Prince Henry’s Grammar School is preparing to become an academy despite “over-whelming” opposition from staff.

Councillors have also questioned the statement of intent to convert to academy status, which governors at the Otley school approved – at a third vote on the issue – last Tuesday.

Prince Henry’s head teacher Janet Sheriff believes the specialist language college could enjoy educational and financial benefits by becoming a new-style academy – a publicly funded independent school.

But the National Union of Teachers (NUT) says staff are “entirely opposed” to the proposal, and that those feelings were made clear to the governors.

Mrs Sheriff said: “From the information gathered so far it seems academy status could help maintain all that is good about Prince Henry’s and also provide opportunities for us to progress further in our ambition to improve our educational provision.

“However it is important to note that a final decision has not been made."

Find out more about this story in the relaunched Wharfedale Observer this week.