PARENTS whose children failed the 11-plus are to be given another chance to appeal for a place at a Kent grammar school.

The parents of 24 students have been told that their unsuccessful appeals for places at Highsted Grammar School in Sittingbourne can be re-heard.

However, the eleventh-hour chance to re-appeal for places at Highsted may come too late for some. Children return to school this week but the appeals will not be heard for three weeks.

It is thought that not every family will take up the chance and there is no guarantee that parents will be successful second time around. Officials responsible for managing the appeals process say the move is a gesture of goodwill and they believe the panel’s original decisions were correct.

The latest development follows the Kent Messenger’s revelation in July that 11-plus failures were receiving unofficial offers from Highsted provided they passed a second test.

County education chiefs stopped the school from doing so because governors were acting outside its statutory admissions arrangements and after neighbouring schools complained.

However, a number of parents complained to the Local Government Ombudsman and he suggested to KCC that new appeals be held.

In a statement, KCC confirmed the Ombudsman had recommended that parents be allowed to make fresh appeals - a decision it welcomed.

“All unsuccessful applicants for Year 7 places at Highsted will receive letters from the Panel Administrator early next week to arrange new appeal hearings,” KCC said.