Guidelines for faith schools should be tighter to ensure that bigots receive no state funding, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers has warned.

Speaking at the union's conference in Cardiff, general secretary Peter Smith said: "We do not think public money should be used to fund cranks under the guise of freedom of speech."

The ATL is currently considering a merger with the NUT and the NASUWT, which would create a 600,000 member union.