Since Northamptonshire County Council revealed its intention for the secondary school in Booth Lane South, the Chronicle & Echo website has received a flurry of emails from students appalled by the plans.

Student Faysal Biobaku said: "I think turning the school into an academy will be a bad idea because the school is making such a good progress and to change the school will cause teachers to leave, causing chaos. All students are against it and I think it will be better if students are consulted on their views."

Meanwhile the joint chairman of Weston Favell Student Council, Joe Archer, said the body was polling 1,300 students on whether they want the school to become an academy in September.

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He said: "The students I am working with in the council are incredibly passionate and dedicated to getting everyone's opinion across and they will fight for what the students, as a whole, believe in.

"The counting of the ballot papers is not complete but the results so far are: 10.8 per cent of students are for and 89.2 per cent are against academy status in September."

Headteacher Dr Tracey Jones said she welcomed any student feedback on changes to the school.

She said: "We are interested in all comments on the proposal and we are aware of the ones on the website which are completely unsolicited.

"We know and have given permission for the school council to hold a ballot among themselves.

"However we are in the early stages of this proposal; it's not a done deal. There is a process where they, along with community members, will have an input into the changes and that will be in a consultation."

A consultation is expected to take place in the new year if a Statement of Intent, a document containing a formal expression containing the changes proposed by the county council, is accepted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.