SCORES of anxious parents of children at Halesowen’s Olive Hill Primary School signed a petition demanding a meeting with governors to air their grievances.

Leading the call was mother-of-five Michaela Daniels who had been pressing for 18 months for change at the school, which she had come to love.

She spoke fondly of her 20-year association with Olive Hill which had taught four of her children, the youngest of whom left for high school in July.

But she claimed relations between headteacher Tess Jordan and parents had soured in recent years and claimed there was “an atmosphere of ill-feeling and nastiness.”

Nearly 70 parents signed the petition collected over two days earlier this year over issues including a lack of communication between the school and parents, low morale amongst staff, the redundancy of a “very highly regarded and respected deputy head” and concern over falling numbers and unhappiness amongst parents.

The intake at reception is set at 60, but in 2008 pupil numbers had dropped to 35, although they have risen to 50 this September.

Mrs Daniels, of Maple Road, said: “I am here to support the teachers. They are a good lot and they are a good bunch of kids. It’s a shame to see them going through this because they don’t deserve it,” she said, adding: “It’s bound to have an effect on the kids. If you have happy staff you get the best out of them - they will go the extra mile.”

She said Mrs Jordan responded to the parents’ petition by holding a series of meetings with a small group to try to overcome their concerns.

But Mrs Daniels felt it necessary to write to the chairman of the governors Peter Brady highlighting seven issues, including that communications remained a problem, in June and then, still dissatisfied. complained to Dudley Council, but did not receive a reply.

“It used to be a school that you would be proud to be part of,” she said and spoke of it being a “tight-knit” community until recent years.

Mrs Daniels claimed the school’s reputation had declined in recent years and catchment-area parents were choosing to send their children to alternative schools.