Prayer ban at Katharine Birbalsingh’s school is lawful, High Court rules .

I'm not quite sure how you stop children praying if they decide they are going to do it. I don't think this will be the end of the matter.
I'm afraid if she has the children singing Christmas carols she will have lost the secular argument in the eyes of many. Carols are undoubtedly Christian in nature and she may think it's cultural but others won't.

I confess to having selected the local C of E high school for my daughters. I knew all the local schools well because of work. I liked their pastoral care, sports, drama, music as well as academic focus. All pupils did RE at GCSE. They studied comparative religions and were encouraged to debate

Two of my grandchildren attend Catholic primary school in their village - their mum a primary teacher looked at the three possible schools and chose this one - wisely imo it’s a family focus school. The children learn about all faiths whilst working in a Christian Catholic faith environment. Teaching seems good but the warmth and friendliness is evident to us grannies

So - our family chose what we felt was right for our children. We didn’t then start making demands

I do worry that the growth of Muslim schools increases separation . If we were able to end faith schools wiukd that help

Good to hear about that multi faith teaching, Iam.

But logically, cutting out faith schools would include C or E and Catholic and Jewish schools?

If they are equipped to deal with the real world where everything will not be regulated and regimented.

Does your vision for their real world incorporate acceptance of lies as truth?

What does your regulated and regimented mean? How would your unregulated and unregimented world differ?
Does your vision for their real world incorporate acceptance of lies as truth? Does it mean only following the rules you like, regardless of the law?

Yes Wyllow it would. It’s a tough one because generally children in faith schools ie RC, C of E and the Jewish schools down the road do well. We have a number of Muslim schools on our town which have done badly in Ofsted
Muslim parents locally often choose RC or CofE schools because of academic and discipline success

I’m all for freedom to worship whatever deity one chooses as long as doing so does not impinge on others freedom to adhere to other religions or none, as the case may be.

But I think in Britain it has taken a long time to dawn on the department for education, that people can be good citizens without singing “All Things Bright And Beautiful” and saying The Lords Prayer en masse every school day…. However I do not see how silence in corridors and insisting that all spoken interactions between pupil/students and teachers must end with Mrs/Mr/Miss - yes indeed (what about Ms.) why is this the benchmark for what constitutes a modern day education? And why are modern day parents queuing up to get it for their children.

But Michaela isn't an inner city school like you mention Glorianny. I am familiar with Wembley and it isn't a deprived area. It's pretty much suburbia, until recently it came under Middlesex, and has parks, shops, restaurants and cafés. KB's school doesn't draw from inner city areas like say Leeds or Hull. The children aren't disadvantaged in the true sense. I wouldn't mind guessing that the parents, all from diverse backgounds, who choose Michaela School set great store by a good education. That is their main objective.

I guess that within any faith (or non faith) parents make a wide variety of choices about what matters. Ie we can't say "all muslims/christians/any other faith parents think this or that".

Any consistently badly failing school needs either support or even closing down?

LizzieDrip

At least those lawyers do rather more than selling houses!

I think you must be confusing lawyers with estate agents.,

I think that agree of strictness works for some children and not for others. It wouldn't have worked for my son nor would I want it for my grandchildren.

I am in my fifties and still have a child in secondary school. Having listened to her speak at length I would be very interested in the approach she takes. I think that to the education establishment she is quite threatening.

Compromise works both ways but unfortunately these people want it one way only,their way
They just want to cause trouble and change us

I didn’t see the deleted post but I really wish people would stop all this reporting nonsense. Fgs let others have their say

The gist of it was that when you emigrate to a country you should make some effort to fit in and not expect the local population to adapt to you.

Such sentiments offend the snitches.

I’m late to the party (thread) but thank goodness good sense has prevailed.
We sent our children to a Catholic school although we’re not catholics. My husband taught there and we knew the ethos and agreed with it. We certainly didn’t demand our children didn’t attend mass, they did and participated except for taking communion, which is not allowed unless you’re a baptised catholic, which our children weren’t. Muslim children and Jewish children attended the school too, and all were expected to attend chapel/mass but not take communion. They all did without any exceptions. Whichever school you choose for your children you must abide by it’s ethos. We were happy, and in fact wanted a Christian education for our children. We went with them to church too, and they went to Sunday School and Boys/Girls Brigade. We just weren’t/aren’t Catholic.

If it was Cherie Blair’s Chambers that took it on, I’m surprised it only cost £150,000!

Camille333

Compromise works both ways but unfortunately these people want it one way only,their way
They just want to cause trouble and change us

Confused about what you mean.

Willow3 I would just have shrivelled up in a school like this. Faced with this level of "strictness" my two ASD grandsons would probably been excluded after a few weeks and even the very clever neurotypical one would just have been crushed. No doubt there are people that it suits very well. My 1950s grammar school was strict but a bit of subversion was accepted.

Glorianny

I'm not quite sure how you stop children praying if they decide they are going to do it. I don't think this will be the end of the matter.
I'm afraid if she has the children singing Christmas carols she will have lost the secular argument in the eyes of many. Carols are undoubtedly Christian in nature and she may think it's cultural but others won't.

School rules. Don't send your child there if you or them can't comply.

Wyllow3

Camille333

Compromise works both ways but unfortunately these people want it one way only,their way
They just want to cause trouble and change us

Confused about what you mean.

Really. I can see exactly what it means.

biglouis

*I didn’t see the deleted post but I really wish people would stop all this reporting nonsense. Fgs let others have their say*

The gist of it was that when you emigrate to a country you should make some effort to fit in and not expect the local population to adapt to you.

Such sentiments offend the snitches.

I dislike this " snitch" thing and for what its worth it wasn't me.

Past caring really.

The situation is a lot more complex than if you move here, you have to try to fit it.

Also, many of the pupils at this school will have been born here, so are British. Our society is changing and compromise is needed by all of us.
Ive read more about the background to this court hearing. I’m relieved the Judge supported the school. I’ve no respect for the mother in the case who says she’ll send her younger daughter there and bring another court challenge to the rules

All of our schools should be secular.

I definitely see the positives in that Grantanow - how would it happen

Just wondering how " these people" can " change us"

Iam64

Also, many of the pupils at this school will have been born here, so are British. Our society is changing and compromise is needed by all of us.
Ive read more about the background to this court hearing. I’m relieved the Judge supported the school. I’ve no respect for the mother in the case who says she’ll send her younger daughter there and bring another court challenge to the rules

She will likely become a vexatious ligitant then.