AROUND 300 children, parents and teachers at a Tottenham school being forced into becoming an academy recorded a campaign song yesterday.

The group at Downhills Primary School in Philip Lane learned and recorded the song – called Save Our School – SOS to common sense – in a few hours after classes finished at 3.30pm.

The track was composed by people who came to the school’s winter festival last month, and musician James Redwood, of Elmar Road, who wants his four-year-old son Arthur to go to the school.

Lesley Moorse, of Tottenham Community Choir, whose members helped yesterday, said: “It was great, the recording went really well and the kids really enjoyed themselves.

“It sounded fantastic in the school hall with a live band, and it was a great opportunity to show people what these kids can do with the free music lessons Downhills offers to children after Year 2.”

Many parents who have spoken to the Haringey Independent during the campaign have praised the music and art provision given by teachers.

Governors at the school, which was given notice to improve by Ofsted last year, have been given a deadline of January 20 to commit to becoming an academy, or face an interim board of governors being imposed by the Department for Education.

But the school has launched a legal bid to stop the change and has given Education Secretary Michael Gove until Wednesday to respond to their letter warning him they will go to court.

Yesterday’s song recording – which will be uploaded to YouTube – was followed by an international food buffet, with parents from the school’s many ethnic backgrounds bringing in dishes.

Ms Moorse added: “One of the many things I love about Downhills is occasions like this where the children can eat, appreciate and experience new things from other nations.”

Tottenham MP David Lammy, who is supporting the campaign, has arranged a debate in Parliament at around 6pm tonight where the issue of forced academies will be discussed.

Campaigners at Downhills argue that Mr Gove should wait until Ofsted inspectors visit the school in two months to see if it is improving before pressing ahead with the plan, but the Conservative minister has branded the group “ideologues happy with failure”.