Governors at a village primary have raised concerns over the number of pupils who missed out on their secondary school choices and were allocated to a struggling one in Norwich.
More than 40pc of Year 6 leavers from Mulbarton Primary Schools failed to get any of their preferred options for secondary school - despite 91pc of all Norfolk children receiving their first choices.
Governors and parents have voiced frustrations that pupils are missing out on Hethersett Academy, its only named feeder school and Norfolk's top-rated secondary, and are instead being sent to the Hewett, in Norwich.
Both secondaries are run by the Inspiration Trust.
The situation has prompted David Hall, chairman of governors at Mulbarton, to issue a statement for parents to use in support of appeals against the allocations, in which he bemoaned Hewett being offered as an alternative.
Both schools are five miles away from Mulbarton - but Mr Hall said parents were concerned about differences between the two school environments.
He said: "There is nothing wrong with the children that attend the Hewett, but the settings are drastically different.
"Mulbarton is in a rural setting so is Hethersett. There is also no escaping that the results of the two schools are night against day - which is acutely concerning for the parents."
In the most recent academic year, 90c of Hethersett pupils achieved GCSE grades between 9 and 4 in maths and English. At Hewett this figure was 40pc.
With 87 pupils leaving Mulbarton in the summer, the current Year 6 is the largest cohort in the school by some distance.
But Mr Hall said that the local authority and the Inspiration Trust had failed to adequately prepare for the unusually large year group.
He added: "We have in effect been pushed to the back of the queue.
"People choose to live in Mulbarton because of the rural setting and good education opportunities - if that only happens until they leave primary they will start voting with their feet."
The figure shows that one in every 10 pupils countywide to not receive any of their preferences were from Mulbarton Primary - 36 out of 329.
Despite having an older sister at Hethersett, Guy Rushworth's son is one of those placed at Hewett, pending an appeal.
Mr Rushworth said: "I pay my council taxes in South Norfolk, so want my child to be educated in the area that is benefitting from my contributions.
"As parents, we have been left feeling disenfranchised, disadvantaged, and prejudiced against."
A spokesman for the Inspiration Trust said: "Due to the popularity of Hethersett Academy over the past five years we have had to use the over-subscription criteria.
"This policy was reviewed in January 2020 whereby geographical areas were included in the oversubscription criteria and in 2021 whereby named primary schools were included.
"Mulbarton was included in both geographical area and as a primary school, benefiting them."
Eric Clarke, admissions manager at Norfolk County Council, said: "We know there are a number of children in Mulbarton who have not been offered their preferred school because Hethersett Academy is, for the second year, oversubscribed.
"We have been working with the school and trust to expand places for local children and continue to do so within the constraints of the school site.
"We do understand parents' concerns and we have met with Mulbarton Primary School leaders and families to offer support and advice.
"Subject to our transport policy, children will be entitled to free transported provided by the council to attend the school they have been allocated."
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