Holidays at these times will now be referred to simply as “end of term breaks”.

The move will “increase inclusion and diversity”, claim bosses at Yorkshire Coast College in Scarborough, North Yorks. They claim this is in line with Ofsted guidelines.

But Ofsted has confirmed there are no such guidelines: "Ofsted inspection guidance for colleges makes no reference whatsoever to the observance of religious festivals," a spokeswoman said.

"It is therefore incorrect that any decision to 'ban religious holidays' would be based on Ofsted guidance."

And politicians and religious groups branded the ruling “beyond barmy”. Robert Goodwill, Tory MP for Scarborough, said: “This is absolutely bonkers. We are a Christian country and religious tolerance is about respecting other people’s religious beliefs. 

“There are people who are petrified that they offend the minority but what they are actually doing is offending the majority. It’s political correctness gone mad.”

Sid Cordle of the Christian Peoples Alliance said: “The idea is ludicrous and totally wrong. We now seem to be going down a route that because we need to protect the rights of minorities, we are going to oppress the majority.”

The further education college, which has 3,900 full and part-time pupils, offers mostly  vocational courses. Ex-pupils include Channel 4 presenter Jon Snow and the late Addicted To Love singer Robert Palmer.