Parents have condemned the allocation of secondary school places as a farce and a lottery.

A third of pupils at one primary school were not offered a place at any of their preferred secondary schools, parents claim.

Parents at Madginford Park Junior School, in Bearsted, near Maidstone, say that up to 35 out of 94 children were not offered places at any of their four chosen schools.

At Staplehurst Primary School 12 out of 46 children did not get any of their chosen schools – described as “the highest number it has ever been” by head teacher Annemarie Bolt.

The situation was the same for seven out of 29 at South Borough Primary School, in Maidstone.

Kent County Council claims that only five per cent of pupils did not get a place at one of their four chosen schools.

But Madginford Park Junior School mother Joanna Bisson said her son Jack, 11, asked for four schools in the Maidstone area, but was offered a place at Swadelands, in Lenham. She plans to appeal.

Another Madginford parent, Natalie Scott said her son Joshua, 11, had been offered a place at the New Line Learning Academy, which she claimed “does not have good results academically”. She also plans to appeal.

The junior school’s head teacher, David Day, was unavailable for comment.

At South Borough Primary School, Susan Henderson, of Willington Street, was outraged when her daughter Katie, 10, missed out on her preferred schools of Cornwallis Academy and Valley Park.

She was offered a place at the New Line Learning Academy.

But she said she had concerns about the school, including “the way the pupils behave and the swearing”.

The school says it has a good reputation for well-behaved pupils.

Karen Jeffery, of Tovil Mill, Maidstone, said her daughter Aimee, 10, was “absolutely distraught” after hearing she was going to her fourth choice school.

Mrs Jeffery, who is appealing, said: “To hear that Kent County Council is very happy ... I am gobsmacked. What a farce.”

Michael Little, from Penenden Heath, said his son Thomas, 10, failed to get into any of the four schools selected.

Mr Little, a detective constable, said: “The whole thing is a lottery.”

Cllr Mark Dance (Con), KCC’s cabinet member for education, said 95 per cent of pupils had been offered a school of their choice.

He said: “For the remaining five per cent I completely understand their frustrations.

“My best advice would be to get an appeal by March 26 and get on the waiting list.

“In the vast majority of cases there’s enough movement to provide children with an acceptable option.”

Have you had similar problem? Write to Kent Messenger, 6&7 Middle Row, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1TG or email messengernews@ thekmgroup.co.uk