DOZENS of parents picnicked on the green in Scarcroft Road to discuss the South Bank schools academies plan.

About 70 parents met to talk over plans to unite South Bank school Millthorpe secondary with two of its feeder primaries, Scarcroft and Knavesmire, in an academy trust, opting out of local authority control, yesterday afternoon after a week of consultation meetings at each school.

Scarcroft parent Jonny Crawshaw, who lives off Scarcroft Road, and has a daughter at the school and a son who is a prospective pupil there, was one of the event organisers.

He said in addition to the parents and prospective parents who turned out, the Labour York Central MP Rachael Maskell and councillors Johnny Hayes and Denise Craghill also attended.

Mr Crawshaw said: “Overall I think people feel underwhelmed by the plan so far. We were waiting for this big clinching argument and it doesn’t seem to have materialised.

“I think we all feel that there has been a lot of information to digest and the half-term holiday will be a welcome break to think it over it and come back ready for three further weeks of consultation.”

As The Press previously reported, earlier in the week parents handed in hundreds of signatures calling for a council-run vote on the issue.

A six-week consultation is currently under way, with parent events being held at each school.

In a statement, the three head teachers – Anna Cornhill at Scarcroft, Adam Cooper at Knavesmire Primary School and Trevor Burton at Millthorpe – said: “We know that there are questions and concerns that many will set alongside the advantages we will present, and these deserve close examination. We have no doubt governors will do that.”

Governors will conclude their consultation on June 19, and will make a decision shortly after.

Other schools in York which have already become academies include Archbishop Holgate CE Secondary, Manor CE Secondary and Poppleton Ousebank Primary, along with Haxby Road and Robert Wilkinson primaries.