UNHAPPY parents in Oakley are hoping to force education chiefs to change their policy over school catchment areas.

The Oakley Parent Action Group is holding a meeting with county council education chiefs on Wednesday.

Many pupils at Oakley Church of England Junior School, in Oakley Lane, have traditionally moved on to Testbourne Community School, in Whitchurch.

However, due to rising numbers at Testbourne, as a result of an increase in population in Overton and Andover, fewer Oakley pupils are gaining a place there and are being forced to go elsewhere.

Under the regulations operated by the Local Education Authority – Hampshire County Council – children who live in a school’s catchment area are given preference during place allocation.

Oakley pupils fall within the secondary catchment area for Cranbourne Enterprise College, in Basingstoke, but parents say they are not happy with the school and would like to see the catchment area changed.

A parent at the school, who declined to be named, said: “The pressure group was set up last year as a direct result of only 52 per cent of pupils getting into their first-choice school.

“We would like our children to be able to go to Testbourne, but we’ve been told by the county that won’t be possible. We do have concerns about Cranbourne.

“We’re looking at other schools as options, such as Costello and Everest, and we just want our children to be happy and go to the best school available to them.”

As previously reported, Cranbourne has this year received only 85 applications in which it was listed as first choice when it has a total of 260 places.

If the Oakley parents are successful in forcing a catchment review, the earliest date at which a change could be implemented is September 2011.

Wednesday’s meeting will be attended by Councillor David Kirk and Basingstoke and Deane Council leader, Cllr Andrew Finney. Cllr Kirk is executive lead member for children’s services (education) at Hampshire County Council and Cllr Finney is ward member for Oakley and North Waltham on the borough council.

Cllr Finney said: “The parents have expressed concerns about Cranbourne and the system has also led to peer groups being split up. We’ve organised a series of meetings to look at what are the issues and what are the options.

“I think it’s unlikely, given the demand for places at Testbourne, that it will become a catchment school, but we’re working to provide the children with the best possible education available.”

Cranbourne head teacher Betty Elkins said: “When I joined the school three years ago, the relationship between Cranbourne and Oakley was not as good as it had been but we’ve worked really hard and have forged strong links.

“I see this as an exciting opportunity to see what Oakley parents want and how to move forward.”

A spokesman for Hampshire County Council said: “Catchment areas are rarely changed although, on occasions where there is a change in the local circumstances, for example, a new school being built, catchment arrangements can be revised.

“The executive lead member for children’s services at Hampshire County Council has been in conversation with the Oakley Parents Action Group since summer, 2008.

“This group has asked for consideration of a change to the secondary school catchment for children living in the Oakley Junior School catchment.”

The meeting will be held at Oakley Church of England Junior School at 8pm.