After months of prayer and good thoughts, I am so very happy to announce that Hannah will be able to attend Saint Peter's Catholic School next fall with Maggie. (We have been sending them to two different schools because there wasn't a spot at Saint Peter's for Hannah).
In the UK, there is a class limit size imposed on schools by the government. On top of that, despite being part of the public school system, Catholic schools have an admission scheme imposed by the Diocese and do not have to accept any students without valid cause. In the normal admission process, Hannah would have top priority for admission because she is Catholic, attends Saint Peter's Church, and has a sibling at the school. Also when kids reach Key Stage Two, which is Years 3-6 (2nd-5th grades in the States), there is a little more wiggle room for additional students. So we had decided to wait and appeal when we could be there to speak for ourselves and when there was a better chance for her to find a spot.
The appeal was to a board of three people who were Catholic and had a background in education but that weren't affiliated with the school. A Clerk from the Nottingham Diocese was there to oversee the details, and reps from the school stated their case. We were then able to speak about our reasons for wanting Hannah to attend St. Peter's. I am so proud of Keith; he spoke very eloquently about Catholicism in our immediate and extended family, our desire for Hannah to learn about the sacrements with her peers and about our commitment to all of the girls' Catholic education. Well done, Brum!
Hannah's current school, Westfield Infant School, is a good school--highly ranked and successful, but I know that Hannah will find a better fit at Saint Peter's. . the environment is more warm and welcoming. The kids seem to really watch out for one another and Hannah already plays with two of her classmates at church every Sunday.
Hannah will have her First Confession and First Holy Communion next year; now she will be able to go through that process with her peers at school. GOD IS GOOD!
