Reception class numbers will be cut at six schools as Brighton and Hove City Council responds to the falling number of pupils.
Labour councillors voted through the cuts when the Children, Families and Schools Committee met at Hove Town Hall where parents from two Brighton schools turned up to object to the proposals.
The committee agreed to reduce the Reception Year intake at Brunswick, Goldstone, St Luke’s and Saltdean primary schools and Patcham and Stanford infant schools from September 2025.
The council had also proposed to cut the intake at three other primary schools – Queen’s Park, Rudyard Kipling and Woodingdean. But the plans were dropped after more than 1,500 responses to a public consultation.
At the town hall yesterday (Monday 22 January) St Luke’s teacher Emma Liles objected to reducing the intake from three classes to two at the Hanover primary.
She said that the cut would jeopardise the budget for specialist staff including the music teacher and a specialist supporting children who are in care or who have recently left care.
Ms Liles said: “For many families, such as those living north of the school on the Pankhurst Estate, St Luke’s is the only local school.
“These families live on the edge of the traditional St Luke’s ‘catchment’ and are highly concerned about the possibility of not being offered a place should the numbers be reduced.”
The council’s head of school organisation Richard Barker said that, last September, even if the intake had been reduced to 60, every child from the Pankhurst Estate who applied to St Luke’s would have been given a place.
Last year the furthest distance for a child offered a place at the school was more than 2km.
Another public speaker at the meeting, Rebecca Devereux, objected to reducing the intake at Patcham Infant School from three classes to two – or 90 children to 60.
She took issue with Conservative councillor Alistair McNair, who is also the chair of governors at nearby Carden Primary School, for “promoting the school” during the consultation.
She asked why a popular, successful, financially sound and full school was targeted for reduction.
She said: “No account appears to have been taken of factors other than NHS birth rate data/GP registrations, such as new housing developments or families relocating to our area from within the city and from London/other areas.
“Local estate agents tell us that a significant proportion of house hunters in Patcham fit this latter category.”
Conservative councillor Anne Meadows, who represents Patcham and Hollingbury, said: “The demography of the area has changed as older people are moving away for a variety of reasons and younger families are moving in.
Schools reducing intake because there aren’t enough children.
Not enough children because people can’t afford to have them.
Can’t afford to have children because spend all their income on rent.
Rent so expensive because not enough not houses.
Not enough houses because every time so attempt to be built all the nimbys complain.
It’s a vicious cycle, isn’t it?
Well they built 45 houses in my back yard. Three bedroom semi £900,000 to 4 bed 4 bathroom £2.2 million. Looking forward to them all coming down from London.
Steve,
From the look of the prices you must live near the ‘Skylarks’ development – It’s funny how other towns along the coast seem to be able to attract housing for ordinary people whilst B & H only attracts millionaire and student developments…
They should build homes that Brighton residents can afford not multimillionaire wanting to downsize from London…….and there’s your problem.