AN ESSEX headteacher is facing a call for her resignation from a group of more than 100 parents and grandparents. Jacky Froggatt, head of the Harwich School, has been asked to step down by the Parents Action Group, an organisation made up of concerned local people worried about the progress of their childrens' education.

By Roddy Ashworth

AN ESSEX headteacher is facing a call for her resignation from a group of more than 100 parents and grandparents.

Jacky Froggatt, head of the Harwich School, has been asked to step down by the Parents Action Group, an organisation made up of concerned local people worried about the progress of their childrens' education.

The move came after an Ofsted report found standards there “inadequate” and gave it notice to improve.

Yesterday Sandra Green, a spokeswoman for the 120-strong group, said its members did not feel Miss Froggatt should continue at the school.

In a statement she said: “The recent Ofsted inspection of The Harwich School has now formally highlighted concerns that we as an Action Group have held for the last three or four years.

“As a group we feel that the findings of the Inspectors have merely scratched the surface of the serious problems within the school.

“Our group was originally formed by just a few like minded parents who were unhappy with the way the Headteacher was leading the school, together with the steady decline in standards, for instance exam results, behaviour and truancy.

“In recent months, since going public, we have been inundated with telephone calls from other concerned parents and we are now nearly 120 strong in number, all parents and some grandparents who wish to have their voices heard before it is too late for their children.

“We in no way blame the teaching staff, who we have found to be hard working, and we know are dedicated in providing a sound education for our children.

“We support them all in the fact that they needed to take industrial action earlier this year, we understand why they had to do this.

“It is our feeling that the Headteacher should now seriously consider her position, and would hope that she would have the good grace to step aside.

“We have now agreed as a group, that our next step will be to seek legal advice, as we believe we must take action now, before it is too late.”

The recent inspection found problems in the sixth form including progress declining steadily for several years, leadership and management being unsatisfactory and weak mentoring and review arrangements.

In a letter given to every student, lead inspector Stephen Grounds said a lot of things had been found that the school could be pleased about.

But it has been given notice to improve and could face harsher measures if changes are not made.

Nobody at the Harwich School was prepared to comment when contacted.

However, the school's chairman of governors Steve Fender said: “This is a difficult period we have got to work through.

“The headteacher and the staff at the school are working hard to address the issues in the Ofsted report.”