The changes, including to catchment areas, the introduction of open admissions and reduced intakes at three schools, aim to address falling pupil numbers and inequalities.
Open admissions, which proved to be the most controversial proposal during an eight week consultation, would give children living in four secondary school catchments – Brighton Aldridge Community Academy, Portslade Aldridge Community Academy, Longhill and Patcham High – a better chance of a place at schools such as Stringer, Varndean, Blatchington Mill and Hove Park, Brighton and Hove City Council said.
Proposed catchments The council has forecast that open admissions could lead to 250 children in Hove and central Brighton not gaining a place at their preferred local school if up to 20 per cent of places were allocated in this way.
Deputy council leader Jacob Taylor said that the council has listened and the option going before councillors next week would be for five per cent open admissions.
What are the other proposals?
Proposals are due to go before a special council meeting on Thursday, February 27. They are:
- Five per cent of the published admission number to be open admission for pupils from single-school catchment areas
- Move part of Whitehawk into the Dorothy Stringer and Varndean catchment area and Kemp Town into the Longhill catchment
- Give priority to children eligible for free school meals up to 30 per cent of admissions
- Give parents and guardians four choices rather than three when applying for secondary school
- Reduce the intake in year 7 by one class or 30 pupils at Blatchington Mill and Dorothy Stringer and by two classes at Longhill
Brighton and Hove City Council plans to implement the changes from September next year.
Open admission fears
Both parents and MPs have raised concerns about children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) losing out under the open admissions proposal.
And governors from six local authority maintained secondary schools shared their concerns in the public consultation.
Parent Support Group protesting against plans outside Hove Town Hall Green MP for Brighton Pavilion Siân Berry said: “This concerns me in relation to the proposed catchment changes because only children with an education health and care plan can benefit from admission processes outside the current proposals to find the right school for them and because it is clear that the location of schools can be crucial in maintaining engagement and attendance for SEND pupils, regardless of the quality of the support when they arrive at the school.
“I have heard examples via my casework where it is clear from the information provided by medical professionals that a child will not cope with a bus journey.
Sian Berry “In one case a child in this situation was initially refused an EHCP assessment by the council, meaning they would be expected to travel to school by bus, despite medical professionals making clear this would not be feasible.”
Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven Chris Ward said: “The families I’ve been working with have told me just how important it is that our school system becomes more inclusive and better supports SEND children.
“I’m concerned that the current catchment proposals may not deliver this and could result in some children with SEND having to travel a long way and potentially via multiple forms of transport just to go to school.
Chris Ward “Frankly, that’s not realistic for many children with SEND that I have met, especially those with complex needs – and I worry could make a bad situation worse.”
Both MPs have backed parents’ concerns about potential increased travel and costs, with free bus passes available only to children living more than three miles away from their school.
Mr Ward’s constituency includes Whitehawk, Manor Farm, Bevendean and Moulsecoomb which were all listed as deprived in the 2021 Census.
According to the Census, Ms Berry’s constituency has areas of deprivation in Hollingdean, the New England area and central Brighton.
The council said that guidance in interpreting the existing priorities would address some of these concerns and that home to school travel and transport would be reviewed.
Other reaction
Governors at Dorothy Stringer welcomed the proposal to cut the school’s intake because the school has a high number of pupils on a relatively small site.
The governors said in response to the council’s consultation that pupils receiving free school meals already make up more than 30 per cent of admissions.
Last year, councillors agreed to prioritise pupils receiving free school meals, up to the Brighton and Hove average, from September this year.
Falling pupil numbers
The council has been reducing admissions at primary schools for the past five to six years as pupil numbers have dropped.
School funding is largely linked to pupil numbers and the council has estimated that state secondary schools across Brighton and Hove will have 431 spare places by 2031.
Council says it has listened to feedback
Councillor Taylor said: “We’ve listened to your feedback, and the recommendations set out in this report have been shaped by the responses we received during the consultation stage.
“We are committed to making Brighton and Hove a fair and inclusive city, where no child or family is left behind. We are proposing a set of changes that we believe will make our school admission system fairer.
“We have a responsibility to protect our local education system, ensure the long-term sustainability of our schools and improve educational outcomes for all young people in Brighton and Hove.
“The recommendations outlined in this report offer several ways in which we can tackle inequality in the city and create greater equity of opportunity for our children.”
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