A MULTI-academy trust has been accused of failing to communicate with parents over the removal of a nursery from Halesowen’s Manor Way Primary School.

It is also claimed only one governor at Manor Way was privy to the negotiations and that other governors have written a letter of objection to the trust which runs the school.

The Windsor Academy Trust (WAT) has refused to comment on the claims that staff, including chief executive officer Keith Sorrell, have not returned calls.

But angry father-of-two Paul Jaep said: “My calls have not been returned. They are not interested in talking to parents at all.

“I am also told that only one governor was involved in the discussions with the pre-school and that others have written to complain that they were kept in the dark.”

He said WAT and the school “continued to spout the line that the pre-school turned down their offer to join the academy trust.”

The school became part of the multi-academy trust last autumn and in January the pre-school group, which has been based at Manor Way for more than 30 years, was told its rent was being increased from £2,800 a year to £25,000.

The non-profit making charitable pre-school was then invited to join WAT and it was whilst waiting for answers to questions about that a deadline was invoked and the school terminated its lease.

Manor Way headteacher Dawn Betteridge and WAT insist the pre-school was “nor prepared to join with us”.

But in a statement, the pre-school said: “At no point have we decided not to become part of the WAT.

“On the advice of unions we have been waiting for a reply to our questions regarding the transfer process, including staff terms and conditions.

“Despite numerous meetings with the school whereby we have fully co-operated with providing all information requested, the school served notice to us to leave at the end of term.”

The pre-school is hoping to relocate to alternative premises, but the school has also announced plans to run its own nursery from September.