Plans for the first 'new' grammar school in the country for 50 years have taken another step forward... with rival bids being sent to the government.

The Valley Invicta Trust, which consists of the Invicta Girls Grammar and the nearby non-selective Valley Park School, has formally submitted its application to the Department for Education to run the new annexe in Sevenoaks.

So too has the Weald of Kent grammar school, which unexpectedly entered the race to act as the school's sponsor in May.

Kent County Council favours the Invicta Trust scheme and believes it represents the best option for its bid to address a shortfall of nearby places in Sevenoaks.

Dr Philip Limbert, the chief executive officer of Valley Invicta Academies Trust, said it was now a question of waiting and seeing, but that the trust had received widespread public support during an eight-week long consultation.

"It is out of our hands now but we do think we have a genuinely good bid," he said.

The school had submmitted a 240-page document setting out how it would run the grammar satellite school.

Sarah Shilling, who, along with her husband Andrew, masterminded the public campaign calling for extra grammar school provision in Sevenoaks, said: "We do not know how long it will take but we hope it is sooner rather than later."

The campaign group strongly backs the Maidstone bid and has been highly critical of the Weald of Kent school's late interest.

Any delay in a decision from education secretary Michael Gove could have a knock-on effect on KCC's intention to open the annexe by September 2015.

The demand for extra grammar places follows long-standing concerns about the lack of a grammar in Sevenoaks and the pressure on spaces available at existing selective schools in west Kent.

According to county education chiefs, about 3,000 children from Sevenoaks have to travel outside the district.

About 1,000 pupils travel to Dartford, 1,300 to Tonbridge and 700+ to Tunbridge Wells.