by political editor Paul Francis

A row has broken out over the claim that more children passed the eleven-plus exam last year as a deliberate ploy by Kent County Council.

That claim has come from County Hall’s opposition Liberal Democrats who said KCC had deliberately allowed the percentage of pupils passing the Kent Test to rise to 28 per cent last year instead of the 25 per cent normally permitted.

But the ruling Conservative administration has flatly denied the charge and says the figure was wrong.

In a statement, Cllr Sarah Hohler (Con), KCC cabinet member for education, said:"By the end of the process last year 26.5 per cent of children were assessed as suitable for grammar school.

"This year the number stands at 26.4 per cent. As the size of year groups changes and as parental preferences change the balancing of grammar places to meet demand will also change from year to year."

With about 16,000 children going to secondary school, a one per cent increase in those going to grammars is the equivalent of about 160 additional pupils.

Cllr Hohler said the council’s policy of identifying the top 25 per cent of pupils based on ability had not changed.

About 20 per cent of places are allocated on the basis of whether pupils had passed the 11-plus but that figure increases after headteacher assessment appeals.

KCC recently signalled its desire to increase the number of grammar places available at some of its heavily over-subscribed and most popular schools in west Kent. These come under additional pressure because of applications from children outside the county.

Council leader Paul Carter said he was examining whether places that were unfilled in other parts of the county could be "re-allocated."

But Cllr Trudy Dean (Lib Dem) said KCC could not complain about lack of places when it was responsible for creating additional demand for them in some areas.

"It’s a bit rich to complain of overcrowding if they deliberately fixed a pass mark which had exactly that effect.

"We already have more schools which fail to reach Government standards than any other county because of our selective system. The more children who are sent to grammar schools, the more difficult it is for the rest of the schools, which three out of four children attend, to deliver a high standard of education."