With video – Councillors hold key vote on secondary school admissions changes

Changes to secondary school admissions in Brighton and Hove have been approved. They will affect children starting in year 7 in September 2026.

Labour-led Brighton and Hove City Council voted through the changes with support from some Greens and Brighton and Hove Independents.

Before the main debate at a special council meeting at Hove Town Hall this afternoon (Thursday 27 February), members heard passionate speeches from parents both for and against the proposals.

The Labour deputy leader of the council, Jacob Taylor, said that the changes were intended to address falling pupil numbers and address inequalities.

From September 2026 there will be a series of changes.

• “Open admissions” with 5 per cent of the intake at Blatchington Mill, Dorothy Stringer, Hove Park and Varndean to be open to children from single-school catchment areas (BACA, Longhill, PACA and Patcham High)
• Cuts in the published admission number (PAN) at Blatchington Mill and Dorothy Stringer by one class or 30 pupils and at Longhill by 60 pupils
• Offering four preferences to parents and guardians, rather than three, when applying for a secondary school place
• Giving priority to children eligible for free school meals, up to 30 per cent of admissions
• Including part of Whitehawk in the Dorothy Stringer and Varndean catchment area and Kemp Town in the Longhill catchment

Conservative councillor Anne Meadows urged Labour to scrap the open admissions proposal, the 30 per cent free school meals target and the catchment area changes.

She said: “We understand the need to reduce places as the number of children going to our schools is declining.

“However, we feel it is just social engineering taking place by this Labour council when they talk about their vision of equality of opportunity in schools.

“The 30 per cent for each school to take free school meals children – plus an additional 5 per cent as part of the open admissions – is premature, impetuous and rash.”

Brighton and Hove Independent Mark Earthey called for a survey to find out why so many parents in the Deans and east Brighton were opting not to send their children to Longhill.

Almost two thirds go to schools elsewhere in Brighton and Hove or travel to schools in places such as Lewes or Peacehaven.

Councillor Earthey defended the school but said: “We need to find out why parents are choosing elsewhere and then tackle these reasons head on as there are clearly signs of an issue with parents’ perceptions of Longhill.

“The school risks becoming stigmatised and some doomsters say that that has already happened.”

He said that Labour councillors Jacob Allen and Jacob Taylor were both former Longhill pupils and had achieved success in their careers – but a “Jacob” should be regarded as the benchmark not the exception.

Councillor Taylor acknowledged the “significant concern, anxiety and anger” from families living in the Dorothy Stringer and Varndean catchments areas, particularly over open admissions.

The move could mean that some pupils ended up going to schools outside the catchment area – but the compromise – of 5 per cent – would keep it to about 54 children, he said.

Councillor Taylor added: “We should be honest. There have been many positives but also significant negatives. We have heard new voices, from communities that are often under-represented.

“We have had a lively debate from many different perspectives – and many hundreds of parents, including those in central areas, have expressed a deep desire to support better outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

“But there has also been division and unpleasantness – and I know many families feel bruised and upset by the nature of the debate.”

The changes were voted through by 38 to 11, with one abstention.

The vote was welcomed by the campaign group Class Divide, which has been lobbying for better educational opportunities for children in places such as Whitehawk.

The group said: “Class Divide welcomes today’s decision by Brighton and Hove Council to approve changes to school admissions policies, marking the most significant reform to our school admission system in nearly two decades and a landmark victory for families in historically disadvantaged communities across our city.

“This outcome represents a genuine triumph not for our organisation but for the countless community members who have tirelessly advocated for fairer access to education through years of campaigning.”

Class Divide co-founder Carlie Goldsmith said: “Whitehawk families now have more choice of secondary school for their children. It was the thing they wanted and what our campaign members have worked hard to achieve.

“The process has revealed the passion there is for education in our city and and we look forward to working with as many people as possible in the coming weeks, months and years to ensure Brighton and Hove is the best place to go to school if you are a child forced to live in poverty.”

To see live posts from the debate on Blue Sky by @bhdemocracynews, visit Skywriter.