A FAILING local authority school will officially become an academy on Monday.

Prestwich Arts College will be part of the Rowan Learning Trust.

Chief executive officer Phil Rimmer has written to parents to confirm the conversion date and thanked them for their support in”unprecedented” times.

But campaigners who opposed the forced academisation of the school, due to an “inadequate” rating by education watchdog Ofsted, say there is “huge disappointment” over the decision to progress during the pandemic.

The school will remain open to students who have been eligible to attend school throughout the lockdown – but there are no plans to reopen any further as a result of becoming an academy and no longer being under council control.

Its name will stay as Prestwich Arts College until the end of the academic year but the school in Heys Road will officially be renamed “The Heys” after that.

Former pupil Josh Harcup led the campaign against academising the school.

He said: “I’m absolutely devastated at the academisation of Prestwich Arts College.

“I’m even more devastated that the Rowan Learning Trust and Department for Education forced a community school into academisation during a pandemic.

“Prestwich Arts College to me wasn’t just a school. It feels like home. Prestwich Arts College is also a family.

“I have amazing memories at Prestwich Arts College, I’m proud of the school and I truly hope that one day schools are returned to local democratic control.

“It’s proven by evidence that academisation has failed students.

“Our children are not commodities and our schools shouldn’t be cash cows.

“I’m glad that for a little campaign that was hugely underestimated, we made a huge impact.

“I’m glad that we were able to stand up and put up a great fight for pupils’ education.

“I’m saddened that the Rowan Learning Trust didn’t listen to the school community and forced us into this.

“I’ll continue to hold the Rowan Learning Trust to account and won’t give up on the students and staff at Prestwich Arts College.”

The school was initially due to be converted into an academy on April 1 but the date was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The regional schools commissioner said the academisation process would be reviewed in association with all appropriate stakeholders but confirmed the conversion date as June 1 despite calls to delay the process until December.

Speaking in April, Bury South MP Christian Wakeford said he supported campaigners’ calls to move the date for the formal conversion until December.

The newly-elected MP said he is “broadly supportive” of academies but agreed with anti-academy campaigners that the process should be halted.

Mr Rimmer said the trust will now plans to start the first of three phases of “much-needed” improvements to the school buildings this summer.