STAFF and parents are set to march this morning in protest against a primary school being turned into an academy.

Demonstrators will meet at the school gates at Moulsecoomb Primary School and march through Brighton to the Level from 10am.

It was announced last month that the Pioneer Academy would take over the school.

The Hands Off Moulsecoomb Primary campaign group say 96 per cent of parents are against an academy takeover.

The group stated in a post on Facebook: "Staff have taken strike action four times to prevent it, the council want to keep it as a local authority school, our MP supports us, and the community have repeatedly made clear that we oppose the move.

The Argus: Parents and campaigners blocked the gates of Moulsecoomb Primary School earlier this week to stop academy officials entering the buildingParents and campaigners blocked the gates of Moulsecoomb Primary School earlier this week to stop academy officials entering the building

"But the government is persisting with their privatisation plans and wants The Pioneer Academy from South London to take over our school by September.

"If The Pioneer Academy takes control of one of our of schools in Brighton & Hove, they might try to take over others in the future.

"We need to show the privatisers and the fat cat academy bosses that Brighton & Hove says NO to academies."

Disruption and delays are possible as the protest moves through the city today.

There will be speeches from staff and parents and Lloyd-Russell Moyle MP, among others.

It comes after the chief executive of The Pioneer Academy, Lee Mason-Ellis, had his car blocked in when he visited the school on Thursday.

His planned visit to the school earlier in the week was abandoned after a three-hour stand-off with parents and campaigners who had locked the school gates.

On Thursday he visited the school, but he found his Mercedes-Benz in Selsfield Drive, opposite the school, had been blocked in and covered with anti-academy posters.