A KENT school is taking on the county council in a row over admissions arrangements that mean it gives priority to parents who make it their first choice school when applying for places.

Canterbury High School says it wants to continue operating a policy that means applicants who name it first stand a better chance of getting a place there.

But Kent County Council education chiefs have lodged a formal objection over the policy and complained to the Schools Adjudicator, who will have to rule on the dispute.

The education authority claims the school’s policy is unfair and unreasonable because it limits parental preference and compels parents into making "tactical preferences."

That is a reference to parents whose children sit the 11-plus test but have to apply for a place before they know whether they have passed.

However, governors at the school insist KCC’s position is nonsense beause, in its case, only six applicants last year forfeited a place to take up one at a grammar school.

In a letter setting out its case, chair of governors Debbie Wells says KCC’s stance is absurd, contradictory and that most parents support the school.

"The issue is simple. The governors would rather offer places to the children of parents who really want to send their child to the Canterbury High School. KCC would rather the governors did not.

"The whole basis of Kent’s argument is that grammar schools are better than high [non-selective] schools..any confusion for parents is because Kent insists on running an education system that most of the country abandoned years ago."

The school has carried out a survey of parents in which more than 80 per cent supported its policy, according to deputy headteacher Brian Wickham.

Kent County Council believes Canterbury High’s policy breaches recent rulings by the Adjudicator against schools elsewhere in the country who have "first preference first" policies.

It has argued that for parents whose children are taking the 11-plus have "difficult decisions to take that are made more complex when their local schools give priority to first preference applicants and are regularly over-subscribed".

Canterbury High says that gives greater weight to grammar school applicants rather than children who genuinely want a place there.

The verdict of the Schools Adjudicator is expected to be known in a few weeks and is likely to be watched with interest by around 29 other Kent secondary schools who operate a similar "first preference" policy.