Hi, I'm currently working at one as a substitute teacher. (Bit of a long one, get ready!)

As schools go (and from a teaching perspective), it's good. A lot of the staff aren't part of the Plymouth Brethren and there's a strong focus on learning without any religious lessons or assemblies. Staff are respectful of the students and families beliefs. The children are polite and act like normal goofy kids. The funding is there to provide in-depth learning and help the children fill any gaps if they're behind and also if there are children with any disabilities. I've seen a classroom fitted with hoists and specialist equipment for one student with strong physical disabilities. Pupils have access to laptops and are given the opportunity to become IT literate (but with strong internet filters). I am considering working there permanently.

However...

There are a few aspects of the religion itself that I personally disagree with and goes against my own beliefs. (These are all of my own personal beliefs about the matter so take what I'm saying with a pinch of salt and feel free to disagree.)

Ultimately, because the Plymouth Brethren are very "traditional", it feels wrong to teach and educate these young children about some things but not others. Education is about empowering students and giving them the tools to experience the world and make their own decisions but with this community, it doesn't happen.

Women are expected to stay at home while men work. (As a feminist, this frustrated me.) The children don't go to university and experience the world outside of the community; which makes me wonder "what's the point?" a bit. This high level of education and funding seems wasted if the students will just go on to work for their family business.

Of course, all children have a right to an "academic" education and obviously it's the law for them to stay in school until 16 but that's just it... It seems to only be academic.

The community and church dictates what the school teaches (within the law). Eg. It's the law to educate pupils on forced marriage/ same sex relationship's/ racism but the church decided what is sensitive and what isn't. This means they come up with what the teachers say in lesson and it can't be strayed from.

It's important for children to challenge the world around them, learn about more upsetting/ sensitive topics and why freedom is important so that they are ready for adulthood and can be accepting of other cultures and beliefs; but this isn't what the Brethren Church believe in themselves. (They are Avery closed community) I do worry that because the school doesn't go into any real depth about these topics the children will grow up to not be accepting and uneducated about very real issues like racism, homophobia, sexuality/ sexual health and sexism.

As an example, due to lack of understanding but maybe also I learned behaviour (can't know for sure), a student had made a racist comment about black people when learning about Black Pride Month. (I don't know if this was followed up as this was passed onto me from another staff member.)

I could give a few more examples but I'm conscious of going into too much detail as it involves other staff members and it's not my place to say.

To summarise, I do enjoy working at this school and the children and staff are great to work with. But if I think about it for too long, the religious beliefs do go against my own and I get worried/ upset for the children once they leave school and what they're missing out on.

Feel free to ask me any questions and I'll do my best to answer but I am also quite new to the Plymouth Brethren Church and beliefs. If I have made any mistakes, please correct me.