Parents in demo against academy plan
Parents staged a town centre demonstration in their battle against plans to turn a secondary school into an academy.
Governors at Redhill School in Stourbridge will vote later this month on whether the school should opt of of local authority control. But a protest group has been set up against the proposals amid fears there could be "major" changes to how the school is run.
Around 30 members of Redhill School Concern Group carrying placards gathered in Lower High Street, Stourbridge, on Saturday to promote their campaign. More than 400 signatures were collected on a petition, and group spokeswoman Pauline Faux, aged 59, said there was "a lot of support" from members of the public.
Mrs Faux, whose three children all went to the school, added: "There is clearly a lot of concern that an excellent school is changing. People were asking us why it needs to change at all, and that is our point exactly.
"If the school becomes an academy there will be no local accountability." Governors meet on November 19 and parents are planning to lobby the meeting. Helen Plaice, 47, has two children aged 16 and 14 at the school and says she fears their education will be affected.
"They are getting excellent results and I don't see why the school should be messed with," added Mrs Plaice, who works acrosss Sandwell and Dudley as a supply teacher.
Redhill governor and Stourbridge MP Margot James has supported the plans to become an acaedmy, while headteacher Stephen Dunster says he is committed to "enhancing its position as an outstanding non-selective school."
