A founder of a school due to be shut down says the closure will be devastating for the community.

People close to John Loughborough Seventh Day Adventist School, in Holcombe Road, Tottenham, fear for their community if the school is closed as part of proposals from Haringey Borough Council.

Following a review by Haringey Council and the church, it was decided to consult on the possible closure of the school after it was found it did not meet the required educational standards and has not done so for some time.

Roy Smith, from the friends and founding members of John Loughborough School group, said: “If the school was to close it would be devastating for the community.

“The Christian values are very important to the school, pupils and the parents and we don’t want to lose that.

“The school is a place where the children feel they belong and they are taught in a way which is important to their parents.

“The closure will also hurt the education of the pupils currently at the school. We are going to fight tooth and nail for our school and we don’t want to see it close.

“The school needs more time and it needs to be open longer so changes which have been put in place can take effect.”

The school was founded by members of the community in 1980 as an independent school with the aim of providing a Christian education and help raise the academic achievement levels of the black community.

In 2008 following the controversial dismissal of headteacher Dr June Alexis standards at the school began to drop, with Ofsted placing John Loughborough in special measures in 2011.

From the October 1, the council has been consulting about the proposed closure and whether there is any way the school could remain open.

Governors from the school are currently looking to for an academy sponsor to take over the school which will mean it will not have to close.