Dorking St John's primary school to be academy
A primary school in Surrey is to leave local authority control and become an academy.
The Diocese of Guildford will set up an academy trust to sponsor St John's Church of England Community School and Nursery in Dorking.
The diocese said staff and parents had been informed of the change which was expected to happen by September 2013.
Chairman of governors David Rowles said below-target results from Sats tests at the school had improved.
The Department for Education (DfE), which has approved the status change, considered academy status would accelerate the process, Mr Rowles said.
Ofsted rated the voluntary controlled church school as satisfactory in 2011.
Diocesan director of education, Canon Derek Holbird, said: "We have been rigorously vetted by DfE officials to ensure that the diocese has the capacity to continue to support the school to raise standards and bring about both rapid and sustained improvement."
He said the school would be working in partnership with Esher Church of England High School, which had been judged as outstanding by Ofsted.
Parents will be invited to a series of meetings at the school to hear about proposals.
The Diocese of Guildford currently has statutory oversight of 86 Church schools across Surrey, London and Hampshire.