A second new school will need to be built in Three Rivers area to help plug a burgeoning shortfall in student places.

Funding has already been agreed for a new school to be built in the WD3 postcode since it was announced that by 2015 an additional 259 places would be needed.

However the forecast made in 2010 predicted 12 whole school years would be needed, and this has now increased to a potential shortfall of 16 school years by 2026.

Carolyn Venn, deputy chairman of campaigners The WD3 School Action Group, said: “The message from the county council is that the demand for school places was such that we need two schools, not one.

“The county also said they won't provide the education, they will build the school, but in terms of running it, it will be opened up to tender.

“It could be a free school, a faith school or an academy, and central government will decide who is going to run it.”

A company called Reach Learning is also proposing to build a school with four forms of entry to help fill the gap by September 2013.

Ms Venn added: “After that we would need another school, Reach could expand or we could have a different free school provider come in.

“2016 is when the population really starts to take off, any slippage in building schools is going to affect this community enormously.”

In early 2010 campaigners celebrated the news that some of an £82million budget would be spent on the first new school fore the area.

Three Rivers District Council will begin a consultation on Monday about where the new school should be built, with an aim of opening in 2016.

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.

Carolyn Venn, deputy chairman of the group, said: “This is a unique problem to this corner of Hertfordshire.

“The extra choice will make an enormous difference because out schools are partially selective, meaning there are entry exams.

“When you rank your schools you have no idea how your child is going to do, you need extra places to put schools down that are further afield.

“If you don't get one of your ranked schools, all the council is obliged to do is find you a place in a school and because our schools have no places, the children are sent miles away.”

Parents unaware of this problem in the 2008/09 entry found themselves stuck after 397 children in Three Rivers and Watford did not get a ranked school choice.

In 2011/12 in Rickmansworth, only 87.6 per cent of children were given a ranked school, and only 58.6 per cent were given their first choice, the worst rate in Hertfordshire.

Ms Venn said: “We have to keep up the noise level and continue to fight for new schools for our children in Rickmansworth.

“The county council's 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.”