GETTY one school in Oldham is said to have a

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About 20 Church of England (CoE) schools are estimated to have a majority Muslim population, as do 15 Roman Catholic schools, latest available figures reveal. One school, St Thomas in Werneth, Oldham, is reported to have no Christian pupils at all, according to the local diocese. While some school and church leaders say the institutions are merely serving their community. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the centre for education at the University of Buckingham, said the experience could be "uncomfortable" and "confusing" for children of both faiths.

He told the Sunday Times: "The Church of England has traditionally provided education in this country but now that risks being an uncomfortable experience for the Muslim pupils that fill many of these schools. "It must also be very confusing for the handful of Christian pupils in some of them. It would seem logical these schools become secular institutions." St Thomas' website states: "St Thomas is a Church of England school and at present most of the children who attend are of the Muslim faith. "We begin each day with a school worship when we say prayers to recognise the place God has in our lives. "All children follow a course of Religious Education and we observe both Christian and Muslim Festivals."

GETTY One school in Oldham is said to have a 100 per cent Muslim population