Row over Halesowen school's go it alone proposal

A Halesowen school is facing a protest over its bid to go it alone as an independent academy - with a petition calling for parents and local residents to be given more say in the decision.

Windsor High School's headteacher insists that the governors have carried out a "substantial process of consultation" since announcing the proposal to become an academy last September.

And the school governors met in private last night to further consider plans to become an independent academy, free from council control, from April 1.

But teachers' unions, who collected about 150 names on a petition of local residents in Halesowen town centre at the weekend calling on the governors to hold "full and proper" consultation, say few parents and other local residents were even aware of the plan until it was revealed in the Express & Star on Monday.

One Windsor High School parent, Tony Barnsley, of Cherry Tree Lane, said: "I am alarmed that we have not been able to listen or take part in a discussion over the future of our child's school."

Windsor High School headteacher Keith Sorrell said: "We had a substantial process of consultation with parents and the community throughout last term.

"We gave a deadline for responses in October but we had no responses from parents."