SUMMARY OF RESPONSES FROM PRIESTS
Replies from Priests: 30, including 16 Forms
Questions	YES	NO
Design and Use of Form
Do priests find the information given on Part A of the Form
(the part which is be kept by the Priest and NOT passed
to the school) useful in formulating their response to part B of the Form?	14	1
(If No, why not?)			Most parents exaggerate or lie about their practice
Is there anything that could be usefully added or removed?	7	6
(If Yes, what?)			Add details of the parents' marriage
			Form should be factual only, omit: reason for non-attendance etc., involvement in parish activities, reasons for wanting a Catholic school.
			Remove "Reconciliation".
			Add parents block to "certify true information"
			A request to use capital letters and make it make idiomatically English!
			Make clearer that the reverse should be completed by the parents.
			If not a Catholic - what religion i.e. Orthodox and other non Roman Rite Christians (sic)
			Have a form like Oratory / Vaughan / Sacred heart / Thomas More
Should the form be:
(a) sent to the priest by the school?	6	9
(b) brought to the priest by the parent?	10	5	Definitely (always) after Sunday Mass
			It should be sent direct and confidentially to the school by the priest
Should the priest be:
(a) encouraged to interview the parents?	12	2	No, its the one's I don't know I need to meet
(b) discouraged from interviewing the parents?	1	10
(c) or should it be left to the priest's discretion?	8	1
			Discourage from interview and priest's discretion not mutually exclusive concepts!
			I think it should be obligatory to injterview both the parents and child
			Prefer the word "visit" to "interview"
			Find discussing form with parents very useful pastoral contact
			In plenty of time, long lead time
Could the design of Part B of the Form be
improved to make it more objective?	3	8
(If Yes, how?)			Some parts could bring greater consistency
			Delete "I support this application - not objective and could invite hostility"
			Remove Question 4
			Define "practising", individuals or whole family?
Do priests wish to keep the opportunity, in exceptional cases,
to support an application where there is no practice?	15	1	Yes, in any case: see Bps Statement '96 - para entitled "Education of all" & Roman view of schools for evangelisation
			Yes, but very rarely
(If No, why not?)			Need to keep factual: Fear of legal minefield if exceptional cases allowed
Should:
(a) the priest inform the parents of the outcome of the			Yes, The whole process must be objective and as transparent as possible
reference (returning Part B to the school via the parents)?	9	6	Yes, during interview
(b) the school inform the parents of the outcome after the
Priest returns Part B of the Form directly to the school?	6	9	Priest to inform parents, priest to return form to school
Guidance to be given to Priests
Should there be more guidance on the operation of			In particular to ethnic chaplains
Priest's Reference Forms which is specifically			Priests should be encouraged to visit homes
directed at priests?	9	3	How will schools deal with Priests with different views and agendas?
			Possibly, but not at the moment
In particular, should priests be given more detailed
guidance on the following aspects of the process:
how the forms should be used by schools?	10	2	possibly
how best to maximise the pastoral potential of the
information on Part A of the Form?	9	3	Parishioners appreciate it when they see a reference which proves the parish priest genuinely knows them
filling in part B of the Form?	8	3	Could be helpful in some cases
the definition of 'practising Catholic' to be applied for the
purposes of school admissions?	13	1
circumstances in which they might use the opportunity to support
an application where there is no practice?	12	0
any other aspects of the process? (If Yes, on what?)			Dealing with appeals
			The more explicit the guidance, the less chance of "weakest links" devaluing the process
			Diocese should formulate policy for when a new parish priest is in position:
			maybe the previous p.p. could be available to see parents on a particular day to complete forms
			A written explanation of "non-current practise" preference to hand to parents who do not get a place
			Guidance on how to deal with a parent who insists that they are practising but the pp does not know them/or indeed seen them.
General Comments:			Priests should only be asked to indicate the actual practice of the family,
			quite factually e.g. Weekly, Fortnightly, Three Weekly, Monthly, Less frequently.
			Should be made clear to schools that this is the ONLY form that priests will sign, NOT forms designed by schools