School admission arrangements public consultation
We’re asking for your views on proposed changes to school admission arrangements in the city from September 2026.
The aim of the proposals relating to community secondary schools is to further improve equality and fairness across the city’s schools. At present, some catchment areas include only one maintained school while others include more than one. The proposal aims to introduce better equity of choice.
Information about the proposals is included throughout the survey. If you'd like to see full details of the proposals and consultation, please take a look at the background information phase below.
These proposals are informed by the results of an engagement exercise held in October 2024.
Have your say
We are seeking views from pupils, parents and carers, school staff and governors and the communities in and around Brighton & Hove.
Your feedback is vital in helping us understand the potential impacts of the proposal and inform the decision making process.
Have your say until Friday 31 January 2025.
Come along to an event
In addition to the online survey, we're holding a series of events which are open to everyone who'd like to attend.
Please book your place to let us know you're coming.
Any additional public events will be listed in the events section.
Phases
Background information
Brighton & Hove is experiencing a drop in pupil numbers across the city which is beginning to impact our secondary schools.
Alongside the decline in pupil admissions numbers, disadvantaged young people across the city are being outperformed by their peers, both in the city and nationally.
To address these issues, we need to review the number of pupils the city’s secondary schools take and the catchment areas where students attending our schools come from.
We cannot change admissions arrangements for church schools, academies and free schools as this is the responsibility of their governing boards. However, we're aiming to work closely with these schools throughout the process.
We’re asking for your views on proposed changes to school admission arrangements in the city from September 2026.
Full details of these can be found in the published cabinet papers.
Additional information added 17 December 2024. We've added a summary of the proposals and a Frequently Asked Questions document. These can be found as uploaded documents below (slight amendment made to FAQ 18/12/24 including reference to neurodivergence).
24th December 2024 - FAQ republished with additional questions added.
11th January 2025 - updated powerpoint provided being used in the public consultation meeting.
20th January 2025 - updated FAQ provided, with an additional question on Free School Meals priority included
Upcoming and ongoing events
Past events
Event date: January 15th, 2025 from 17:30 to 19:00.
Longhill High School
Event date: January 15th, 2025 from 16:00 to 19:00.
1 registrant
Event date: January 14th, 2025 from 18:00 to 19:30.
Blatchington Mill School
Event date: January 13th, 2025 from 18:00 to 19:30.
Varndean High School
Event date: January 11th, 2025 from 10:00 to 11:30.
Event date: January 7th, 2025 from 18:00 to 19:30.
