A HEAD teacher has insisted his school is not turning its back on Christianity after it applied to change the content of its assemblies.

John Orgill is writing to reassure parents about the situation at Hawthorns Junior School, Blackburn, after it requested an exemption from a predominantly Christian content at pupils' morning gathering.

He has stressed that a change of emphasis at a school where 90 per cent of pupils are Muslim has already re-invigorated collective worship and led to more Christian teaching than before in assembly.

The confusion, which prompted concern among some parents, arose when the school asked Lancashire County Council for a five-year dispensation from the normal pattern of Christian worship.

The move, which does not affect religious education in the classroom, would lead to the school not favouring any single religious faith but recognising and drawing from the teachings of many.

Mr Orgill has insisted the school's position is no different from that of other local schools which serve a largely Asian community. He said: "Parents are wrong to believe we are not now teaching religious education and I am writing a letter to parents to reassure them that we are not dropping Christianity."

Mr Orgill said it would be illegal for the school to replace religious education and assemblies with a "sterile" moral and ethical code.

He explained that Christianity, as well as Islam, Sikhism and other religions would be regularly used to develop pupils' spiritual awareness.

He said the move was aimed at offering children "a more balanced view of worship."

And the head added: "For the sake of our pupils, we want the word "worship" to actually mean something to them, personally.

"As a head teacher of many years, I attest to the great value of balanced religious teaching in school and would deeply regret its omission.

"Indeed, I think that there should be more of it."

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