TOTTENHAM MP David Lammy has said he is “very happy” after Education Secretary Michael Gove backed down from trying to force academy status on a primary school.

Mr Gove has ordered Ofsted to carry out an inspection of Downhills Primary School before any attempt to force it into becoming an academy, after parents and teachers launched legal action against the Department for Education.

Mr Lammy said: “I am very happy Michael Gove has heard the governors’ demands for the chance to be able to show the improvements made at Downhills.

“And we are certain that any fair inspection by Ofsted will show just how far this school has improved.”

The former Downhills pupil raised the issue in Parliament last week, labelling the academy plan “fundamentally undemocratic”.

The school had been given a deadline of Friday to commit to the change and find a sponsor, or face an interim board of governors being imposed by the Department for Education. But the current governors argued this was illegal and warned they would seek a judicial review.