The ’explicitly Christian values’ of St Thomas’ School make its curriculum different from that followed by pupils at other schools, Education Minister Graham Cregeen has confirmed.

The Church of England school in central Douglas is due to co-exist alongside Scoill Vallajeelt in Saddlestone from September, as the current site is no longer fit for purpose.

Responding to a question tabled for written answer by Kate Beecroft (LibVannin, Douglas South) in the House of Keys last week, Mr Ashford said the statutory curriculum for schools was set out under a 2011 order and ’underpinned’ by the Essentials for Learning curriculum, which ’provides a broad framework for developing essential academic, social and personal skills’.

But he said: ’The specific detail of each school’s curriculum is delegated to head teachers to decide and then quality assured by the Education Improvement Service. In this way, schools can reflect the different priorities and needs of each school community.’

The Minister added: ’The curriculum at St Thomas’, therefore, will be different to that of any other school, across a range of subjects. Its explicitly Christian values may mean, for example, that examples of particular learning points are found in the Bible, that the school’s RE curriculum explicitly follows the diocesan framework and that in a number of subjects learning is tied back to a Christian belief system.

’The regular act of corporate worship is very explicitly based on Christian principles.’

The school’s strong ties with the Church influenced governance.

’In particular, however, its ethos - sometimes referred to as "the hidden curriculum" - is underpinned by Christian values and this impacts on all areas of its work, not just the academic.’

At today’s Tynwald sitting, Mrs Beecroft will seek agreement that ’Tynwald welcomes the move of St Thomas’s school to Scoill Vallajeelt as an integrated school but not as a segregated campus’.

She told the Examiner: ’The two schools sharing a site in this way just seems wrong, I don’t think segregation based on religion is acceptable in this day and age. Schools should all teach and celebrate all of the religions.’