Angry parents call for answers over academy U-turn ‘fiasco’

‘I don’t know whether there was an undisclosed agenda that explains this’

The head of a city grammar is set to face pressure to resign after plans to convert to an academy this week ended in fiasco.

Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar sensationally scrapped its controversial proposals after key members of the governing board stepped down.

Head teacher Jane Robinson now faces the prospect of a vote of no confidence from parents and staff for her lead role in the shambles, we can reveal.

Yesterday she told the Gazette that “there are no plans to resurrect academy plans in the future”.

But furious parents – robbed of their chance of a showdown with Mrs Robinson after a public meeting pencilled for last night (Wednesday) was cancelled – claim they are still owed answers.

Governors voted in November to form a multi-academy trust (MAT) and to sponsor struggling Spires Academy in the process.

Last month the issue began to descend into farce, with certain governors accused of conflicts of interest and Kent County Council (KCC) admitting it was investigating the vote.

Meanwhile, pupils took to the school fields to protest over the plans and union members on the teaching staff were set to ballot on strike action.

On Friday, KCC’S education chief, Patrick Leeson, finally ordered a re-vote after confirming he had uncovered “procedural shortcomings”.

It is thought that as many as four school governors promptly resigned between Friday and Monday. With school bosses facing a hostile reception last night, the depleted governing body hastily voted to scrap its plans ahead of the public meeting.

In a statement put out yesterday, the Save SLGGS From Academisation Parents’ Group expressed relief that “wise and thoughtful elements” of the governing body had withdrawn the plans.

But the parents added: “We are profoundly disappointed to have been denied the opportunity that the June 8 public meeting could have provided for all the unanswered questions to have been put to the head teacher and the chair of the governing board, as well as to Patrick Leeson and the regional schools commissioner, Dominic Herrington.”

Among governors who resigned was Lady Lisa Laws – also a Spires trustee.

In her resignation letter, seen by the Gazette, she claims Mr Lee- son had initially given the previous vote a clean bill of health.

Friday’s order of a re-vote was “a complete volte face” and “the final straw for me”, she writes.

“I don’t know whether there was an undisclosed agenda that explains this,” she says.

“But if, as now seems inevitable, SLGGS is to remain a school maintained by them [Kent County Council], I have no desire to remain a governor of a school under their control.” She denies any wrongdoing. The Gazette put a number of questions to Mrs Robinson, including whether she felt her position had become untenable.

She declined to answer on this point.

A source said that a vote of no confidence in Mrs Robinson was due to be available to parents online from yesterday afternoon.

The source said that a separate written vote was also due to be passed among staff.

Jane Robinson, head of Simon Langton Girls School, was at centre of row after announcing it was planning to convert to academy status, which led to pupils walking out of class in protest