Chadwell Heath school loses Michael Gove academy challenge
A legal challenge to a school being converted into an academy, against the wishes of many local people, has been rejected by the High Court.
Education Secretary Michael Gove decided in May that the troubled Warren Comprehensive School, in east London, should become an academy.
The governing body of the 1,285-pupil school, in Chadwell Heath, led the bid to block the decision.
But a High Court judge has now rejected all the grounds of challenge to it.
Mr Justice Supperstone concluded that he was "entitled to take a different view to those who responded to the consultation".
Mr Gove is proposing the Warren should become an academy sponsored by Loxford School of Science and Technology in nearby Redbridge.
He decided to make an academy order under the Academies Act 2010, taking the school out of the hands of the local council.
The school was placed in "special measures" by Ofsted because of its poor performance, but its results have been improving.
The Warren's governing body carried out a consultation on the school's future.
Of the 431 responses, 85% were in favour of the school remaining under local council control in a new federation with another local school, while only 15% were in favour of the school becoming an academy.