An under-fire head teacher at the centre of a probe into a failed academy plan has spent an away day at a plush country manor with school governors.

Jane Robinson, who led an unsuccessful bid to convert Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School into an academy, was joined by members of the governing board at Eastwell Manor in Ashford, which bills itself as offering “quality without compromise”.

The group also heard a speech from Kent County Council’s corporate director of education, Patrick Leeson, and enjoyed a buffet dinner and drinks at the luxurious venue.

It is understood the development workshop lasted about six hours, finishing at 8pm.

The event was held amid an independent investigation by Prof Ian Craig, England’s former chief schools adjudicator.

He is probing a flood of complaints about the way in which Langton leaders conducted the process to form a multi-academy trust with the non-selective Spires Academy in Hersden.

Interviews have taken place, including with Mrs Robinson, and some parents and staff called as witnesses.

Parents have reacted with fury to the away day, with Kerry Gregory, who has a daughter at the school, claiming it goes against the openness and transparency promised by KCC and the new governing body.

“The trip to Eastwell Manor looks like it’s back to business as usual, secret meetings and keeping parents in the dark,” she said.

“Meanwhile, we are buying text books for our daughter, she’s lost many of her highly qualified teachers just as she is starting her GCSEs, and yet there’s money in the budget for a trip to Eastwell Manor at this time of crisis at the school.”

Richard Davis, who also has a child at the school, called it an “utter disgrace”.

“It’s a hugely embarrassing further example of school finance mismanagement, to be spending incredibly precious school money to ‘entertain’ staff, school governors and KCC officials,” he said.

“The head teacher is presently subject to a very serious independent inquiry of more than 200 serious allegations and this is money that should have been spent on improving the text books, failing heating system and facilities for our children, not for ‘corporate jollies’ at Eastwell Manor.

“This meeting should have been hosted at the school, where it would have been completely free of charge.”

The governing body confirmed the school picked up the £875 tab for the event, but it is not known if this figure included a rumoured bar bill.

Asked to justify the choice of venue and cost of the day, the school’s governing body chairman, Alisdair Chisholm, failed to even mention the event in a statement released through KCC.

He said: “The new governing body is working closely with the entire senior leadership team, with all determined to further the ambitions and achievements of our fine school.”