PARENTS of schoolchildren hoping to attend a new comprehensive school in the borough of Stockton say new catchment areas drawn up for it are unfair.

All Saints Secondary School, in Ingleby Barwick, will open for lessons in September 2003 with enough places for 600 pupils.

However, some parents living on Europe's largest housing estate say they were kept in the dark about the admission zone for the new school.

Under proposals drawn up by the Local Education Authority, youngsters living in the north and east of Ingleby Barwick are eligible for the new schools, while the southern part of the estate is affiliated with Conyers school in Yarm.

Parents who have lived on the estate for years are also concerned families who have recently moved there will have the same chance of sending their children to the new school.

Stockton Borough Council said it carried out a full public consultation from January to March this year.

Ross Patterson, of Danes Brook Court, Ingleby Barwick, said: "There have been no public meetings about the admission zones and no displays in any establishments in Ingleby Barwick.

"I found out about the proposed zones by word of mouth in the Ingleby Mill School playground.

"Also, the zones appear to be just arbitrary lines drawn along main roads. This will differentiate between areas where children can attend All Saints and areas where they have to go to another school.

"Therefore, some children will still have to be bussed off the estate. In essence, admission zones are driving a wedge between different areas of Ingleby Barwick."

Another parent, in a letter of objection to the council's education department, said many parents found out about the plans from a council magazine, Gossip, delivered through letter boxes.

He said: "It should not come from a magazine where our children will be educated - is this the level of importance the council places on education?"

A spokeswoman for Stockton Borough Council said widespread consultation took place with schools, governors, neighbouring LEAs, ward councillors in South Stockton and zones were published in Gossip magazine which is distributed throughout Ingleby Barwick and Yarm.

She said: "Admissions are not prioritised by how long a person has lived at an address, but where they reside at the time of application."