PARENTS of children at a Cinderford school say they do not recognise it as the same place as that portrayed in a highly critical inspectors’ report.

They will join staff and pupils from St Anthony’s Free School in Flaxley Street to march to the town centre on Friday to show their support and post letters to the Department for Education (DoE) amid fears Whitehall could close it down.

Staff are calling on the community to line the streets in support as they march down Belle Vue Road after leav-

ing school at around 1.45pm to the Triangle.

The school has been in special measures since 2015 and the latest ‘monitoring report’ from Ofsted rates it as ‘inadequate’ across the board.

At a recent meeting in London, the head and governors were told

by education minister Lord Agnew that the Department of Education is “minded” to close the school.

If the DoE does go ahead with the proposal to close the school, local people will have just 15 days to make representations.

Among the areas deemed ‘inadequate’ is leadership, despite the fact that headteacher Lorna Middleton has only been in post since September and the report states that she is tackling the root causes of the problems that have dogged the school.

The report states: “The current headteacher has a clear understanding of the school’s failings and what is required to bring about the urgent improvements necessary.

“Action plans prioritise the right areas to be tackled in a determined fashion. Self-evaluation is honest. Poor performance is now being addressed systematically.”

Parent Sophia Allen said: “We don’t recognise the school in the Ofsted report.

“St Anthony’s is a caring school, our children are thriving there and Mrs Middleton has done a brilliant job since she arrived.

“The report is a snapshot of a situation that is not representative of what is happening now.”

A letter signed “the staff of St Anthony’s School” says: “To raise awareness of our plight and fight, we aim to organise a march by

our incredible children from school into the centre.

“We want the Cinderford community to line the streets and cheer us on.

“We want other schools to march with us.

“If you care about choosing which school our Cinderford children go to... if you care about the little cog in the big machine... if you care that distant of-

ficials are taking thoughtless swipes at the Forest community, then please join us.”