Tempers are flaring and accusations are being hurled as parents and teachers protest the decision to turn a Greenwich school into an academy.

The John Roan School topped off a tumultuous few years including multiple head teachers over a short period of time with a dreadful Ofsted report and an order to become an academy.

It was an order that incensed parents and prompted the National Education Union (NEU) to call foul on the decision.

Teachers, parents and other protesters picketed outside the school on Tuesday (June 26), which followed on from protests last week and undoubtable further protests into the future.

Victoria Ribbands is a parent of three children at the school and she told News Shopper: "It becoming an academy will not help our school or our children. I will not have my children in a place where I don't have a say in their education and welfare.

"We were once a great school and we will become a great school again.

"We strongly believe that Ofsted was wrong with their findings and very unfair as we had our brand new headteacher start Cath Smith who really wants to help us."

Parents and protesters are already planning to legally challenge Ofsted for the ‘inadequate’ rating they handed the school, and Liam Curran from the NEU said there appears to have been “indecent haste” in making the decision.

The NEU are laying part of the blame on the University School Trust (UST), who were brought in as consultants for John Roan in September last year but did not help turn the school around before the Ofsted report.

Mr Curran told News Shopper that the speed between the Ofsted report coming in and the move to academisation has led them to believe UST wanted this outcome so they could lobby for the school to become an academy under them.

He said: “There seems to be indecent haste, so of course we are questioning the decision.

“We are saying slow down, give the local authority a chance, and give the new head teacher a chance.”

Local councillor John Fahy has already resigned from his position as a Governer at Royal Greenwich Trust School over the decision.

He tweeted: “Following the activities of the University Schools Trust and their predatory action in respect of John Roan, I have resigned from the Governing body of the Royal Greenwich Trust School today.”

Greenwich Council leader Danny Thorpe previously said he opposed the decision and said he would “do all that we can to keep the John Roan School in the Greenwich family of schools”.

Greenwich and Woolwich Matthew Pennycook wrote to the secretary for education Damian Hinds urging for them not to push the school down the path of academisation.

New head teacher Cath Smith apologised to parents in an open letter, saying she was “disappointed” with the result.

Ms Smith, who only took up the position permanently in the month before the inspection, said: “Inspectors acknowledged the prolonged period of upheaval due to significant changes in leadership over recent years but believe that the school must take action to improve.

“I have been a Headteacher in Inner London for seven years, and a senior school leader for many more, and want to reassure you that I have the necessary experience to oversee the school’s required improvements.”

Grahame Price, CEO for UST, said: "I recognise that the recent Academy Order placed on the John Roan School by the Regional Schools Commissioner has come as a shock to many people in the community and that they, like Councillor Fahy, are opposed to this decision.

"However, our understanding is that the Academy Order is a legal obligation following the Ofsted judgement that The John Roan School has ’serious weaknesses’.

"In this situation we understand that the John Roan School must become a sponsored Academy and that the RSC must find a sponsor for the school."