A group representing parents of school age children in Rickmansworth is welcoming proposals to increase the choice for those applying for secondary education.

At present, parents of children in Hertfordshire are given three choices of secondary school when their offspring leave primary education aged 11 years old.

However, those in neighbouring counties are given six choices, something which the WD3 School Action Group argues puts them at an advantage.

The county council is now proposing an increase in school choices for Hertfordshire children, from three to four and is holding a consultation.

The school action group is campaigning for new schools and for more choices to help avoid a proposed shortfall of secondary places in the WD3 postcode.

Chairman Mark Sutton said: “Allowing our children to apply to four schools is a move in the right direction to ensure children living in Rickmansworth are in the running for a place at a local secondary school of their choice.

“Alone this change will not solve the horrific lack of access to local, high quality and non-selective education facing our community; we absolutely need more schools too.

“However, we are pleased to see the council attempting to give our children a more equal playing field with children from out of county who can apply to our schools.”

The group is holding a public meeting at St Peter’s School, Church Lane, on Wednesday, January 18, to explain the impact of the change and to update residents on the progress of the new schools campaign.

Information on sites short-listed by both the county council and Three Rivers District Council as proposed locations for a new school will also be available at the meeting, which begins at 8pm..

Carolyn Venn, deputy chairman of the group, said: “We have to keep up the noise level and continue to fight for new schools for our children in Rickmansworth. HCCs revised forecasts show that the current reception year is going to be at least 320 places short of access to a local secondary school place.

“That’s the equivalent of 11 classes of children who will not be able to go to a school of their choice near their home in just a few years’ time and a huge percentage of these children will live in Rickmansworth.”