GOVERNORS at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School have come up with a scheme to try and solve the catchment area crisis.

They met on Monday night to hammer out the issue which has dogged the Marlow school for almost five years.

At the meeting Governors proposed to trim the catchment area, using the railway lines running through High Wycombe and Maidenhead as guides.

Those north of the High Wycombe line and south of the Maidenhead line could still apply for a place at the West Street school.

But the school's admissions policy, set by the LEA, gives priority to those who live within the catchment area as Borlase is so oversubscribed those outside the catchment area are unlikely to secure a place.

The school has been criticised in recent years because of its large catchment area which has led to many Marlow students missing out on a place despite having passed their 11-plus, while people from Maidenhead and Henley with higher marks and or siblings at the school secured a place.

Ted Brown, Chairman of Governors, said: "We believe that Sir William Borlase's can now look forward with immense optimism as an important member of the local community. These plans should go a long way to meeting the concerns of local residents, who have told us that they want to be sure that bright young local pupils will still be able to look to us as their preferred local grammar school."

The next step will be a period of detailed consultations with parents and the local community to clarify the finer details of the plans.