PARENTS reacted angrily today (Tuesday) when they learned their children would not be moving to the secondary school they all believed they were going to. The angry mood was reflected by parents who currently have children at Knebworth Primary School afte

PARENTS reacted angrily today (Tuesday) when they learned their children would not be moving to the secondary school they all believed they were going to.

The angry mood was reflected by parents who currently have children at Knebworth Primary School after they were informed they had been allocated places at Thomas Alleyne School in Stevenage and not Barnwell School.

Mother-of-three and music teacher at the primary school, Sam Jellett, 34, of Deanscroft, Knebworth, said: "Parents are furious. Barnwell is our closest school and not one child will be going there. This decision is outrageous and we will fight it.

"There will be a big protest against the decision by the county council's education authority and hopefully we can change their minds and extra spaces will be found for the village children at Barnwell."

Cllr Keith Emsall, the county council's executive member for education, said: Although a few parents may be disappointed with the school they have been allocated I would encourage them to have a look round before dismissing it."

A representative from the admissions and transport department at the childrens schools and families unit at Herts County Council will be meeting with parents at Knebworth School on Monday night at a time yet to be confirmed.

A member of staff at the school said: "We will be supporting parents as much as possible."

Allocation figures released by Herts County Council today show the number of children who got their first choice of school in Stevenage was 860 with 66 getting their second choice and 29 their third choice out of 979 applications.

In North Herts, 1,183 children were placed in their first choice school, 151 in their second choice and 38 in their third choice out of 1,408 applications.