Maldon's Plume School could take in an unprecedented number of pupils from out of town as parents clamour to secure their children a place.
Maldon district MP John Whittingdale said that increasing numbers of parents were choosing to send their children to the secondary school and South Woodham's William de Ferrers School instead of local school St Peter's, in Burnham, which was placed in special measures last year.
He said: "If you are a parent faced with alternatives, I can understand why you would send you child elsewhere, but I would say that St Peter's does have strengths as well as weaknesses, which action is being taken on.
"The new head is very much on top of those things and, if we want a thriving, successful school in Burnham, we need now for the local community to support the staff and head. Parents not sending their children there is the last thing that will help the school."
A record number of year seven pupils, mainly from the Dengie, will join William de Ferrers' year seven in September.
Deputy head teacher Andrew Merchant said: "In the last two or three years, we have seen an increase in the number of applications from the Dengie area, but next September is the first year where 100, a third, are from out of the area."
The surge in outside pupils going to William de Ferrers is due in part to the dwindling secondary school age population in South Woodham, said Mr Merchant.
Published Thursday June 10, 2004
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