Councillors called for the resignation of the executive councillor for education after she helped to suppress a letter.

They said it was impossible for parents and teacher to have any confidence in Frieda Warman-Brown after she kept quiet about a letter criticising East Brighton College of Media Arts, where she was chairman of the governors.

Brighton and Hove Council's scrutiny board on culture and lifelong learning ordered a probe into what went wrong at the new college. Members of all parties said they were concerned about the crisis following head teacher Tony Garwood's resignation this week.

It is the first time such an investigation has been set up in Brighton. Mr Garwood and Coun Warman-Brown decided to keep quiet about a letter criticising the school which was sent to the governing board last December.

Written by Brighton and Hove education director David Hawker, the letter to the governing board highlighted serious concerns about pupil behaviour, attendance, high exclusion rates and staff morale. But governors only found out about it last month and a flurry of meetings with teachers and the union followed.

Today Tory education spokesman Vanessa Brown called on Coun Warman-Brown to resign as the council's executive councillor for education. Coun Warman-Brown has already resigned as chairman of governors.

She said: "There was always going to be a conflict of interest between her role as cabinet councillor for education and her role chairing the governors. Now she has resigned at a time when the school is most vulnerable."

Coun David Smith, who served on the council's education committee before it was abolished under a switch to cabinet-style local government, said this is the third time he has called for her to quit.

He said: "When I served on the education committee I called twice for the resignation of the chairman of that committee, Coun Frieda Warman-Brown.

"Firstly over her handling of the amalgamation of primary schools in Moulsecoomb and Whitehawk. Secondly in connection with the Stanley Deason/Marina High School/East Brighton College of Media and Arts debacle.For the third time and for the sake of education in Brighton and Hove, I call for the resignation of Coun Warman-Brown."

Tory councillor Ann Norman said: "It is impossible for the parents or the teachers to have any confidence in her. The heads and staff of other schools in Brighton must also be questioning her judgment."

Coun Brown said the school had failed the young people of East Brighton for far too long. She added: "Our major concern is for the students. Some will shortly be taking their GCSEs and just at a time when they need a settled and supportive environment there are more traumas."

The investigation carried out by the board will operate like a Commons select committee. Before it can go ahead it needs the sanction of the Scrutiny Management Committee. A small panel will be formed and it will have the power to call witnesses.Among those invited to attend will be Mr Garwood and Coun Warman-Brown.

Coun Joyce Edmond-Smith, who chairs the scrutiny board, said: "We will look at the Fresh Start concept and how effective it has been in solving the problems at the school. She added that council officers, parents and staff would also be invited to go before the panel.

The college was launched as a new school as part of the Government's Fresh Start scheme last September. It was formerly known as Marina High and before that Stanley Deason High.

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