CAMPAIGNERS are outraged at plans to force a school to become an academy.

Moulsecoomb Primary School was given an “inadequate” rating by Ofsted inspectors in May. The school has since received an order from the Department for Education forcing it to become an academy in an attempt to improve.

But a group parents, teachers, pupils, unionists and councillors have voiced their anger at the decision and plan to protest against it at a march on July 13.

Pete Weston was a governor at the school but resigned in arotest against the academy order.

He said: “Moulsecoomb Primary is a great school with a great head and teachers. It would be wrong to turn it into an academy, which could be asset-stripped and employ untrained teachers.”

Angela Pemberton, a former pupil and parent of two former Moulsecoomb pupils said: “I feel that Moulsecoomb should be given a chance to improve. It would be totally unfair and unjust to just go ahead without giving them a chance.

“I will do all I can to help stop this ridiculous academisation order from happening.”

Campaigners will gather at the school at 9.30am before marching to The Level for the rally.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Nancy Platts and deputy leader Nick Childs also met with representatives of the Regional School Commissioner on Tuesday to “press for a re-think”.

Cllr Childs, who is chairman of the children, young people and skills committee, said: “We asked for a commitment from the commissioner’s team that they would accept and act on the outcome of a parental ballot. We also proposed reasonable time should be allowed for our school improvement plan to demonstrate more progress. They would give no such assurances.

“Instead they made their disregard for the views of local people and elected politicians very clear. We now have no alternative, as a council, but to write directly to the secretary of state to exercise his powers to revoke the forced academy order without delay.”