THE new principal of a prestigious city academy says parents should have no fears of their children being brainwashed with religious indoctrination.

Richard Coupe, who will start as head of the £20m King's City Academy in South Middlesbrough in September, told The Northern Echo he saw science and religion as complementary when it came to the debate surrounding evolution.

The new city academy, which is being built at Coulby Newham with £2m in sponsorship from the Vardy Foundation, has been dogged by fears of religious bias.

Parents' concerns stem from the controversy surrounding Gateshead's Emmanuel College, which is also backed by the foundation, where it was claimed that creationism - the literal belief that God created the world in seven days - was being taught at the expense of evolution.

Mr Coupe, 48, who is currently director of studies at an independent Quaker secondary school in Reading, said good science and theology had always gone "hand-in-hand".

He said: "If you believe in God you have to believe that he is some how responsible for the world, but as far as I am concerned the "how" is really for science to tell us about.

"In no way could we be a monochrome, religious institution and we welcome people of all faiths."

Regarding parents' concerns he said: "They don't need to have any fear. The church has contributed to education in this country right from the start."

Mr Coupe has 26 years of teaching experience in the comprehensive and independent sectors and was previously head of religious studies at Leeds Grammar School.

The academy will teach the full national curriculum with a focus on business and enterprise and vocational training.