Parents campaign to save children's school place

Parents have launched a campaign against potential changes to a secondary school's admissions policy which they say could make it more difficult for their children to enrol.

Consultation on admissions to Esher's Hinchley Wood School in September 2026 ended on Wednesday.

If approved, the academy school would prioritise students who attend schools within its own trust - Hinchley Wood Primary School and Thames Ditton Junior School - leaving Long Ditton St Mary's Junior School and Claygate Primary School lower down the pecking order.

The 'outstanding' Ofsted-rated school frequently comes as one of the top places in Surrey, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Ben Bartlett, chief executive of Hinchley Wood Learning Partnership Trust, said he had "massive sympathy" for those worried about the proposed changes and understood parents always want their child to get into the "best" school.

Annette Whymark, who has a son in Year 4, said: "It's just not right that a multi-academy trust can just wield its power and prioritise their own schools for their own benefits for their own financial gains [and] totally disregarding the needs of the local community."

She and her husband James Whymark started the action group to spread the word in the Thames Ditton community.

The campaign has won support from Kingston and Surbiton MP Ed Davey, who said that if these changes are made he would support "any further appeals, up to a Judicial Review".

Mr Bartlett disagreed that the consultation was motivated by financial gain, and stressed the student admission number for the two primary schools was actually being lowered in line with a falling birth rate.

He told the LDRS there would be a "minimal" impact in the number of students from Long Ditton entering the school.

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