They are separated by less than two miles and Government inspectors rate both of them 'good', but to parents they are a world apart.

Figures published by the Brighton and Hove City Council show that while parents are fighting to get their children places at Queen's Park Primary, Moulsecoomb Primary is struggling to fill its classrooms.

The schools represent the top and bottom end of a growing divide which school leaders say is threatening the education of hundreds of children.

Parents are no longer tied to sending their offspring to the nearest school and can instead apply for their first, second and third choice.

The situation is mirrored in secondary education with 356 parents applying for Varndean School's 240 spaces while at the other end of the scale East Brighton College of Media Arts received only a fifth of the applications needed to fill its 190 places.

The council has set up a task force in an attempt to close the gap between schools in the city.

The new panel on schools admission procedures is to reveal its findings next month. It is looking at ways of making applications for places fairer.

Education chiefs say parents are swayed by prejudice and preconception when they decide where to send their children rather than the reality.

More than 80 parents tried to get children into Queen's Park Primary School last month. That is almost double the amount the school can take in its two reception classes, making it the most popular school in Brighton.

But just 31 families named Moulsecoomb as their number one choice, even though there were 90 places available in its two reception classes.

A visit to top choice Queen's Park Primary School reveals an impressive Victorian building which sits in a leafy suburb near the city centre.

The classrooms are light and airy. The children are encouraged to learn through playing and there is an emphasis on the arts.

There is a computer room with 15 computers where children as young as five can practice their IT or design skills.

Many of the pupils' sports activities take place in nearby Victoria Park and weekly swimming classes are held at nearby St Luke's.

After school many parents take their children to the park to extend their day.

The maximum class size is 28 and there are two nursery classes.

Catherine Scott, headteacher at Queen's Park Primary School, said there were lots of parents who lived near the school and wanted to send their children there.

She said: "We would love to be able to take all the children who come to us. We are a friendly school and I have excellent, hard-working staff. But we are also in a highly-populated area with lots of families."

Moulsecoomb Primary sits in a less attractive area, sandwiched between the main Lewes Road and the Moulsecoomb Estate.

But apart from its location it offers the same, if not better, facilities The Twenties building has a big playground and adjoining sports field, something a city centre school cannot offer.

Its computer room has 15 computers, with at least two more in each classroom.

The school places a lot of emphasis on sport and has secured a £300,000 grant from Sport England to improve its facilities.

This includes renovating its gym, building changing rooms and creating an all-weather outdoor football pitch. The new facilities are due to open in six weeks.

There is a breakfast club to encourage children to come to school at 8am and use the school's facilities, such as computers, for the hour until school starts.

Charles Davies, headteacher at Moulsecoomb Primary School, said: "Within Moulsecoomb itself there aren't enough children to fill the places available.

"Parents should have a choice of where to send their children and people have different reasons for choosing schools.

"People may want to send their children to school in the local area or may want a multicultural school or one which specialises in a subject area."

He said there could also be some snobbery as different areas of Brighton had different reputations.

Councillor Pat Hawkes, who chairs the city council's children, families and schools committee, said part of the problem with preferences was due to shifting populations.

She said: "Queen's Park is in a highly-populated area. There are now many more people with small children living in the centre of Brighton. This puts pressure on the economy and the schools.

"If you go out to some of the estates there is slightly less pressure on school places."

A council spokesman said the overall performance of schools in the city was going up year-on-year.

He said: "We believe all are popular in one way or another with parents and pupils for a wide variety of reasons.

"Parents often decide preferences on the practical basis of geographical convenience rather than any notion of popularity.

"They also take into account the perceived likelihood of getting in, particularly in the case of schools which have historically been oversubscribed.

"Class size can be a significant factor. Schools with fewer first preferences may have smaller classes."

Coun Hawkes urged parents not to dismiss certain schools.

She said: "Some have very good reputations and I would suspect there is some snobbery involved.

"But I would say to parents to go to schools in areas such as Whitehawk and have a look around and they will see the excellent facilities there.

"I have every faith in all our schools."