|TOP|Religious leaders in the Manchester area have come out to support calls for faith schools to open their doors to a proportion of pupils from different faith backgrounds.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has expressed his support for faith schools as builders of community cohesion and tolerance. He recently called for a new assessment of how and when children of different faiths should be integrated in schools.

Now leading religious figures in the Manchester area have come out to back the calls by the Archbishop.

Jan Ainsworth, director of education for the Manchester Diocese of the Church of England, said that although most successful Church of England schools already admit children of different faiths, she would like to “start a discussion” with other faith groups about widening access to children across religions, reports Manchester Evening News.

She said: "We want to build strong relationships across the faiths and need to make sure children from different backgrounds get to know each other.

"Parents from other faiths tend to like Christian schools because religion and faith are woven into the school. No one is trying to convince others to change their faith. Our view is that there should be a place for committed Christians but also for those of other faiths."

|QUOTE|Leaders from other faiths also expressed their support for the greater integration of children from different faiths. Khalid Anis of the Islamic society said: "I don't think it would be a bad idea at all if faith schools accepted pupils of other religions, perhaps up to a certain percentage.

"A lot of people bandy about the idea that faith schools are responsible for problems, but that is plainly ridiculous. If you look at the riots a few years ago in places like Oldham, if anything those people from faith schools would be the first to uphold the values of citizenship."

Louis Rapaport, president of the Jewish Representative Council of Manchester, said: "In general as a community we are in favour of faith schools. That doesn't mean we don't see great advantages in integration.

"I personally would be in favour or bringing people together at secondary age. All my grandchildren have gone into the state system at secondary age, but fully confident in their Jewish faith."

The results of an ORB poll released Tuesday to coincide with a major Church of England found that Church of England schools have higher levels of achievement across all age ranges than non-faith state schools.

In the Manchester area, Trinity CE High School is the second best performing state secondary, with 61 per cent of students attaining five or more GCSEs at grade C or above.

The King David School, a Jewish school in Crumpsall, is currently the best performing state secondary in Manchester at 98 per cent.

The UK is yet to have its first state-funded Muslim school, although there are a number of private Muslim schools.