Parents plan to sabotage a school's Ofsted inspection to step up their campaign to save its sixth form.

A group of protesters will demand a meeting with inspectors who have announced they will be at Seaford Head Community College tomorrow and Thursday.

Tom Roper, of the Keep Seaford Head's Sixth Form campaign, said: "We hope Ofsted will pay more attention to us than the principal and chair of governors did."

The campaigners, who were tipped off about the inspection by a letter sent to all parents, have been fighting the closure since it was announced in October.

Mr Roper said they would be making their feelings clear in feedback letters Ofsted has given to the school's parents and they would call for a meeting to reinforce their point.

The group said it was vital to have education for over 16s in the the town. There are no alternative sixth forms in Seaford and the nearest equivalents are in Eastbourne and Lewes.

The school, in Arundel Road, Seaford, said it no longer had enough pupils staying on in the sixth form to make it viable. It has gradually been preparing for the closure after the current form of 16 and 17-year-olds have finished their A-levels and other courses.

Principal Lynton Golds declined to directly respond to the parents' warning but said: "A formal consultation regarding the closure of the sixth form will take place at the end of March and is being managed by a representative group of key stakeholders who will guarantee that the process is both transparent and fair.

"All staff, students, parents and community stakeholders will be invited to respond. The governing body will reflect upon the responses and will announce a decision by the end of this academic year."

Mr Roper said parents had decided to take their dissatisfaction known to Ofsted after their efforts to sway the school had failed.

He said approaches to the principal and governors had been fruitless.

He added that the move was the result of frustration on a range of issues.

Mr Roper said: "Parents will be using Ofsted's consultation to express their dismay at the loss of the sixth form, the absence of consultation with parents and other aspects of the mismanagement on the school, such as the timetable chaos at the start of the year."

Mrs Golds said a reorganisation of the timetable in September had been necessary to pursue improved standards.

An Ofsted spokeswoman said: "Our inspection teams always take the views of parents into consideration. They will be a factor in the outcome of the report but not necessarily a major factor."

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