Around 100 parents, children and councillors protested outside a school to fight against it becoming an academy.

Families with children at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School in Wanstead gathered outside the governors’ annual general meeting last night to try to stop the school from being taken away from local authority control.

Former chairman of governors Greg Eglin also resigned as a governor at the meeting in protest at the governing body’s handling of the situation.

The Government has issued an order allowing for the school to be taken out of Redbridge Council’s hands and for its management be taken over by the Diocese of Brentwood, the Catholic body that oversees the area.

Vicky Taylor, who has two children at the school in Year 1 and Year 2, helped organise the protest.

She said: “We have been kept in the dark, as the diocese have forced academisation on the school. This is unacceptable to me as a parent and a Catholic.”

Cllr Paul Donovan, of Wanstead Village ward, said: “The number of people here tonight is demonstration enough against academisation. When are the diocese and school management going to start listening?

“It is clear that the diocese thought they could quietly pass the academisation process through with the minimum of fuss.

“This campaign and others across the East London boroughs show just how strong the feeling of parents, children and teachers are against these proposals. When will the Church start to listen?”

Also there on the night, Cllr Elaine Norman, cabinet member for children and young people, said Redbridge Council will oppose academisation “wherever it raises its head across the borough”.

She told the protesters to take heart from the successful campaign to stop the academisation of William Torbitt Primary School in Newbury Park.

A poll conducted amongst 206 parents found nine people (four per cent) in favour of the school’s academisation, 48 per cent opposed and 32 per cent felt they had not been informed properly.

A spokesman for Brentwood Diocese said: “The decision taken by the bishop to support the move to full academisation follows a consultation process that was started three years ago. This was done to safeguard the future of Catholic education in the diocese and move in line with the Government’s policy on academisation.

“The diocese and the schools have consulted widely with both parents and staff and the proposals have proved largely popular.

“The process of academisation is now fully underway and we are working closely with the Department for Education and our Catholic schools, supporting them through this transition.”