Education chiefs’ continued neglect of a town has established it as Canterbury’s poorer cousin, the boss of one of Kent’s largest schools believes.

Herne Bay High principal Jon Boyes has been left frustrated as his attempts to expand the non-selective secondary have hit the buffers, despite it being massively oversubscribed.

Kent County Council (KCC) suggests the district’s school system could be “overwhelmed by an excess of places” created by the proposed expansion, with Barton Manor at the old Chaucer site preparing to open next year.

But this has prompted fears growing numbers of children from the coast will have to make the long journey to the city for their education.

“We’re substantially oversubscribed year on year, and there are pupils travelling into Canterbury to go to the high schools,” Mr Boyes told KentOnline.

“The number of children is only going to increase in Herne Bay, and there’s no provision being thought through now to meet the needs of the increasing student population.

“What we see on the ground is a significant need on the coast and not enough capacity as we’re turning people away.

“We’re upsetting families because we haven’t got the spaces. We are bursting at the seams.”

Mr Boyes says he is having to turn away local children from his school, with the secondary being listed by about 370 pupils as their first- or second-choice option each year.

This has forced the comprehensive to regularly admit about 280 Year 7s each September – above its official capacity of 258 11-year-olds.

The head teacher has identified a plot at the former golf club site over the road from school as a “great” location for anew sixth-form centre, but he doubts that would happen.

“We’ve got a tiny bit of space on the site that can be redeveloped. It would probably create an extra form of entry [30 pupils],” he added.

“Over the last three years, we have had some feasibility work and some surveying work done to provide greater capacity on site – but it never goes anywhere. It just stalls.

“I don’t think it’s right that greater provision is being provided in Canterbury.

“Herne Bay appears to be the poorer cousin to the city – we’re being neglected.”

Kirstin Cardus, executive head teacher of the Barton Court Academy Trust, is contesting Mr Boyes’ claims that investment in non-selective places has been inadequate.

She believes the September 2022 launch of Barton Manor, which will offer 150 places in Spring Lane, demonstrates that substantial amounts of cash has been poured into the sector.

“Herne Bay High claim there are not enough non-selective places available in the area,” she said.

“Yet we are opening a non-selective free school in Canterbury next year. Investment in non-selective places in the Canterbury and Coastal district is substantial.”

KCC forecasts show there is expected to be a surplus of 74 non-selective places in the city over the next 12 months, while that figure is expected to fall to just eight on the coast in two years’ time.

The authority has earmarked Herne Bay High for an expansion between 2025 and 2029, so that it can welcome 45 more Year 7 pupils each September.

A KCC spokesman added: “We recognise the pressure on places in Herne Bay.

“But with the opening of the new school in Canterbury in September 2022, the timing of any expansion to Herne Bay High needs to be managed so the school system is not overwhelmed by an excess of places in that district in the short term.”