The board of governors at Downhills has been removed

Education Secretary Michael Gove has removed the board of governors at Downhills Primary School.

The governors - who opposed plans to turn the Philip Lane school into an academy - were removed a week after a damning Ofsted report, which claimed the school was incapable of improving.

The Department for Education has installed an interim board of its own choosing.

A DfE Spokesperson said: “Downhills has been underperforming for several years and Ofsted has now found that the school requires special measures. They have found that the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and that those responsible for leading, managing and governing the school do not have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement.

“We have therefore decided to appoint an interim executive board to give the school the leadership and expertise it needs to improve.”

The spokesman said their preferred sponsor for Downhills is the Harris Federation - which will also be running Coleraine Park Primary School, Glendish Road, from September.

A spokeswoman for the Harris Federation said: “Our charity has a track record of establishing outstanding schools across London that are popular in their communities.

“We do understand that there are some at Downhills and in the wider community with reservations about Academy status.

“If we are invited in as sponsor, we would work with parents, pupils and staff to make sure everything that is already good about their school is kept as it is whilst also providing the support they need to improve in the areas highlighted by Ofsted.”

More to follow.