible but no values! That is when I started campaigning for faith schools to go. My DDs have chosen the one local school that is not a faith school for their children.Jusy clarifying as I felt that some were implying I was being hypocritical.

Sorry!My last contribution: to those who have been able to choose what they wanted for your children:smaller school to suit a child's needs, a 'nicer' type of community etc. What do you think about parents who love and care about their kids as much as you but do not have the options you had? Is it ok for their kids not to have the same options. Is it ok for priviledge ( even if it meant scrimping) to buy /secure advantage in a basic right such as education? I agree all schools should be good (most are!) But the fact is it is not always the education people buy/ secure but 'social equals'

I realised a couple of hours after I left gransnet this afternoon, that people have diffferent choices in life. And sometimes that choice is very limited.

I had no idea that as a teacher in the 70s or whenever, that a teacher had no choice about where they were placed.

I also acknowledge that just because someone calls themselves a christian is not an absolute guarantee that they are doing all they should be doing.

That wasn't my experience when I started as a Secondary teacher in 1970 (also within the ILEA), we used to find our jobs in the TES (Times Educational Supplement) which would come out on Friday. Word got round when I was looking for a job once up here because I had it delivered along with our daily paper and the paper boy was somebody I taught!
My first school incidentally was in SE London, in Plumstead and my second also in Battersea, in Battersea Park Road. I wonder if Penstemmon and I came across the same students!

A very interesting thread! I taught for many years overseas in schools set up for expatriate children and had many children whose first language was not English. They learned very quickly and integrated well. In Hong Kong we had to introduce a reading test to find kids who had a basic knowledge of English using the Janet and John books ( it was a long time ago!) We found that the Chinese parents were so desperate to get their children into our schools that the children were taught the book parrot fashion and it wasn't until they started their first term that their total lack of understanding in the classroom became apparent! As you can imagine we changed the system pdq. My own kids went to many different types of school until we got to a stage when we felt that they needed some stability and they went to boarding school in the UK. They are both well-rounded, easy with people and doing as well as we hoped. We felt we did the best we could for them as any parent who cares will do. I agree that in a perfect world all schools would be excellent, but they're not - it doesn't mean we can't try to improve and help the ones who need it.

I went into teaching late, as a mature student, and we definitely had the choice of where to apply for jobs. Must say, and I did understand their reasons, but couldn't do it myself- several of the new teachers looked for jobs in Church or private schools- as they could not face the issues they would have to address in inner city schools (after experiencing such on teaching practice). I had a friend who was a staunch atheist, but decided to teach in a girl's Catholic school- which I found bizarre.

In France btw, the system still places teachers wherever there is a gap- sometimes on the other side of the country. It's crazy because new inexperienced teachers find themselves in large numbers in very difficult schools, with little support. They can apply at a later stage for 'mutation' eg to be sent to the area they come from or want to live in- but not generally for a specific school- and it can take years and years.

Alea I applied to Wandsworth and Merton 'teaching pool' as a LFA (London First Appointment) and was interviewed in County Hall by Alistair Aston (one of the Inspectors) I was then sent to St George's PS in Thessaly Rd. My DH went through the same process the previous year to me and was sent to Kennington Boys School and stayed about 17 years! He taught briefly at Battersea County for June/July as he finished his course as he had done teaching practice there. Subsequently we applied, via ads in TES, for other jobs.

Most of our kids from St George's went to Battersea County as it was just a short walk away so they may have come your way Alea

Oh if only I had a memory, penstemmon, I could name names and compare notes!

Maybe those were the days when many people started off as "Supply" teachers, then you could be sent anywhere.
The LEA sent me to the Grace Darling secondary special school (ESN) at Clapham Junction and it was a baptism of fire!