Vocal critics of the planned academy takeover of Moulsecoomb Primary School campaigned through the city to fight against the decision.
Hundreds are believed to have attended the protest, where speeches were made, and small crowds gathered to hear such public figures as leader of the council Phelim Mac Cafferty and Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell Moyle.
Parents, school officials, supporters and concerned citizens competed with heavy weather conditions in a show of retaliation which began at the school’s gate in Brighton, leading all the way to the Level.
The academy debate has rolled on since 2019, when the school was deemed ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted and the academy order was issued to allow better control to be taken of the school’s future.
Many academies have come and gone in the face of local opposition and tough conditions both inside and outside the school, with the Pioneer Academy now being announced as being the latest to take control and staunchly showing defiance to the crowds.
Since the time the order was issued, the school has continued to improve and develop with inspectors praising the work achieved throughout the Covid pandemic and recognising the support that the staff have provided to vulnerable students.
Pioneer Academy’s chief executive Lee Mason-Ellis visited the school on Thursday, to find his car covered in anti-academy posters and blocked in by protestors following his return.
In response, Mason-Ellis and the academy informed the police to the incident with claims over this apparent vandalization and damage of personal property.
Parents are continuing to voice real concerns that should the academy takeover go ahead, many of the pupils may get moved to other schools and cause a shutdown of Moulsecoomb Primary in the process.
However, they confirm they will not back down on this issue, hoping that should they win that this may also help set a precedent for other schools that may suffer this kind of threat in the future.
Photo Credit: Stephen Harlan
