Academy opponents form group

8:51pm Thursday 3rd July 2008

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Opponents of plans for a city academy have set up a campaign group ahead of a key council meeting.

The Brighton and Hove branch of the Anti Academies Alliance formed this week.

The move followed a meeting to rally opposition to the proposed replacement of 1950s-built Falmer High School in Lewes Road, Brighton, with an academy.

The group includes some teachers and staff from the school, parents, trade unionists and councillors.

It is expected to protest outside Hove Town Hall next Thursday, before a city council cabinet meeting.

Cabinet members will be asked to ratify moves to officially close Falmer High in August 2010.

City councillor Rachel Fryer is a member of the group and speaks on education for the Greens in the city.

She said: "Falmer School is one of the fastest improving schools in the city and this proposal threatens to undo all the good work of the existing management team."

Opponents question whether new buildings would be worth the disruption to the progress at the school.

It has high scores in pupil progress despite being below Education Secretary Ed Balls's target GCSE pass rate.

They said they were concerned for staff morale and job security because employment terms would be controlled by the sponsor.

They are also unhappy the council-owned school and site would be put in a trust set up by the sponsor, even though running costs would be funded by Government.

The original sponsor Jon Aisbitt dropped out and was replaced in February by Portslade- born multimillionaire Rod Aldridge, founder of outsourcing firm Capita.

The University of Brighton, University of Sussex, City College Brighton and Hove and Brighton and Hove Albion have agreed to partner the project. Academies were introduced by former prime minister Tony Blair to inject money and private sector expertise into education in deprived areas.

Opponents said they were concerned some of the technology could be contracted out to Capita or related firms.

Mr Aldridge is no longer actively involved with Capita but remains a shareholder. He was unavailable for comment.

Falmer High headteacher Stuart McLaughlin said: "I sincerely believe his only motivation is that he wants to give something back to Brighton and Hove."

If the cabinet agrees to the closure it will publish statutory notices on September 1, to start a six-week public consultation.