Skipton'S Ermysted's Grammar School has 11 unfilled places for the new academic year but won't be offering them to local boys.

Instead the school has advertised for boys from Lancashire to fill the vacancies for year seven in September - to the fury of many parents in and around Skipton.

Only six boys from the whole of Skipton successfully passed the admission test before Christmas.

Many who were deemed "not suitable for a grammar school education" in Skipton were deemed "suitable" for the grammar school in Ripon, having sat the same exam.

An advert appeared in papers covering Nelson, Colne and Barnoldswick last week offering boys the chance to take the selection test for the 11 places which had previously been offered and not accepted at Ermysted's.

When asked why no advert had been placed in Skipton, headmaster Tom Ashworth said: "I believe that the boys in Skipton will have had the opportunity to take the test. They have been through the procedure and if the procedure did not end up with them getting a place it would not be feasible to offer them another test."

Mr Ashworth said that it was the local education and school policy not to allow boys to take the test twice.

This year 48 parents from Skipton appealed over test results but those boys just below the pass mark will not be offered the spare places - they are deemed unsuitable for grammar school education in Skipton.

The Herald asked Mr Ashworth why he could not just offer the places to the top 11 boys who took the test this year but finished just below the cut off point.

Mr Ashworth said the figure was decided upon by North Yorkshire education authority and the governors a number of years ago as a cut off point for those "deemed suitable" for grammar school education. "Those who are below that cut off would not be successful in being offered a place," he said.

The Herald was contacted by a number of parents whose children have been branded unsuitable. They are angry that the school is advertising out of Skipton.

A local primary school head teacher described the decision as "disgraceful". "Parents will be furious, but nothing surprises headteachers about the selection system any more," said the head.

Peter Marshall, chairman of governors at St Stephen's School, Skipton, said trawling other areas for pupils was perverse. "Is the education of local boys the most important thing or just being high in the league tables? This is a kick in the teeth for Skipton boys."

He thought that this would be the end for Ermysted's because when Skipton parents got the chance to vote for or against the grammar school they would choose an alternative.

"Why will they want a grammar school when Skipton kids are not getting in?"

Mr Marshall suggested that next year parents should have their child tested in Ripon and then if they were deemed suitable, ask for a transfer to the Skipton school.

He said that parents needed to come up with an alternative education system for Skipton. "There has to be a choice for parents. A comprehensive school would be good in this area."

A group of parents unhappy at the way the system has operated and the way they were treated in the appeals procedure have complained to the ombudsman and a decision is expected shortly.

One angry mother of a pupil at the Parish Church School in Brougham Street, Skipton, said it was ironic that during national walk to school week Ermysted's was advertising for pupils who could not possibly walk to school.

She pointed out that her son said he would not accept a place at the school as none of his friends from Skipton would be going.

"Brougham Street parents are really angry but no longer surprised," she said. "The system is not for the benefit of local boys."

Glenn Allgood, pupils and parent services manager from North Yorkshire County said the cut off mark would be the same for any children applying from Lancashire as it was for the Skipton children. He added: "The LEA is unable to reduce the cut off set by policy to enable children that have sat the test previously and who are not deemed suitable now to be admitted to fill the remaining vacancies."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.