A SCHOOL supporting vulnerable people is to apply to become an academy.

The Alternative Centre for Education, which provides education to up to 130 youngsters with behavioural and special needs at four sites though Brighton and Hove, is discussing whether to approach the Government and ask it to free it from local authority control.

If approved it would be the first school in the city to voluntarily apply for academy status.

Principal Mark Whitby claims the move, which could see the school accept pupils from outside Brighton and Hove as well as set its own curriculum could happen within four to six months.

But the local authority has expressed “surprise” at the move, adding it was only informed on Sunday.

Mr Whitby said: “It’s an absolute choice. We have always been a cutting edge organisation in the city.

“I do understand the concerns around academies.

“It’s not in our interests to make life more difficult for our staff.

“We want to become a lot more creative and purposeful.

“Parents are mostly concerned about their children and will want security and to know their child is learning.”

Mr Whitby said a £25,000 conversion start-up fund would only be signed off by the Department for Education if it was happy the school met its criteria.

A consultation period would then begin and, if it proceeds, the school would be funded by the Government rather than the council.

The local authority’s Green administration is against the establishment of academies. Councillor Sue Shanks, its cabinet member for children and young people, said: “My view is that this would not be in the best interests of the various communities served by the school.

“We have a planned meeting early next week with the chair- man of governors at which this will be discussed.”

The Argus understands a decision was going to be taken by a meeting of the school’s governors today. However this has now been postponed to a later date.

Brighton and Hove currently has two academies. Both the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy and Portslade Aldridge CommunityAcademy were sponsored by the Aldridge Foundation with the support of the council.

The Government recently revealed that it was also considering freeing Whitehawk Primary School in Whitehawk Road, Brighton, from the control of the local authority after it had fallen into special measures.

Alex Knutsen, branch secretary of Brighton and Hove Unison, said: “The union is utterly against any proposal for further schools in this city to be converted into academies – the two we have presently are more than enough. “If this move does go ahead then we will consult our members about the possibility of industrial action.”