PARENTS are fighting plans to academise Peacehaven Heights and Telscombe Cliffs Primary Schools.

Governors have been told by East Sussex County Council that they must academise and join a Multi-Academy Trust.

Governors wrote to parents on January 9 informing them that: “On the advice of the LA, to ensure continuous improvement and bring further capacity to the school in terms of leadership, we must now join an academy trust.”

In alliance with the National Education and GMB unions and inspired by the Save Lewes Schools campaign, which successfully saw off plans to convert six Lewes schools into academies and form a MAT earlier this month, parents have set up their own campaign to save the schools.

The Hands off Our Schools Facebook page (@HandsOffOurSchools) has already received over 300 likes, and an online petition calling on Stuart Gallimore, East Sussex County Council’s director of children’s services, to halt the plans has been signed by over 500 people in under a week.

Alice Burchfield, who has two children at Peacehaven Heights, said: “I am deeply concerned about the forced academisation of our school and what it means for our children.”

An East Sussex County Council spokesman said: “We been working closely with Peacehaven Heights Primary School and Telscombe Cliffs Primary School to improve outcomes for all pupils, ensure both schools have the ability to recruit and retain senior staff and skilled governors and secure greater stability for the longer term.

“This has included providing support and advice to the governing board about considering conversion to an academy with a strong performing academy trust. The governing board are at an early stage of considering academy conversion and a full consultation with staff, parents and the school community would take place before any final decision is reached.

“We work with all schools, regardless of their status.”

The meeting is on Wednesday at Telscombe Civic Centre from 6.30pm until 8pm.