Headteacher warns on faith schools

The Rev Tim Hastie-Smith, chairman of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, said he felt more single faith schools "could run the risk of segregating youngsters".

Mr Hastie-Smith, who is headmaster of the private Dean Close School in Cheltenham and describes himself as an Anglican clergyman, said: "If schools end up a particular faith it runs the risk of withdrawing people from society.

"There is a possibility to - and I use the word very, very carefully - use education as a form of indoctrination. It is understandable that someone from a Muslim background, for example, might look at the West and find our attitudes to things like pornography and marriage difficult.

"They may ask, 'how do I protect my children from a contaminating influence?'"

But he said faith schools could "make people become an object of suspicion because they are withdrawing" and could also prevent youngsters "from getting out and doing good, from making a difference".

He said a reasonable balance in schools on all faiths and cultures led to understanding, especially if teachers were committed.

He said: "It is the old adage - they won't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Mr Hastie-Smith will become principal of church schools group United Learning Trust next year which, he said, "is Christian in basis but focuses on challenged schools to give them educational life chances".

There are about 6,000 faith schools in England, the majority of which are Church of England and Roman Catholic.