Oakbank School had a 'positive' meeting with government officials about its lost sports-college status, it has been revealed.

Head-teacher John Roberts, sports teacher Helen Plimmer and governors' chairman Mark Curtis met with Department for Education and Employment officials and specialist sports-college representatives in London on Friday.

The prestigious status was revoked in July by schools minister Estelle Morris. A police fraud investigation was launched after 'irregularities' in the school's original bid for the accolade - and the sponsorship raised - were thrown up in an audit. Since then the police investigation has been dropped and Mr Roberts revealed the 'irregularity' was failure to ask permission to build a fire escape on a new science block. This was reported to the authorities by Elizabeth Mitchell, the school's finance manager, who has since resigned.

From the beginning, staff and governors have protested their innocence. The London meeting was to further their cause.

Mr Curtis says: "It was a good meeting - they listened to the case on both sides. It was very positive, with everybody trying their best to come up with a solution."

The school will receive a written report within a fortnight of the DfEE's findings following the meeting. "They are going to reconsider and go over any facts and figures - we are asking them to have another look, " says Mr Curtis.

When a decision is ann-ounced, governors will have the opportunity to respond.

A DfEE spokesman says: "The meeting was useful. We listened carefully to what they had to say. Their views will be taken into account and we hope to be able to get back to them shortly."

A final decision on whether the status should be restored will be made in the first week of December.

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