THE head teacher at Fernwood School says 'inaccurate' comments and posts on social media sites have "exaggerated" an incident involving some of the school's pupils.
Yesterday the Post reported that police were investigating a hate crime in connection with the school in Wollaton, but at the time no one from the school was available to comment.
But head teacher Ann Witheford has since confirmed that a page of an English translation from the Qur'an had been set alight by two year 10 boys who attend Fernwood School.
However, she said the act was completely unintentional and did not take place in the school.
She said: "This was an unintentional act carried out without knowledge of the importance and reverence of the document concerned.
"On Friday evening some boys from our school were gathered in Wollaton Park. Some papers were on the ground and two of the boys picked them up and lit the corner.
"Another boy then said that it was a page translated from the Qur'an, that had been left there. The boys had not known it was from the Qur'an.
"They are extremely apologetic and upset by what has happened."
Mrs Witheford added that Fernwood was classed as an outstanding school in all aspects in its latest Ofsted inspection last year.
In particular she pointed out that the inspectors noted how cohesive and happy the school environment was.
She added: "We are a very harmonious school and we have no problems whatsoever between different groups of students.
"Our last Ofsted report says one student summed up the views of many that 'the school is a family which we are proud to be part of.' That is what we are all about at Fernwood.
"This incident has been exaggerated by inaccurate comments on social media sites and has been blown out of proportion.
"On Monday morning I contacted the police myself because I had heard about what had happened. I wanted to make sure nothing escalated after school.
"The pages of the Qur'an have been collected by a senior member of staff and we are working with the local Muslim community to dispose of them in the correct manner."
Dr Musharraf Hussain, who leads prayers at the Islamic Karima Institute, in Bobbers Mill, said that because the pages were a translation they may be disposed of by paper recycling.
He said: " If it had been pages of an actual Qur'an they would have needed to have been wrapped in a cloth and buried.
"However, as it was not, it may just be recycled. Burning any book is desecration and should be frowned upon. It is a very sensitive issue, but it seems the boys did not know what they were doing."
A spokesperson for Notts Police said: "On Monday we were made aware of an incident that was alleged to have taken place in Wollaton Park the previous Friday, involving some pupils from Fernwood School.
"Following initial inquiries this was investigated as a potential hate crime.
"After enquiries conducted throughout yesterday, police are now satisfied that this was not the case and have discontinued the investigation.
"The force and the staff at Fernwood School are aware of speculation and ill-founded rumour circulating in some quarters about the nature of the incident that took place in the park on Friday, and can confirm the rumours about acts that could be perceived to be racially motivated are utterly without foundation."
