There will be no judicial review into the decision to turn Downhills Primary School over to an academy sponsor, a High Court judge has ruled. Picture: Tony Gay.

Parents fighting to keep a Tottenham primary school under council control have failed in their bid to force a judicial review of education secretary Michael Gove’s plans to hand it over to an academy sponsor.

It seems certain Downhills Primary School will be an academy under the Harris Federation when it opens its doors to pupils in September after a High Court judge dismissed campaigners’ case today.

The Save Downhills group had hoped to force Mr Gove and the Department for Education (DfE) to reconsider his controversial decision, which means the Philip Lane school will no longer be run by the local authority but by a private, charitable company.

Speaking to the Journal just minutes after the decision, Susan Moyse, parent and claimant in the case against Mr Gove, said: “Our lawyers will consider whether or not we should appeal. But, for now, we are disappointed but not surprised.”

A DfE Spokesperson said: “We are very pleased that the court has recognised that the consultation and the Secretary of State’s decision were undertaken fairly and lawfully.”

- More to follow.