ALMOST a third of children from the Rickmansworth area applying for secondary education last year did not get allocated a place at any of their chosen schools.

Figures from Hertfordshire County Council reveal that 46 children out of 163 did not get offered a place at a school of their choice as opposed to 117 who did.

In comparison, 1,050 children in Watford applied for places at secondary schools.

Of those, only 193 were not offered one of their chosen schools, as opposed to 857 who were.

The two areas are within four miles of each other but in one, children have about a 19 per cent chance of not getting into their chosen school and in the other that rises to about 30 per cent.

Leader of Three Rivers District Council, Ann Shaw, said: "It's appalling and confirms our suspicions that it's worse here than in the rest of the county.

"It's absolutely disgraceful, very disappointing and very dissatisfactory."

Councillor Shaw said at a meeting of parents from the Rickmansworth area last week that in the north of the Hertfordshire, 90 children did not get into their ranked schools, 185 in the west and 186 in the east.

She said that in south Hertfordshire, 337 children did not get into any of their chosen schools.

Parents of children applying to secondary school must rank their three chosen schools in order of preference.

If they are not offered a place at any of these schools, the county council must find them a place at a school within Hertfordshire.

The majority of parents in the Rickmansworth area apply for their child to get a place at either St Clement Danes School in Chorleywood, Rickmansworth School or Westfield Community School in Watford.

Few put down either John Penrose School in Harefield or Chalfont Community College which are the closest options and therefore are the most likely to take them on grounds of proximity.

Executive member for education, Hertfordshire County Councillor Robert Gordon, said: "Far be it from me to tell any parent which school they should choose but they do themselves no favours by not putting down the closest option.

"I'm not saying it's right but that's the way the system works."

The result of this system is that children in the Rickmansworth area who do not get a place are often sent to Bushey Hall School an estimated three hour round trip by public transport.

Mr Gordon said that the county council only has the power to set the admissions policies of Westfield and Francis Combe Schools as these are state owned.

Other schools in the area are all voluntary aided institutions, which under current law set their own admissions rules.

That is why they are able to select by ability and proficiency.