A campaign to restore a non-selective secondary school to a part of Kent has reached a critical point.

Support Weald Schooling has held a series of public meetings and organised a petition as part of a bid to see a new school established in Cranbrook to replace the High Weald Academy.

Since its closure in 2022, secondary-aged children, not just in Cranbrook but also in its satellite villages, have been forced to take lengthy bus journeys to schools in Paddock Wood, Tenterden, Maidstone or Wadhurst - all in the region of 10 or 11 miles away.

The group has won the support of two local MPs - Katie Lam (Weald) and Mike Martin (Tunbridge Wells).

Now campaigners are seeking to prove to the Department of Education (DfE) that there is sufficient demand for places in the area to justify the construction of a new school.

They have launched an appeal for all parents of children aged 11 or younger to take part in a survey to show their support.

Within three days of the survey going live, 769 parents responded on behalf of 1246 children currently in pre-school, nursery or primary school in the area, saying they would use a non-selective school in Cranbrook if there was one.

Katherine Selby, one of the campaigners, said: “Children could enjoy secondary schooling closer to home if the campaign is successful.

“However, if there is insufficient demand, the campaign can go no further and the opportunity for a smaller, non-selective secondary school will be lost.”

MP Katie Lam said: “I'm fully on board and already involved with the Support Weald Schooling campaign and will be doing everything I can to make this happen.

“I know the DfE [Department for Education] will need to see there is enough demand to reopen a non-selective secondary school in the Weald.”

“It’s critical that local parents who would choose to send their children to such a school let us know.”

Fellow MP Mike Martin said: “If we have proof of parental demand, we have a far more convincing argument for the government to consider.”

Campaigner David Selby said: “It’s crunch time.

“I urge all local parents of children aged 11 and under to consider if they’d like a school closer to home.

”Currently, children are spending as long as two hours a day on school buses or lengthy commutes by train. Furthermore, their friendship groups are scattered for miles.

“The overall experience is causing many children huge anxiety to the point that a growing number simply feel unable to attend school.

“A local school could end this unacceptable situation.”

Mr Selby said: “If you have very young children, secondary school may seem a long way away, but believe me, it comes up fast.

“Taking a minute now to complete our quick survey could change your child’s future education by bringing a school closer to your home.”

KCC has previously refused demands to open a new school saying that the High Weald Academy had closed because of an insufficient number of pupils attended, meaning the school was not financially viable.

It is acknowledged that numbers had fallen off, but that was largely because when it was run by the Brook Learning Trust, the school had received poor Ofsted reports, and parents had transferred their children elsewhere.

Campaigners have previously pointed out that there are 13 primary schools in the Cranbrook catchment area, with approximately 2,100 children enrolled. Each year 15% - or 315 pupils - will need to look for a secondary school.

On average, 55% of Kent children either fail or do not take the Kent Test to qualify for a grammar school, suggesting 173 children from the Weald will need a non-selective school place each year, which in turn suggests across all year groups, they could fill a school just to GCSE level with 866 students.

In addition, many parents and children have now had two years’ experience of the reality of being bused long journeys to school.

A recent nationwide study of school absenteeism, carried out by the Sunday Times newspaper, found that 35.3% of Mascalls Academy pupils in Paddock Wood were absent from school more than 10% of the time.

While Homewood’s absenteeism in Tenterden was even higher - at 41%.

Kim Fletcher, the chairman of Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council attributed the absenteeism in part to the experience of bullying on the bus journeys.

He said: “Besides the time it takes, all the year groups travel together on the bus and that results in a huge amount of bullying, such that many children don’t want to go to school.”

Parents are being asked to answer four quick questions by visiting the survey here.

It closes on Friday, February 28.

Cranbrook does have one secondary school - Cranbrook School. But the grammar school is highly selective and few qualify for a place.

One possible site for a new school - the Long Field off Angley Road - has been lost. Tunbridge Wells council has just granted Heyworth Properties permission to build 34 homes on it.