PARENTS of pupils at a secondary school placed in special measures say they are livid by the “the aggressive approach of a Draconian academy” which is taking over its management.

Outwood Grange Academy Trust, which has been given the go-ahead to run Easingwold School - which is in a rural area of North Yorkshire - has been accused of imposing a zealous regime, suited to other schools it runs in inner cities.

The school, whose former pupils include Sir Clive Woodward and ex-Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester, was placed in special measures last month and, as a consequence, will have to be run by an academy.

Ofsted concluded it had not improved enough since inspectors rated it as “requires improvement” in 2012 and 2014.

Parents claim the trust has moved to launch an overly-strict behaviour policy which will see expulsions soaring in an area where children can’t easily access alternative provision, while taking away teachers’ autonomy, axing the school house system and cutting links with the community.

A decision to introduce a new uniform, just months after the school was criticised for forcing parents to buy branded trousers, has further incensed parents.

One parent said: “We are calling on management to pull back on plans to rush through changes which are being bulldozed through without proper thought or according to government guidelines.”

Thirsk and Malton MP, a former pupil and governor at the school, said he had visited one of the trust’s other schools and had been impressed by its holistic approach.

He said the trust, which runs another academy in Ripon, was a proven provider which had a strong reputation for discipline and he wanted to talk to them about “unnecessary exclusions”.

He said: “It is time for change, the school has not been performing as it should. We would be letting the children down if something wasn’t done quickly.

“Ripon College was rated as satisfactory in 2011, but since Outwood has taken it on it has been rated outstanding.”

The trust did not respond to requests for a comment.