The new preferred sponsor for Shene School’s academy bid was revealed as Academies Enterprise Trust today.

The announcement came after months of uncertainty over whether the plan to reopen the Park Avenue secondary as an independent school run by sponsors in 2010 was in danger of losing its Government funding.

A ministerial decision has yet to confirm Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) as the new lead sponsor but Richmond Council, which will act as co-sponsor, is optimistic approval will be given before the end of August.

AET currently runs three academies in Essex, all of which opened in September last year.

Director of children’s services and culture at the council, Nick Whitfield, said “a specification for a high quality school” had been developed over recent weeks and was confident AET would work with parents “to shape a more detailed shared vision for the future of Shene”.

He said: "Over recent weeks I have met with parent-governors, chairs of governors and headteachers of nine local primary schools to discuss the sort of secondary school they want to see at Shene.

“We narrowed down an initial long list of potential sponsors provided by the Office of the Schools Commissioner - and tested a short list of two particularly strong sponsors against the specification.

“Both sponsors showed real strengths, but AET were able to demonstrate more clearly that they have the skills and experience to build quickly and efficiently upon the recent improvements at Shene - and meet the ambitions of families for an outstanding school in the area.”

However, Conservative opposition poured scorn over the unveiling of AET within hours of the news being announced.

Their deputy leader, Councillor Geoffrey Samuel, said: “The council had a wonderful opportunity to bring together the whole community, to provide time for reflection, to allow stakeholders to participate in the selection of a sponsor.

“That would have enabled a launch with the whole-hearted assent of everyone.

“But they did not.”

He believed a stakeholder tour of AET’s existing academies should have been arranged to assess “the quality of their provision”.

Both Susan Kramer, MP for Richmond Park, and Paul Mason, founder of the Parent Promoted Foundation for Barnes, Mortlake and Sheen, said the community need to be involved to ensure a successful future for Shene.

Ms Kramer wants to see educational institutions brought in to work with the school - it is believed the council will name at least one school, college or university to fill such a role later this year.

Mr Mason warned the decision to chose AET had been made too quickly and described the timing of the announcement, when many parents are away on holiday, as “crazy”.

To learn more about AET visit academiesenterprisetrust.org.