Parents at an elite state school dubbed the 'socialist Eton' have threatened legal action over plans to join a multi-academy trust after Ofsted issued it with a termination notice amid reports of a culture of 'fear, favouritism and inequality'.

Holland Park School in Kensington, west London, was issued a termination warning notice last month after its Ofsted rating dropped from 'outstanding' to 'inadequate'.

It came after a report into historical allegations, commissioned by the school's governors, uncovered safeguarding breaches and ‘exploitation within teacher-student relationships'.

It also found ‘very little support' was provided to students after traumatic events such as the Grenfell tragedy, and that ‘public humiliation' or shouting was used as a behaviour policy. 

The Department for Education subsequently said the school would not close imminently and the way forward was via a trust if improvements were made.

The government named United Learning Trust as its preferred academy to run the school due to its 'proven track record of school improvement'.

But parents at the school have now sent a letter to academies minister Baroness Barran arguing that the government is trying to force the school into a multi-academy trust 'without the proper involvement of the wider school community', reports.