A decision on whether extra space should be made available for new pupils at a popular Southend school is to be made tomorrow.

Parents have been lobbying Southend Council for some weeks over a change of ruling which means they may not be able to get their children into Bournes Green Infant School in Shoebury.

Late last year the authority scrapped the catchment area guarantee that all children who wanted a place would have one at their nearest school. This now means brothers and sisters of current pupils at schools get preference for places.

At the education committee tomorrow, councillors will hear the exact number of pupils who want a place in September but have been told there may not be room. The figure is expected to be between 12 and 18 youngsters.

They will then decide whether to provide an additional classroom, at a cost of £50,000. Money is available in the 1999/2000 education budget.

No cash can be claimed from the Government as there are 81 spare places at other schools within two miles of Bournes Green.

Assistant education director Alastair Green said if an extra classroom was added it would be placed so it could be used by the junior school in future years.

He added: "The provision of additional accommodation for say 12 to 18 extra pupils at Bournes Green Infant School would, in all probability, result in the school admitting 90 pupils.

"Other parents, from outside the catchment area, would be aware of the additional accommodation and it would not be possible to restrict further admissions below 90. This would not be popular with surrounding schools."

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