The council has defended the attendance of meetings about a plan to turn Shene School into an academy after parents claimed people were not showing up.

A formal consultation on the plan to turn the Park Road school into an academy, an all-ability school run by Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), began last month and five meetings have been held so far.

The Barnes, Mortlake and Sheen Parent Promoted Foundation (PPF), a coalition of parents working to make sure there is “excellent education” in the area for their children, sent out a rallying call last week urging all residents to attend the meetings as “turnout [so far] has been poor”.

But a Richmond Council spokesman said of the five meetings that had been held up to Tuesday night, two had been well attended – with 60 people at a meeting at Shene School and 70 at one at East Sheen Primary School – but three others less so.

He added: “There is no particular area of concern for us, we are working through the process.

“We have no concerns about the level of attendance at the five consultation meetings.”

Paul Mason, from the PPF, reiterated the call for everyone in the area to go to the meetings, which run into next week.

He added: “It is important people get to hear the plans, we have got to be heard.

“This is about creating a community school, people who don’t have children there now – or businesses – it is worth their while attending.”

Mr Mason said about 200 people attended a meeting organised by PPF with representatives of AET earlier this month.

He said: “PPF is a community group.

“We want to build bridges between the community and the school.

“Now is the moment we have to bring real progress, we hope we can work with AET, that’s our aim.

“Working with us and AET, hopefully the community will support the school.”

The consultation period will run until February 19. For more information visit richmond.gov.uk/academies_ consultation.