SURREY County Council has come under fire from angry parents this week after a change in the intake system for secondary schools has resulted in pupils living "a stone's throw" from Weydon School being turned down for a place next September. Parents have complained that they were left in the dark over a change in admission policy favouring feeder schools, which has left many children from non-feeders, such as St Polycarp's Primary School, unable to go to their nearest secondary school. Other parents, who have children in feeder schools were also refused places as Weydon was oversubscribed, being offered instead schools as far away as Camberley. Letters went out to prospective pupils last week, bringing relief for an agonising wait for some and shattering the dreams of others. Roger Hart, who has a daughter currently attending St Polycarp's and refused a place at Weydon, has called on Surrey County Council to reverse the changes made to the intake system. "We only found out at the 11th hour when it was far too late that my daughter couldn't go to Weydon because she goes to St Polycarp's," he said. "Even though we live within a 10-minute walk of Weydon we will now be going in the opposite direction and this whole fiasco just proves the feeder school system doesn't work." He went on to say that Surrey County Council, acting as the local education authority, has got the hopes up of parents in feeder schools who may have had little chance of getting in to Weydon under the old system. "Surrey has caused great anxiety to a group of children living next to the school who now can't get in." Lawrence Henry, headteacher of St Polycarp's School, recognised the problem faced by parents of those refused a place at Weydon. "We're a stone's throw from Weydon and always send a few children there each year as part of our normal transfer," he said. "This change has disadvantaged those parents who would wish their children not to transfer to All Hallows but to go to Weydon instead." MP for South West Surrey Jeremy Hunt has sympathised with parents this week after receiving letters urging him to help with their cause. "I appreciate the disappointment and concern felt by parents about their children not being given a place at the school of their choice, particularly if it is the nearest one to their home," he said. "The current admissions process fails badly because it prevents so many children getting into their first choice school, which is why we are currently looking at major reforms to the school system." While parents of children in non-feeder schools have been let down by what many see to be a very sudden and unannounced change, some of those with children in feeder-schools have also been affected. One mother, who expected her son to get into Weydon as he currently attends South Farnham School, a feeder school for Weydon, told The Herald that she was "extremely upset" after being offered a place at King's International College in Camberley. "He's not going to Camberley, that's just ridiculous," she exclaimed. "We live about a five-minute walk from South Farnham School but we were offered a school in Camberley. I'm not accepting what I've been offered because as far as I'm concerned he's going to Weydon come hell or high water." She went on to say that she was told by Weydon that they had suffered over-subscription from feeder schools this year and had to fall back on proximity. "It's so stressful and it must be for all the parents out there who thought they would have no problem because they're in the feeder school system." Weydon School has said that it is "aware of the stress and anxiety" surrounding admissions but the school has received more applications for places than previous years. A spokesman for the school said: "I hope parents will understand the situation and it is still early days in the process. We are delighted that so many parents want to send their children to Weydon School but unfortunately we do not have the capacity to take everyone who wishes to come here. "This year we have received more applications than ever before and we will be offering additional places between March and August as parents change their minds or move away from the area." The school stressed that last year it was able to offer approximately 60 additional places and it will be offering a waiting list from March 17 so that parents can call on a daily basis. A spokesman for Surrey County Council said: "We do have sympathy with parents who have not had their children allocated to their first choice school. However, some schools are very popular and we know we are not able to please everyone. "There is a two-week period for parents to refuse or accept their school offers and we expect more places to be available at the end of this process. This will allow us to work with individuals to resolve any issues." Parents will be able to establish their current position on the waiting list by logging on to the school's own website at http://www.weydonschool.surrey.sch.uk">www.weydonschool.surrey.sch.uk.