Parents who are unhappy at not getting their children into their school of choice, put their concerns to their MP at the weekend.

Dari Taylor, MP for Stockton south, and Betty Johns, Stockton Borough Council's assistant education officer, met parents to explain why they had been unable to secure places for their children at Egglescliffe School, Eaglescliffe and Conyers School, Yarm.

Both schools have received more applications for places than they are able to accept.

They have both followed the strict guidelines for admission set by the council, which gives priority to pupils who live within the catchment area, have a statement of special needs that names a particular school, or have a sibling already at the school.

Ms Taylor said: "Clearly, in an ideal world, everyone should be able to gain a place in the school of their choice, and that is the goal that we should be working towards.

"However, as things stand, it is simply not possible to accommodate every pupil in the most popular schools and there is no option but to place them in alternative schools.

"This should not be seen as some sort of catastrophe. The alternative schools that have been offered are decent educational institutions.

"Thornaby Community School, for instance, is widely acclaimed as a good school with excellent facilities and staff. Parents should have no concerns about sending their children to the school, a point I made on Saturday when I met the parents to reassure them about the quality of secondary education their children will receive in Stockton."