A WIRRAL grammar school at the centre of a legal threat over its suspended headteacher is to abandon its trust status.

Calday Grange will sever formal links with trust partners University of Liverpool, Unilever and Maestro Services Ltd after little more than a year.

Furious parents last night accused the school of “failing in its legal duty” to keep them informed after only learning of the plans in a hastily written letter penned after the Daily Post sought an explanation from chair of governors Margaret Twemlow.

The move marks the latest controversial development at the top performing school.

Recent problems prompted 20 parents to send a joint open letter to the Daily Post demanding governors bring a swift resolution to the suspension of headteacher Andrew Hall who has been off duty since October.

Last night Mrs Twemlow declined to address concerns raised in the parents’ letter (Letters: P20) or explain why they now wanted to dissolve Wirral’s first school trust status, trumpeted by Mr Hall during its launch in January, 2009 as something that would “enhance the education experience of all students”.

But she quoted the letter sent to parents which revealed the governors had “cause for concern about the formation of the trust and the benefits it could deliver to Calday”.

School solicitors were asked to look into the “legality of the trust” and held the “strong view” it should be dissolved as it was “not properly constituted” – something Mrs Twemlow said “remains under debate” with trust partners.

If the trust is not dissolved on legal grounds the school will revert to its former foundation school status after “full and proper consultation”.

Among those putting their name to the open letter expressing concerns about Calday was Dr Melita Gordon, a senior lecturer and consultant in gastroenterology at the University of Liverpool.

She said parents were repeatedly “kept in the dark” by the governors over Mr Hall’s continued suspension and the reasons for it.

The school had also failed “to post the full list of governors with their affiliations on its website, despite our repeated requests for them to do so” or release minutes of governors’ meetings “which should legally be available to us”.