A FURIOUS teacher stormed out of an election hustings after a candidate said the school had been failing children.

Conservative candidate Joe Miller for Brighton Kemptown was booed and jeered by parents and teachers from Moulsecoomb Primary School at the school.

The school in The Highway, Brighton, was branded “inadequate” by Ofsted inspectors in May.

Proposals to turn the school into an academy have been fiercely opposed by parents, teachers, and even Brighton and Hove City Council.

When Joe Miller was asked what he would do to help the campaign, he said: “I think that the school should become an academy.

“For too long, students at this school have been failed.”

Campaigner Craig Arden, who chaired the meeting, said: “The person who stormed out works at the school.

“For the staff there to be blamed was extremely offensive.”

Parent Natasha Coomber, who attended the hustings, said: “We as a school and a community were most definitely taken back by Joe Miller’s comments. He was very disrespectful and quite frankly rude and upset a lot off people with his smarmy comments.”

Mr Miller told The Argus: “It is clear all parents and staff have the best interests and outcomes of the children at heart. I am neither ideologically opposed or in favour of academies or indeed any type of school.

“Indeed I am open minded as to the best provision for each school and pupil, I believe the Labour party locally have politicised this issue, despite introducing academies: turning parents and the schools concerns into a bandwagon they can jump on for political gain. “I think all parties agree the outcomes for pupils at Moulsecoomb are improving, the question remains whether these are rapid enough.

“I care passionately about all children, no matter of their background or disadvantage: being able to reach their full potential in life.

“Most parents and staff were hostile to the current academisation, and to me being open minded to this diversity in education is an important thing.

“It has after all worked well for the vast majority of students going to BACA which has raised standards, from when it was Falmer High.

“I am looking forward to now having the opportunity to visit the school.”