Parents have challenged plans to share their village school's leadership with other schools after being told headteacher Catherine Greenwell is leaving.

Around 50 attended a meeting with academy bosses in Baltonsborough, questioning why they had not been consulted before the changes were announced.

Mrs Greenwell is due to leave Baltonsborough Church of England Primary School at the end of term. The Academies for Character and Excellence trust plans to appoint an executive headteacher working across schools, alongside a head of school responsible for Baltonsborough's day-to-day running.

ACE says the arrangement will give school leaders more support and has the backing of the Local Advocate Board. But its response to Nub News did not explain what consultation took place before the announcement or how much time the executive headteacher would spend at Baltonsborough.

Families say they want to protect the relationships and teaching approach that have helped their children settle and gain confidence.

Eight households contributed to a document, Baltonsborough School: Our Story, which was handed to the trust at the meeting before half-term.

One family wrote: "At our previous school, refusal, crying and anxiety happened several times a week. Here, our children are finally happy to go to school."

Another parent said: "Catherine Greenwell isn't just a headteacher. She is there every day, developing relationships with my children."

The document urged ACE: "Please recognise what is already working and protect it. Improvement should not mean stripping away a school's identity."

Parents pressed trust bosses to explain why they had chosen shared leadership, what other options they had considered and how they had supported staff, according to councillor Claire Sully, who attended the meeting.

She said ACE chief executive Nick Hind told families Mrs Greenwell had decided to resign before the new structure was proposed. He said she was not leaving because of a reorganisation and had been offered another role within ACE.

Parents also challenged the trust over an adviser's visit to the school before her resignation. Cllr Sully said the Local Advocate Board's chair acknowledged the visit had been "not handled well" and had written to ACE "in the strongest possible terms".

Mrs Greenwell has not publicly explained her reasons for leaving.

ACE did not answer questions from Nub News about the adviser's visit, when she resigned or when the new leadership structure was agreed. It also did not confirm whether she had accepted another job within the trust.Responding to the concerns, Mr Hind said: "We understand that the parent community at Baltonsborough Church of England Primary School cares deeply about the school and shares our commitment to ensuring the very best outcomes for its children. We welcomed the opportunity to meet with parents in the week before half term to listen to their views.

"As promised, we will be meeting with parents again during November and will also be writing to them with further information about how the trust supports its schools, as requested.

"At Academies for Character and Excellence (ACE), all decisions are made with the best interests of children at heart. We want to strengthen the school by increasing the leadership support available to it, an approach that is supported by the Local Advocate Board.

"Many of our smaller schools have leaders who also have teaching commitments and we want to provide them with greater capacity to balance their classroom responsibilities with the wider leadership and management of the school.

"We recognise how important continuity, strong relationships and a nurturing environment are to children and families at Baltonsborough. We hugely value our leaders and all our staff, and the excellent work they do to support children every day. Any plans are intended to build on these strengths, not change the school's ethos or the quality of care and support pupils receive. We will continue to work closely with the school to ensure every child, including those with additional needs, receives the support they need to flourish academically and personally."

Cllr Sully said she had written to ACE about communication and transparency and shared her concerns with Sarah Dyke MP. She has offered to chair further discussions between parents, the local board and the trust.

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