The principal of Melksham Oak Community School is to leave in the summer following changes being made by the Swindon-based multi-academy trust that runs the school.

The White Horse Federation is understood to have told parents in a letter that Haris Hussain is leaving the school in July when the summer term ends, having only been its principal since September.

He is to be succeeded by David Cooper, the head teacher of the 1,211-pupil Devizes School, who will become executive headteacher for both schools.

It comes as the board of governors at the Melksham school have been dismissed and to be replaced by another board.

MP Michelle Donelan is to attend a crisis meeting with the school’s leadership team on Friday afternoon, April 26.

A spokesperson for The White Horse Federation said: “We are pleased to have announced that Devizes School and Melksham Oak Community School will be led jointly by an Executive Headteacher from September 2024.

“Each school will have its own Associate Headteacher reporting directly to the Executive Headteacher.

“This new structure will help strengthen leadership capacity at both schools so they can work together more closely, sharing best practices and offering a wider curriculum including a joint sixth form.

“Mr David Cooper, currently the headteacher at Devizes School, has been appointed as the Executive Headteacher of Devizes School and Melksham Oak Community School.

“Mr Haris Hussain, who currently leads Melksham Oak Community School, will move to another leadership role within the trust in September.

“Further details on leadership appointments will be announced later this term.”

Cllr Jon Hubbard, a Melksham town and Wiltshire councillor, was one of seven governors of the school dismissed by email on Friday, April 19 without any prior warning.

They are being replaced by three members of an Interim Academy Board (IAB) appointed by the Trust.

The removal of the governors follows heavy criticism of the academy in recent months from parents over the running of the school.

Parents have complained about staff shortages resulting in cancelled lessons, poor communication between the school and parents, and the high number of detentions being given for minor indiscretions.

Cllr Hubbard says the number of pupils being given detentions, suspensions and permanently excluded from the school has skyrocketed since September.

He also expressed concerns about under-resourcing at Melksham Oak, saying the White Horse Federation is “trying to squeeze a quart out of a pint pot”.

"It is falling apart. I think it remains to be seen exactly what it ends up as. There have been some problems there for some while.

"On Friday last week, the board of governors all got an email saying our services were no longer required. On Tuesday, they got rid of the head teacher, who has been offered another leadership role within the Trust."

Cllr Hubbard, who had been a governor for three years, said he had been "booted off" the Trust's computer system and no longer has access to figures for detentions, suspensions and exclusions.

"There are challenges perhaps with pupils but I think the larger challenge is that they are trying to squeeze too much resource out of the school, so the school is under-resourced. 

"I think they have got some brilliant teaching staff who are really committed and they are increasingly being asked to deliver a quart out of a pint pot.

"We were never allowed to see anything to do with the finances but I would love to see how much the White Horse Federation takes out of the money the school gets."

The White Horse Federation has been asked to comment on the other issues raised but has yet to respond.