Whoever lives closest is given a place which is why some parents

Whoever lives closest is given a place, which is why some parents lie about their address, or else move into catchment area. But for those like us who are not prepared to move or fib, but live round the corner from the sort of school that would fit seamlessly into the landscape of the South Bronx, then something else has to be done.In theory, church primaries have greater latitude as to whom they admit, but they can decide upon their own selection criteria. This usually means that if you live outside the parish, you must prove that you are a "committed Christian family", usually by producing a letter from a vicar This is where the calculations begin. Most applications for primary school have to be in by the end of this term, and you can see couples with their well- scrubbed children shuffling from foot to foot at the church porch wondering whether they have notched up enough attendance to risk presenting the letter of application to be signed. There are no second chances."We have toed the line for six months," said one anxious parent who was nervously chewing the rim of his polystyrene cup of coffee "But I'm not sure it's enough. Even though we donated pounds 25 to the rewiring fund, we weren't allowed to see what the vicar had written on the form I rather wished we'd tried for St Saviour's. The vicar there nods everyone through." One very sad couple have only started coming in the last few weeks "Welcome," we all said through gritted teeth.

"Have you just moved into the area?" "Um, no," came the reply "We've been going to St Christopher's for years. We thought it was a feeder church for All Saints' primary, but it turns out it is on the wrong side of the parish boundary."As this couple discovered, for places at the very sought-after schools, every place is taken by children who attend the school's church. At Pope John, a Roman Catholic primary in London's Shepherd's Bush, there are so many applications that only families who attend mass every week are considered. "The governors interview every family who apply, about their faith and how they propose to support their children's education," Pamela Singh, the head teacher, was reported to have said. "Two parish priests sit on the panel and so they know if a family is practising."A more lenient attitude is taken at Our Lady of Victories, a top- performing Roman Catholic primary in Earl's Court. The school requires a baptismal certificate and a letter to be signed by the parish priest, but this is to ensure that they are "in touch" with a church."When a child is baptised into the Roman Catholic church," says Mrs Madeline Braiding, "they are to be given all the advantages that the church has to offer, regardless of how their parents behave.

It is not for us to ask how many times a month they go to church - 'Judge not lest ye be judged.' But we are a Catholic school and we do interview children and parents to make sure they understand that. In homes where there is no religious faith they will find it hard."All vicars know that within their flock, there are those who will peel off once their child has a place at a primary. But it is in the nature of the religion to give everyone the benefit of the doubt: after all, these pragmatic churchgoers might find that they enjoy the experience of going to church. Hugh Bateman, who lives in Richmond, used his children's education as an excuse to start going. "I know lots of militant agnostics and to some of them I just couldn't admit going to church for religious reasons. So when I said it was for the kids' education, they gasped with relief. But since I've been going, it has seeped in and I've now been confirmed." Hugh maintains it would have been impossible to keep up his churchgoing if he'd not become interested in it.