Welsh Government urged to change guidance on teaching of religion after school teaching creationism is cleared of wrongdoing

Martin Shipton 

The National Secular Society has called for the Welsh Government to revise its guidance on the teaching of religion in schools after a county council decided to take no action against a school whose headteacher routinely promoted his evangelical Christian beliefs.

The NSS referred Llanidloes High School to Powys County Council and the Welsh Government after uncovering evidence that headteacher Dan Owen was attempting to convert children to Christianity.

This included school displays with creationist messages, giving children school planners with biblical ‘advice’, and holding regular assemblies promoting Christianity.

An “independent fact-finding exercise” commissioned by the council found the school “is operating fully within the relevant legislation and Welsh Government guidance”.

While the review highlighted some areas of practice for further review by the school, no further action is necessary, the council said.

The NSS said the findings “raise serious questions about current guidance on religion in schools in Wales”.

When news outlets including Nation.Cymru reported on the school in 2024, parents said they feared the issue was being “swept under the carpet”.

One parent said: “I have lost all trust in [the headteacher]. We trusted our kids to him.”

A report which has not been made public found creationism “has not been taught in science lessons”.

However, photographs obtained by the NSS show displays at the school combining science and geography content with quotes from the Bible intended to promote creationist ideas.

One display of marine life features the quotation: “God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing”. Another, representing the solar system, includes the quote: “Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them”.

The displays, which are large enough to cover entire walls, were reportedly paid for using school funds, with a source at the school describing them as “very expensive”.

The promotion of creationism is not currently prohibited in Welsh schools. In England, teaching creationism as a scientific theory is banned.

The review also found there was no evidence of evangelisation or inappropriate promotion of Christianity.

But Mr Owen allegedly told teachers to show a video advertising the ‘Alpha’ course to their tutor groups. Alpha is an evangelistic course which aims to convert children to Christianity. Posters for a lunchtime club called ‘Lighthouse’, where children would follow the Alpha course, were also posted around the school.

Advice page

Additionally, photographs of school planners provided to pupils revealed an advice page, entitled ‘Help in Time of Need’, which included sections on suicide, sex, and abuse. The page solely referred to verses from the Bible. These verses included advice that children “flee from sexual immorality”, “flee the evil desires of youth”, and that those who look at women “lustfully” have already “committed adultery” in their heart.

In relation to suicide, a Psalm advised students to “entrust” their lives to God. The advice page did not direct the pupils to professional sources of support for abuse or suicide.

Videos on the school’s Facebook page revealed that children were evangelised in regular “Scripture Slots” in online assemblies apparently made during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.

In one assembly, Mr Owen talks about the “authority” Jesus has over “evil spirits”, before cutting to a Sixth Former reading a passage from the Bible about Jesus exorcising people “who had demons in them”.

Other assemblies featured ‘guest speakers’ who also gave confessional sermons about Christianity.

In a communication to parents and carers following media coverage of the issue, Mr Owen defended his evangelism by saying the school is “careful to comply” with the law requiring daily acts of “broadly Christian” collective worship in all state schools in Wales. The NSS argues this law should be abolished.

Mr Owen is an Elder at Newton Evangelical Church, which believes the Bible is the “infallible Word of God”, “God created the world in six days” and “unbelievers and all who reject salvation will find themselves in the eternal sorrow and torment of hell”. It also claims the Church has a “very special duty to preach the Gospel to every living person”.

‘Sinful’

In a sermon entitled “God’s Good Design and Homosexuality”, Elder Tim Gill says “all homosexual sex is sinful – no exceptions.” He also says God “may” change one’s sexual orientation to straight – an idea which can underpin ‘conversion therapy’.

NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: “These findings raise serious questions about current guidance on religion in schools in Wales. It appears that very little protection exists for the inclusive and pluralistic ethos of nonreligious schools, opening the door to evangelism and creationism.

“This case shows why stronger safeguards are needed to prevent schools from being used to promote the personal religious beliefs of those in charge.”