Hands off Moulsecoomb Primary School protest at Pioneer HQ

Hands Off Moulsecoomb Primary School campaigners dressed as "fat cats" delivered 93 pledges from parents to withdraw their children from the school if The Pioneer Academy takes over.

"Those pledges account for just under 50 per cent of pupils on roll currently," said councillor Hannah Clare, the schools chief on Brighton and Hove City Council.

"It just shows once again the strength of the community against the academy."

Hands off Moulsecoomb School campaigners protest outside The Pioneer Academy HQ

The campaigners mockingly named themselves Moulsecoomb Mum's Academy (MMA) and shouted through the letterbox of the HQ in Gladstone Road, Farnborough.

Moulsecoomb Primary School was given the lowest possible rating by education watchdog inspectors after a visit in April 2019.

The damning report started a process that saw the government intervening to force the school to become an academy.

However, Ofsted inspectors recently praised Moulsecoomb Primary for its work to support pupils during the pandemic, commending staff for helping vulnerable pupils.

Hands off Moulsecoomb School campaigners protest outside The Pioneer Academy HQ

Speaking of yesterday's protest, a Hands Off Moulsecoomb Primary School spokeswoman said: "Brighton and Hove currently has over 600 primary places available in the city, many of which are nearby to Moulsecoomb Primary School.

"The school is already well below capacity due to falling birth rates in the area and should parents see this threat though it would put the future of the school at risk.

"We know the CEO of the trust, Lee Mason-Ellis, was inside at the time due to his highly distinctive white Mercedes-Benz, with personalised number plates, being parked outside.

"They knocked on the door and called through to reception to ask if he would address the campaigners but were refused."

TPA were contacted for comment.

There have been escalating tensions between TPA officials and campaigners.

CEO Lee Mason Ellis's car was blocked in while visiting the school this month - although no one has officially claimed credit for the act.

The incident came just days after campaigners locked officials out of the school during a planned visit.

An allegation of assault during the incident, which TPA said was made against their CEO and he denied, was found to have no supporting evidence according to police.