Parents and staff unite at Downhills

Downhills in Haringey was closed to pupils as all 20 teachers walked out over what they believe is an "unnecessary and unwanted" intervention by the Department for Education (DfE) to force the school to become a sponsored academy.

They were joined by around 30 parents in a demonstration outside the school gates which was also supported by former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen.

Parent Sarah Williams, who has two sons at the school, said there was "absolutely no evidence" that a change in structure would improve education.

She added: "When the process first started I thought it was about improving the school, but as we've got further along I've realised it's all about Michael Gove's ideologies that the only way to improve is to introduce profit."

The school was placed in special measures earlier this year after failing an Ofsted inspection but teachers and parents have been campaigning to retain Downhills under local authority control.

"If you look at the figures this school was already improving and there's absolutely no reason why the school can't continue to improve if left the way it is," Ms Williams argued.

NUT London regional secretary Tim Harrison said: "There is very little support for the government's intervention to seek to impose an unwanted sponsor and the school becoming an academy.

"The government would do well to listen to representatives of the community, parents and teachers."

NUT general secretary Christine Blower warned that Michael Gove was "playing fast and loose with taxpayers' money and the future education of generations."

The school has accused the Education Secretary of illegally attempting to force academy status on Downhills and that attainment records and an interim Ofsted report last September suggested standards were improving.

But a spokeswoman for the DfE today defended the plans as "necessary" to improve standards at the school, which she claimed had been "underperforming for several years."

louise@peoples-press.com