MORE than 1,000 people have backed a campaign calling for a halt to plans to turn Oxted School into an academy.
It follows a public meeting at Oxted Community Hall on Saturday where most of the 150-strong audience voted that a ballot should be held on the controversial proposals.
A campaign group – Oxted Against Academy – already has 1,054 members on it's Facebook page. A petition launched by the group has got 971 signatures.
It follows the school's announcement earlier this month that governors had voted unanimously to progress towards foundation status.
Eventually the plan is for the school to become an academy in The Howard Partnership, based at Howard of Effingham School near Leatherhead.
Oxted chairman of governors Brian Taylor said: "By becoming a foundation school we will be better able to control the future direction of the school to improve standards and the educational and other experiences of our students, while maintaining the unique character and ethos of the school."
But Oxted resident Morag Roulston, who is against the proposal, said: "For anybody under any illusion about the land sell-off implications once Oxted School has foundation status and becomes an academy, look at the aerial view of the school land and the land a developer wants to build on behind Chichele Road.
"It doesn't take much to realise that there's a very high possibility of land sell-off happening."
East Surrey MP Sam Gyimah said he plans to meet concerned parents and school representatives some time this week. Godstone's Surrey county councillor Helena Windsor backed calls for a ballot.
The proposals can be viewed at www.oxtedschool.co.uk
A consultation on the plans is open until February 4.
To respond, e-mail lthurston@oxtedschool.co.uk or write to The Governing Body, C/O Lisa Thurston, Clerk to the Governors, Oxted School, Bluehouse Lane, Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0AB.
