by political editor Paul Francis

Grammar schools in Folkestone and Dover could be forced to cut pupil numbers under controversial plans to expand selective schools in west Kent.

County education chiefs intend to reduce pupil numbers at the four east Kent grammar schools and transfer them over to over-subscribed west-Kent schools. It is not clear how many places could be lost.

Headteachers of the two Folkestone grammar schools this week denounced the plan and complained they had not been consulted. They also rejected claims they had spare places to hand over.

Kent County Council wants to tackle the problem of rising demand for places in west Kent grammar schools, caused mainly by a huge increase in applications from outside Kent.

But Tracey Luke, principal of Folkestone Girls Grammar School, said the result could be that local children missed out.

She said: "We have been full every year in recent years and have never been below our admission number by more than one or two children, so we see no sign of falling rolls. Until we actually do, it would be the wrong to take places out of Shepway...it would not do justice to children in our area."

Bill Wright, the principal of the Harvey Grammar School for Boys, questioned KCC’s forecasts that pupil numbers were on the decline. "If we lose places now, we will never get them back," he said.

In a letter outlining the county council’s plans, Cllr Sarah Hohler (Con), cabinet member for childrens services, said: "We know rolls will fall in secondary schools in Shepway and Dover and we also know there are more grammar school places available than there are pupils who are assessed of grammar ability. In order to redress the balance, we intend removing some of the surplus grammar places in Dover and Shepway."

And a statement from KCC added: "There is no set date for a review of admission numbers across all schools in Dover and Shepway but this is considered for each school entering the Building Schools for the Future programme. "