The principal at Esher College has pledged to review its admissions policy following an unprecedented number of applications and complaints from disappointed parents.

When applications opened on June 16 the college was receiving about 200 applications, delivered by hand, each hour, and by the end of the day it had received 1,600 forms and closed off applications to non-Elmbridge residents.

Parent Marcus Foster has described as unfair and open to abuse the first come, first served policy for people outside of the borough.

He got his son’s application in at 6.20pm and was horrified to hear he was at 114 on the waiting list as the 900 non-Elmbridge places had already been allocated.

He said: “If you are a working parent, or your post comes late, you are prejudiced from the day the form arrives.

“It would be fairer if all applications were stuck in a bin and picked at random. At least they all have a chance that way.”

Mr Foster also accused parents of fraudulently signing forms because of the number of applications handed in while pupils were in school, unable to countersign them.

Principal Keith Blackwell said the college was not a police authority and it had to assume all parents were being honest.

He had heard stories of parents taking the day off work to get the form in, intercepting their post in the morning or going to their children’s schools so they could countersign them before the end of the day.

Mr Blackwell said: “When we sent them out this year, it went mad. We’ve had a tidal wave of applications.

“We will be reviewing it in light of what’s happened but it’s very difficult to know what to do.”

Commenting on the high application numbers, Mr Blackwell said: “Success creates its own challenges.”

Mr Foster threatened to take the matter to the Learning and Skills Council, the Department of Children, Schools and Families and the local ombudsman.

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