An extra class has been created at a popular Coventry secondary school, but parents’ proposals to change the admissions policy have been rejected.

A petition was produced by mums and dads in the catchment area for Coundon Court school calling for action after some youngsters in the area were denied a place in September.

To relieve the situation an extra form has been created at the popular school, bringing the number of classes in year seven to ten.

But education officials have stressed that this is a one-off to get around the current problem as the school’s infrastructure could not cope with a permanent increase in numbers.

Parents have been moving to the area near the school in Northbrook Road to get their pupils into the catchment area.

Some residents have produced a petition calling for the admission to be restricted to children living in the catchment area in the September before they were due to start at the school.

And they have also suggested that preference be given to children who do not live near other schools.

These ideas were rejected out of hand today by Cllr George Duggins, cabinet member (Education Services).

He said:

“When we are setting admissions policies we are not setting them just for Coundon Court, we are setting for the city.”

Cllr Duggins said that imposing a qualifying date of a year on children going to the school would be “grossly unfair” and could lead to legal challenges from estate agents, solicitors and parents.

He added that the idea of moving children living near other, less popular schools, would also not work.

Cllr Duggins said;

“You would get a position where people believed that they were in the catchment area but would be prevented from sending their children to Coundon Court because they happen to live near another school.”

Cllr John Gazey (Con, Bablake), who presented the petition on behalf of the concerned parents said:

“There’s widespread disappointment that they haven’t had positive representations from the council. We are asking for a bit of new research and a new policy.

“We feel your officials have said ’We’ve made this decision and the problem will go away in a few years’.”

But Cllr Duggins said catchment areas for the whole city were constantly under review.

He added:

“We do keep an eye on these trends year on year and have an obligation to outline trends in the catchment are to the board of governors.

“They are not set in tablets of stone with dust on for ten years.”