ABOUT 1,000 children have failed to be given a place at any of the secondary schools they applied for under new admissions arrangements adopted by Kent County Council.

However, education chiefs say most students in the county have secured a place at either their first or second choice of school.

About 18,000 letters informing parents of the outcome of their applications were sent out by KCC on Monday. It is the first year the county council has acted as the "clearing house" for applications.

According to education officials, of the 16,231 Year Six pupils applying from Kent, close to 13,000 have been offered their first preference.

A further 1,453 have been offered their second preference and more than 90 per cent have been allocated a place at one of the three schools on their list.

However, around 1,000 have been told they were not successful in any of their applications and have been offered a place at their nearest appropriate school.

For many, this could mean the offer of a place at some of the county's weakest schools such as the Ramsgate School or Folkestone's Channel School although the system of re-allocation may free up some places elsewhere.

In addition, about 250 parents of children in the Dartford will not learn where they have a place for some weeks. This stems from the fact that the Leigh City Technology College is not part of the local education authority and it allocates places separately.

As a result, some parents will have been offered two places and until KCC finds out how many places are relinquished, it is unable to offer pupils a place anywhere.

There was some better news for those parents who chose a non-selective school first but whose children passed the 11-plus.

KCC says it expects the estimated 350 who fall into that category should now be able to secure a grammar place through the appeals system.

It had originally been thought they would have to wait until September for their applications to be dealt with, but after discussions with Government officials, that may no longer be the case.

Although the scheme imposed on KCC by the education secretary Charles Clarke does not allow for "mind changing," parents can expect to have appeals upheld so long as there are spare places at its 33 grammars.

KCC says it is impossible to say how many parents will choose to appeal over their applications.

Cllr Leyland Ridings, cabinet member for schools organisation, said the figure could be "anywhere between 500 and 1,500."

Parents have until March 22 to appeal and re-allocation will take place on March 30.