Sprowston High School will not become an academy on September 1, it has emerged.

The school consulted parents and the local community last year about becoming an academy - a taxpayer funded school that is independent of the local council - and is planning to join the Right for Success Trust.

Right for Success is based at Eaton Hall Specialist School in Norwich, and took over Sewell Park College when it became an academy last September.

Sprowston had been expected follow suit on September 1 this year, having received government approval to convert in March.

However, its proposed opening date is now listed as December 1 on the Department for Education's (DfE) latest list of schools that are in the process of becoming academies.

Headteacher Andrew John said: 'The DfE has made the decision regarding the date itself, and the school is going through the normal due diligence period in readiness for conversion with the Right for Success Academy Trust, as stated on the DfE publication.

'We are on track to convert later in the autumn term.

'There isn't any 'slippage' as we continue to work with the trust and the local authority to complete due diligence matters.'

In March, the Evening News revealed that Sewell Park was making a number of senior and support staff redundant to avoid a potential £500,000 deficit in 2016-17.

The school had blamed its financial difficulties on falling pupil numbers, and mistakes in calculations made by Norfolk County Council in the run up to its conversion.

At the time, the council said it had acted in good faith.

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