Classes have now begun in most schools across the country but the start of this academic year will be particularly special for a number of Roman Catholic and Anglican pupils in Wrexham when they start up their lessons in Wales’ first shared faith school.

|TOP|Next week Roman Catholic pupils at the former St Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School will share their lessons with Anglican pupils following an agreement that was signed between the two denominations.

Around 650 pupils are expected to attend the new school when it opens for the new academic year next week – one week later than other schools in Wales due to incomplete refurbishing work to accommodate the new pupils.

The previously Roman Catholic school was expanded to take on the Anglican pupils and the new school will now go under the name of St Joseph’s Catholic and Anglican High School.

There are already several shared-faith schools up and running in England but it is the first time that the authorities in Wales have sought to bring together pupils from different Christian denominations in the same classroom, reports the Western Mail.

The number of pupils at the new school sees an increase of 150 from when St Joseph’s was a Catholic school. Around 60 percent of those pupils will be Roman Catholic while a smaller 40 percent of Anglican pupils will attend.

While critics have voiced concern over differences between the two denominations on a number of key issues, including women priests and contraception, the Rev Geoffrey Marshall, Anglican rector of Wrexham, denied this would be a problem.

He said while there were differences between the faiths, these would not present a problem to the new school. He added that on issues like contraception teachers would simply outline the stance of both churches without taking sides.