KENT County Council is planning to increase the provision of grammar school places in the west of the county to meet demand.

The problem has arisen because the number of successful Kent test applicants are unevenly distributed across the county.

West Kent's grammars are also restricted by government policy not to allow England's 164 selective schools to expand.

KCC leader Cllr Paul Carter said the overall number of grammar places in the county could be kept stable by reducing the provision at grammar schools in the east of the county where there are surplus places.
Results published this month showed that 5,113 children passed the Kent Test this year, although there will only be 4,458 places available in September 2010.
But 993 of the successful candidates actually live outside Kent, mostly in East Sussex, and they are seeking places at schools in the west of the county.
Cllr Carter (Con) said: “Our proposal is nothing radical - we’re not changing the status quo.
“Between 24 and 25 per cent of year six students will take up a grammar school place. We have a massive pressure on places in west Kent but at the same time we are struggling to fill places in east Kent. That’s not sensible.
“We’ve got to alleviate the stress on west Kent and the only way to do that is to adjust the demand side in the west of the county and slightly reduce places in the east of the county.”
The Government’s official position is to encourage successful schools to expand, but it has specifically excluded grammar schools from that because of its doctrinal objections to selective education.
However, KCC’s planned changes would not take effect until next September, when it is possible a Conservative government may be in power.