Parents are set to take their battle for a better school places system to county hall next month.

A date of July 19 has been set after families won their right for the issue to be debated.

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition to improve Kent’s education system after 51 families from Bearsted and Grove Green missed out on all of their top three choices.

The School Allocation Trouble action group (SAT) needed to hit its signature target to secure a debate in front of Kent County Council.

The disappointed mums and dads’ aim is to increase the size of reception classes at Madginford Park Infant School, Thurnham Church of England Infant School and St John’s Primary School in Grove Green – which were all heavily oversubscribed.

The fight has received support from KCC leader Paul Carter, who is the elected county councillor for the area, Bearsted parish council, and from other affected families across the town.

Katie Smith launched the campaign with her sister-in-law Liz Slavik-Smith after her four-year-old daughter Isabelle missed out on all three of her preferred schools.

The mother-of-two said: “The support has been fantastic and we really hope that it works as it is so important that local children go to their nearest schools.”