PARENTS of pupils at a Basingstoke school are today in the dark over its future after the headteacher and fellow governors took a secret vote.

The Gazette understands that on Tuesday night, the governing board of Everest Community College, in Popley, voted by a small majority to press on with a bid which would see the school become an academy.

However, yesterday, headteacher Julie Rose and chairman of governors Stuart Green did not return our calls when we tried to contact them to confirm the decision – and another governor said he had been asked not to say anything.

The wall of silence means it is not clear when the parents, and wider community, will officially be told the outcome of Tuesday’s vote.

The Gazette understands that just seven governors of Everest Community College were present at the crucial meeting, and only five voted in favour of the school joining the Academy Enterprise Trust (AET).

Tuesday evening’s vote came at the end of a month which has seen local Labour councillors campaign against the conversion of Everest to academy status. They have asked a series of questions, which they say remain unanswered.

Hundreds of local people have also signed a petition, objecting to the school moving away from the control of Hampshire County Council – the local education authority.

On March 3, the governing board voted, in principle, to move ahead with consultation on an academy status bid. As reported in The Gazette, the final decision on whether or not to submit a bid to the Secretary of State for Education was due to be taken on Tuesday.

However, Julie Rose, headteacher at the school in Oxford Way, Popley, yesterday refused to speak to The Gazette about the decision – and the other governors were asked not to reveal the outcome or talk about it.

The Gazette was unable to contact Stuart Green, chairman of governors, who did not return our calls.

John Perrin, an associate parent governor, told The Gazette: “I can’t tell you. I have been asked not to say anything.”

And Martin Nurse, a local education authority governor, added: “I can’t make any statement.” He said an Ofsted inspection, which was taking place at the school this week, was the “priority” for Ms Rose.

Hampshire County Council has also refused to tell The Gazette what decision has been taken, despite a senior member of the council being present at the meeting before the vote was taken.

Labour borough councillor Paul Harvey also addressed governors at the meeting, where a lawyer was present, but Cllr Harvey was asked to leave before the academy decision was made.

He told The Gazette: “I talked about how the community has been kept out of the process but had shown their strength of feeling in a petition which has been signed by more than 400 people.” He said just 28 people attended various consultation events organised by the school, and added: “That’s a real concern. We still don’t know what becoming an academy will mean for the children.

“I raised concerns about the AET but the headteacher interrupted me very rudely halfway through and said I only had five minutes left. She was obviously upset and didn’t want me to say what I said to the governors.

“Academy status isn’t the answer. Good leadership, quality teaching and a governing body that challenges is what you need for a good school. The headteacher was head down and hellbent on making this decision.”

Referring to the vote, and the cost of building the new school which opened in September 2007, Councillor Laura James, Labour group leader on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, told The Gazette: “I think it’s exceptionally worrying that a very small group of people can determine the outcome of a £27million investment of taxpayers’ money, without answering the questions that we asked of them.

“The decision wasn’t made by the full governing body but a very small group, and it wasn’t unanimous. It shows total disregard for everyone else. What’s the rush?

“We also have grave concerns about the lawyer who was sitting there during the evening. Who funded that and why was she there?

“A small group of people have chosen to give the school away. It’s all been done behind closed doors – what has happened to openness and accountability?”