LAST year’s race riots in northern towns raised difficult questions for governors of faith schools. How do they respond to accusations that they are socially divisive? How do they promote a religious ethos when many of their pupils may be of different faiths or none?

The bulk of faith schools are Church of England and Roman Catholic. Last year, Lord Dearing’s review of Anglican schooling said schools should be “distinctively Christian”. But in an inclusive, tolerant world, can they afford to be so “distinct”?

Many governors in England and Wales have clear faith. In voluntary-controlled and foundation schools, several governors will be nominated by faith leaders. In voluntary-aided schools, these nominees will be in the majority.

Where there is poverty, this faith can drive an impulse towards charity. The Anglican Christ Church school in Newcastle-upon-Tyne has children of asylum-seekers and women living at a local refuge. Colin Smith, chair of governors, says the school is “helping people who have had very broken lives”. It is a Good-Samaritan philosophy few would disagree with.

But attempts to be more specifically “Christian” may run into trouble. The rector of St Peter’s and St Paul’s, the Reverend Hugh Symes-Thompson, an ex officio governor at two church schools in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, says Christian schools should emphasise values, rather than religious instruction. He says: “I suspect the Christian side is trying to be done through Christian values - honesty and integrity - rather than through doctrine.” He sees his school as an “inclusive community” that serves those both of and outside the faith.

There is not much training for foundation governors in his diocese, he says. But he does feel they can make a specifically Christian contribution. Foundation governors from the area often meet up and pray for their various schools.

Symes-Thompson notes unease over certain practices: “Christian governors can be uncomfortable with events marking Halloween.” In religious education, some will be keen to stress Biblical studies.

But the changing nature of society has forced religious governors to compromise, says Dr Margaret Rooney, chair of governors at St Bede’s middle school in the ethnically-mixed centre of Bedford. “Once foundation governors would debate whether non-Catholic children should be admitted. But if St Bede’s had not opened its doors to them some years back, the school would not have survived.”

However, she believes some things cannot be compromised: for example, despite recruitment difficulties, she insists that the headteacher be a practising Catholic. “If there is no need for the head to be a Catholic you might well ask if there is a need for a Catholic school. Where will the religious leadership come from? It cannot come totally from the foundation governors because they are not in the school on a day-to-day basis.”

Diocesan episcopal vicar for education Monsignor Kevin McGinnell says foundation governors get increasingly complex training. But essentially, he says, their mission is simple: “to make sure the school is the best it can be while encouraging the Catholic faith without any sense of proselytisation”.

Despite controversies over “segregated” schooling, especially in the riot-hit northern towns, most foundation governors are working hard to welcome all children while developing something distinctive and spiritual. It is a tough challenge.