A NORTH Yorkshire school has confirmed it is to become an academy this year.

The chair of Easingwold School has written to parents to confirm that Outwood Grange Academies Trust will become the school’s sponsors when it starts its new school year in September.

In his note to parents, Neil Hawkins has also included a letter from Outwood Grange which states that the academy trust will “work quietly behind the scenes” this term to prepare for the transition of Easingwold School to academy status to avoid any disruption for students and staff during the examination period.

The interim team, which is led by executive headteacher Rob Pritchard, long-standing head of St John Fisher Roman Catholic High School in Harrogate, will continue to take the school through to the end of term, supported by current governors and North Yorkshire County Council.

Pete Dwyer, North Yorkshire’s Director of the Children and Young People’s Service said: “Our priority remains for young people at Easingwold School to have access to high quality teaching and learning and we are confident that excellent progress is being made by staff and the current interim leadership team.”

The secondary school was placed in special measures last year after Ofsted concluded it had not improved enough since inspectors rated it as requiring improvement in 2012 and 2014 and as a consequence would have to be run by an academy.

But last year parents accused the Outwood Grange Academy Trust of imposing a zealous regime and overly-strict behaviour policy which could see expulsions soaring in an area where children can’t easily access alternative provision, while taking away teachers’ autonomy and cutting links with the community.

A decision to introduce a new uniform, just months after the school was criticised for forcing parents to buy branded trousers, has further incensed parents.

Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT), made up of 21 academies across the North, said the trust had received a “positive response” from a large majority of parents who voted for OGAT to work in the school and pointed to its track record of raising standards in other schools, which have been rated Outstanding by Ofsted.