PARENTS of children who failed the 11-plus but were told they could get into a grammar school after taking a second “unofficial” test may now lose the chance of a place.

County education chiefs have warned parents who had been told by Sittingbourne’s Highsted Grammar School places would become available in September that the school was acting outside statutory admissions arrangements.

As a result, any suggestion made to parents that their child could be offered a late place was technically invalid.

KCC’s intervention follows the Kent Messenger’s exclusive story that 11-plus failures were receiving unofficial offers from Highsted provided they passed a second test.

Parents are now being advised their only chance lies with challenging the local government ombudsman over the way their original appeals were dealt with.

It is the latest twist in a saga which has seen Highsted under fire for encouraging fresh applications from 11-plus failures to ensure a full complement of pupils in September.

The school, which is facing a shortfall of pupils, was forced to abandon inviting children to sit second tests after our story prompted the intervention of the local education authority.

KCC has now written to every other grammar school in the county warning them that they are not permitted to offer places to children who either failed the 11-plus and lost appeals.

Dr Ian Craig, KCC’s assistant education director, said the council had made it clear to Highsted it must stop second testing. He also stressed that parents’ options were limited.

“If parents have a real complaint about the appeals process, they can complain to the local government ombudsman,” he said.

Those who had hoped for a place at Highsted had all been allocated places elsewhere, he added.

KCC’s initial analysis had indicated there were few inconsistencies in the way Highsted appeals were dealt with when compared with Borden Grammar School, said Dr Craig.