I AM really proud that Labour and Green Party councillors have been so supportive of parents and teachers of Moulsecoomb Primary who have led an inspiring “Hands Off Our School” campaign.

As you know, Moulsecoomb Primary is in one of the most economically disadvantaged wards in the South East. It does fantastic work for children with special educational needs, but was rated as “inadequate” by Ofsted.

Since then, despite rapid improvement to the school in key areas under its current leadership, Ofsted have so far refused to re-inspect. The Government has used this opportunity to try and impose academisation on the school and take it out of local authority control. Insisting a school converts to an academy is incredibly disruptive to the children. It also means teachers could be forced to reapply for their jobs.

Parents are understandably worried about evidence that shows some academies have used questionable techniques to drive up their standards. For example, by not allowing children, who are struggling academically, to take exams in case they get lower grades and drive down the average results and the school’s position in the league tables. This is why league tables in education are so wrong.

The goal of every school should be to ensure every child reaches their potential and has every support to get there. The community has come together to lead a creative, passionate and effective campaign against this imposed academisation order. Despite the Ofsted report, the staff and governors were already turning the school around. But it takes time. They want to see their school continuing to improve under the local authority. They don’t want to start again with an academy chain which is new to the area and doesn’t know the parents and their children. Their voices should be heard.

So far, the Government’s three successive proposed academy sponsors have all pulled out. It has become such a farce that the last academy “chain” wasn’t even a chain. It runs just one school, had pulled out of another after poor results and has a questionable financial history.

Perhaps most ironically, leaked emails from the academy sponsor (New Horizons Academy Trust) revealed that even they believed the school was rapidly improving under its current leadership. Nonetheless, they pulled out in dramatic fashion, blaming the campaigners for creating a toxic environment.

The Trust even spread disinformation on their way out, suggesting the school would likely close down. I would like to take this opportunity to condemn that claim outright, and assure everyone of our full commitment to the future of the school. There are absolutely no plans to close Moulsecoomb Primary.

At full council on Thursday, Kate Knight, who is a ward councillor for Moulsecoomb and Bevendean and a real champion of the Hands Off Our School campaign, delivered a heartfelt speech in support of the parents and teachers. She called upon the council to urge the Secretary of State for Education to listen to our community and revoke the academy order once and for all. Kate, who is also deputy chairwoman of the Children, Young People and Skills Committee, told the meeting that the latest sponsor imposed by the Government chose to announce its withdrawal via a press release rather than contacting the school governors or local authority. That kind of behaviour shows little respect for our community.

What was so touching about Kate’s speech though is that she used the words of a parent at Moulsecoomb to sum up how special this school is. The parent wrote to the school to say: “I want to say thank you to the staff. From my children, I know all about the teacher who gave them 20p to spend at the school fair, when I was working and forgot; the breathing and counting exercises the teacher shows the class when they are upset and need to calm down; the special role in the nativity play created for my son because of his social anxiety at being on a stage.

Nothing ever goes unnoticed and it is these special moments that makes the school a place I love to bring my children. I can’t imagine how difficult, challenging and emotionally draining working in education must be, but I know they go above and beyond. With love from a very single parent with no family, who appreciates the kindness and thought you show my children.”

We will redouble our efforts to lobby the Government and get this forced academy order revoked, for the good of our community and the good of the children who live in it. Moulsecoomb Primary you have our support.