Parents have raised fears that a primary school could become a “faith school” if its conversion to an academy goes ahead.

But academy Trust bosses and a school governor have said its character and ethos will 'remain unchanged'.

Governors at The Uplands Primary School in Sandhurst have proposed that the school should become part of The Keys Academy Trust (TKAT). This would mean the school is no longer managed directly by the council, but by the academy chain – although it would still remain publicly funded.

Yet some parents and campaigners have raised concerns about what this could mean – noting that TKAT is managed by the Church of England.

Parents have also pointed out that the nine other schools already in TKAT are all Church of England schools – but say none of this was made clear in a recent consultation of parents.

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Alan Parker, whose son attends Uplands Primary, said he feared the move could mean more religious practices would be introduced into the school day – claiming there are already weekly Christian prayers.

He said: “We love Uplands Primary – the teaching is wonderful. But I fear joining a Church of England trust will put pressure on the school to put even more Christianity into the school day.

“And that’s going to make the school unwelcoming not just for us, but for other families in our diverse community who have different religions and beliefs.”

But TKAT argued that none of the Church of England schools it runs could be considered “faith schools” as they serve children of all faiths and none.

It also said it aimed to support primary schools with improved professional development and back-office functions, but that Uplands would remain fundamentally the same if it joins the Trust.

Hester Wooler, CEO of TKAT, said: “We work hard to maintain the much-loved identity of each of our schools. This means that Uplands will remain a community school and there will be no requirement from Trust to make changes to the fundamental nature of the school.”

Andy Batty, co-chair of Uplands Primary School governors, also said the board was “committed to maintaining” the school’s values. He added governors had not yet made their final decision.

He said: “We are committed to maintaining the values of our school and to continually enhance the learning experience of our pupils.

“Every voice in our school community is respected and considered as part of the consultation, and we wish to make clear that the culture, character and religious characteristics of the school will remain unchanged.

“The Keys Academy Trust is our preferred partner at this stage, but we have not yet reached a final decision to align our school with the Trust.”