Parents at the ‘socialist Eton’ to sue over academy plan

PARENTS at a school once referred to as the socialist Eton are seeking to take legal action against the Education Secretary over plans for the school to join a multi-academy trust.

Holland Park School in Kensington, west London, a state school attended by the children of many Left-wing politicians, as well as those of Tory MPS such as Michael Gove and John Bercow, was given a termination warning notice last month after Ofsted downgraded it from “outstanding” to “inadequate”.

The Government selected United Learning Trust as the preferred academy trust to run the school. However, parents have written to Baroness Barran, the academies minister, arguing that the process leading to the selection of United Learning was “legally flawed”.

The letter from a group representing about 350 parents and carers of pupils at the school said that the decision had been “undertaken without the proper involvement of the wider school community”. They are seeking a judicial review and said that, if necessary, they would apply for an injunction to prevent the “winding up” of the school’s current single-academy trust.

The school’s board of governors proposed new management last year after an independent investigation found evidence of bullying and discrimination towards both students and staff, “exploitative” relationships with pupils and “ineffective” leadership.

Some parents wanted the school to instead join forces with another nearby academy.

In the letter from parents, prepared with the advice of David Wolfe QC and Sarah Sackman of Matrix Chambers, the group said that “serious criticisms of the school’s leadership were unfairly never put to staff” before the termination warning notice.

The National Education Union, which represents about 80 staff members at the school, is supporting the parents’ legal challenge. The Department for Education and United Learning have been contacted for comment.