A school in Chadwell Heath will be forced to become an academy despite the majority of parents opposing the move, the department of education announced today.

A school in Chadwell Heath will be forced to become an academy despite the majority of parents opposing the move, the department of education announced today.

The Warren School has been fighting education secretary Michael Gove’s plan to take the school out of council control due to its poor showing in an Ofsted report.

But today his undersecretary Lord Nash sent a 10 page letter telling the school the change will go ahead regardless, starting from September.

The move was criticised by Jon Cruddas MP, who said Mr Gove has treated the school with “absolute derision and contempt”.

In a public consultation, 85 per cent of respondents were in favour of the school remaining a local authority school while working with Robert Clack School to make improvements.

Lord Nash said: “The secretary of state recognises that the clear majority of those responding to the consultation expressed a preference for the Warren to remain maintained by the local authority and form a hard federation with Robert Clack School.”

He continued: “While the secretary of state recognises that support from Robert Clack has delivered some improvements, his view is that the priority now is to do what is required to offer the best chance of significant and sustained improvements at the Warren School as quickly as possible.”

Jon Cruddas said: “Today Michael Gove has overridden the wishes of the vast majority of parents and staff at Warren School dictating that it will be given academy status from September 2014.

“Earlier this year the High Court had to step in to stop the secretary of state forcing academisation upon the school.

“Academy status means a lack of accountability, no need to follow the national curriculum and groups with vested interests sponsoring the school and setting the educational agenda.

He added: “Warren School have made great strides over the past year and this has been due to the great commitment from staff, parents and the local community working together.

“Warren School has been treated with absolute derision and contempt by the Department for Education and the secretary of state Michael Gove.”