GOVERNORS at a Shoebury primary school have been fired...despite being praised in an Ofsted inspection.

Southend East Community Academy Trust sacked the Thorpedene Academy Committee from the Shoebury school because relationships were “obstructive and difficult”.

The decision was taken after Ofsted inspectors visited the school in mid-June and rated the school as ‘Good’, also noting the impact of the governors.

However, in a statement on the school’s website, the Trust said the relationship between it and the governors had “broken down”.

As a result, the Trust took the “unprecedented” decision to remove the governors “after much consideration and deep sadness”.

Maurice Sweeting, chairman of the academy trust, said: “We oversee six schools, and each has an individual governance body, but we have to work as a Trust.

Governors claim the decision to remove them is “unfair”

“The relationship was getting more and more obstructive and difficult, we just couldn’t communicate. No one wants to reach that position.

“If the message of the organisation is not received and understood, and they fight back against it, that is where the relationship and communication breaks down.

“The Ofsted report states that the governing body fulfil their responsibilities well, which is something I do not agree with.”

The Trust is now inviting other people who have interest in being a governor to get in touch. It hopes to have a new board of governors by the end of the year.

Mr Sweeting added: “We are totally committed to local governance and it has got to be put back in place for it to work.

“We installed an advisory board as soon as it happened, and we have set a target of having a new governance installed by October half term this year.

“I have been told that is ambitious, but we remain dedicated to having it resolved in the first term of the new school year.”

Despite their removal, Ofsted’s report into Thorpedene School stated: “Governors fulfil their responsibilities well and have a secure knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.”

The report stated that the school had made use of the benefits of being part of the Trust since September 2016, and that the curriculum was “broad, rich and lively”.

It added: “The profile of reading has risen significantly.

“Teachers have been able to share their good practice and complete shared checks on assessment across the schools, which has supported improvements in the quality of teaching and learning.”