TORY councillors are labelling changes to the schools admissions policy a "bureaucrat's dream" as they take choice away from parents.

The new system means Greenwich parents receive a form and pick six secondary schools anywhere in London in order of preference whereas previously they could apply to as many schools outside the borough as they wanted.

The submission deadline of the forms for the policy's first year was last week. In cases where parents cannot get one of their six preferred choices, Greenwich Council decides which school the child will attend.

But the council's Conservative group says the London-wide policy will make it tougher for parents to get a place outside the borough.

Eltham North councillor Spencer Drury said: "This is a bureaucrat's dream. They're taking away parental choice and sending you where it's convenient for them to send you.

"Labour claims this is taking away the guesswork for parents. But now there will be more guessing involved when parents try to work out where the council is going to send their child."

One parent, Helen Nunn, 32, of Dumbreck Road, Eltham, says she is hoping to move her family out of the borough as her daughter Elise, 10, is fast approaching secondary school age.

She said: "We're hoping to move somewhere with better schools. We don't want to be in a situation where we are allocated a school in Greenwich we don't want."

Under the old policy some parents would hold on to multiple offers until the last minute while others got no offers at all.

The council says the new system is fairer as it is designed to ensure there are fewer students without places in the summer.

A spokesman said: "This system will drastically reduce the number of students who don't get an offer of at least one school of their preference.

"Also, they will hear about their offers on the same day."

Cllr Drury says the Conservatives would bring back parental choice by putting schools in charge of their own admissions.