Dozens of children receiving free school meals have secured places at out of catchment secondary schools after new rules came into play.
Figures released on Monday (3 March) show 95 such children were offered places.
Of these, 58 were at two of the city’s most popular schools, Dorothy Stringer and Varndean.
Meanwhile no children living in that catchment who applied on time to both schools were sent to different schools.
Brighton and Hove City Council introduced the FSM priority for the first time this year, meaning the figures are being closely scrutinised by parents.
Some parents had expressed concerns the policy would see Varndean end up with a much higher number FSM pupils , which academics say can lead to poorer outcomes for all pupils.
Today (5 March), Brighton and Hove City Council said 37.67 per cent of all offers at Varndean were made to children on FSM.
For next year, the policy has been adjusted to bring the total number of places offered to FSM pupils in that and higher priorities to no more than 30 per cent – just above the city average.
A new priority for children living in any single-school catchment up to 5 per cent of places offered is also being introduced – a lower priority than FSM but higher than general in-catchment children.
Across the city, 89 children were offered a directed place – which means they did not secure a place at a preferred school – 3.8 per cent of the total 2,338 who applied.
Of these, 14 pupils live in the Dorothy Stringer and Varndean catchment area.
Brighton and Hove City Council stated all these applied late or did not follow the council’s guidance to express a preference for their catchment area school, or both schools if they live in a dual catchment area.
These pupils were allocated places at PACA, Hove Park, Patcham, BACA and Longhill.
Cabinet member for children, families and youth services councillor Emma Daniel, said: “We’re proud to have become the first council in the country to introduce a school admissions policy giving a priority for pupils eligible for free school meals.
“Having now seen the first admissions process take place under this new policy, we are confident there are pupils starting secondary school in September who have been given the greater opportunities this was designed to do.
“We’re confident this policy is working as intended but will be working with a university research team to fully assess and understand its impact over the longer term.
“We are committed to ensuring all children in this city have equal access to high-quality education and to address any educational inequalities that exist.”
Varndean
Varndean proved the most popular of Brighton and Hove City Council’s community secondary schools, with 88 youngsters securing the 90 places available through the free school meals priority.
For the free school meals allocation, 53 places were for children living in the catchment and a further 35 youngsters who receive free school meals but live outside the catchment secured places.
Varndean’s September 2026 intake will have 29.3 per cent of pupils securing a place based on free school meals in the next year seven group.
But free school meals figures do not include those who applied with a higher priority such as sibling link or those currently or previously in care.
As a result Varndean’s percentage of pupils receiving free school meals in year seven from September will be 37.67 per cent.
There were 437 first-choice applications for the school in Balfour Road, which has a published admission number (PAN) of 300 for each year group.
Of the 300 allocated a place, 284 were allocated as first choice, 13 second choice and three for third choice.
Council data shows 112 students who live in the Varndean catchment were not allocated a place at the school. There were no allocations from out of catchment for those who do not receive free school meals.
Following a full council vote on Thursday 27 February, from September 2026, up to five per cent of admissions will be available to pupils outside the Varndean/Stringer catchment area.
Dorothy Stringer
Neighbouring Dorothy Stringer, in Loder Road, which has a PAN of 330, offered places to 186 who made the school their first choice, 127 on second choice and 17 third choice.
Twenty-six places were for children receiving free school meals in catchment and 23 out of catchment, a total of 49 places out of 99 available.
This means 15 per cent of pupils in September’s year seven group at Dorothy Stinger secured a free school meals-based place.
Thirty-seven children living outside Dorothy Stringer catchment secured a place, which is 11 per cent of this year’s admissions.
Following last week’s vote, the school’s PAN will be reduced to 300 in September 2026, which had governor’s backing.
There were 52 applications from children who live out of catchment who could not be allocated a place at Dorothy Stringer or a higher-preference school.
Blatchington Mill
Blatchington Mill School in Nevill Avenue has a PAN of 330 and offered 244 places to those who made their school their first choice, 61 on second choice and 25 for third preference.
The percentage of pupils securing a free school meals based place was 14 per cent, as 38 places were allocated to pupils who live in catchment area and nine places to those outside the catchment.
No places were offered to pupils outside of catchment who do not receive free school meals.
Following last week’s vote from September 2026, Blatchington Mill’s PAN will be reduced to 300, which governors opposed.
Patcham High
Patcham High School in Ladies’ Mile Road was undersubscribed on first to third preferences for September 2026, with 202 places offered.
A further 22 youngsters were directed to the schools, filling all 225 spots. Council data since 2018 shows the school has filled up on preferences alone for the last seven years.
Of those offered a place 10 went to pupils receiving free school meals who live in catchment, and 14 to those out of catchment.
Twenty-six places went to students who do not live in the Patcham High catchment area.
Hove Park
Hove Park School allocated 171 of its 180 places, with 19 going to pupils receiving free school meals living in catchment and 12 to those receiving free school meals outside of catchment.
Twenty-nine places went to pupils living outside the catchment area.
Longhill
Longhill High School in Falmer Road, Rottingdean filled 97 of its 270 places on preferences.
Twelve places went to pupils in catchment who receive free school meals and two to those outside the catchment receiving free school meals.
Ten places went to pupils living outside the catchment area. From September 2026, Longhill’s admission will be reduced to 210 places.
Thirteen places were allocated to youngsters directed to the school – making a total of 110 offers.
Cardinal Newman
Cardinal Newman School in The Upper Drive was the most popular secondary school in the city, with 523 first choice applications for its 360 places.
However, as a faith school linked with the Catholic diocese of Arundel and Brighton, it sets its own admissions criteria, with 13 orders of priority compared with the council’s seven.
The council does not publish data on faith and academy schools allocations.
King’s School
King’s School in Hangleton Way, Hove, was also oversubscribed and has offered places to 180 pupils even though its PAN is listed on its website as 165.
The school also sets its own admissions criteria as it is an academy free school, which is part of the Russell Education Trust and linked with the Church of England diocese of Chichester.
BACA and PACA
The city’s two academy schools also set their own admissions.
Brighton Aldridge Community Academy in Lewes Road offered 89 children a place based on preference in year seven. The school has a PAN of 180 and had a further 28 pupils directed there.
Portslade Aldridge Community Academy in Chalky Road, has 190 youngsters offered places based on preference from September, out of a PAN of 220. A further 25 pupils were directed there.
Best thing say your kids are special needs and you are poor and you get place. Easy m8
Sounds like you’ve never had to go through that particular process.
Doesn’t really work like that. Kids with legitimate diagnosed, life-altering special needs need to undergo years of scrutiny/testing/numerous rejections and appeals via an EHCP process. No exaggeration, the whole process takes YEARS of trying to get someone to help you while you chd wait around suffering. There is NO option to “say your kids are special needs”. Someone would have to actually listen to parents and kids for something like that to happen.
Why is the council forcing pupils out of good schools to support failing longhill that looks to be struggling to attract sufficient numbers to be viable.
Longhill has been struggling for years. Full of kids that would have previously gone to Stanley Deason. The behaviour of the kids is out of control and now no-one wants to send their kids there, not even the former SD lot. But the better schools won’t be better at handling their out of control kids so they will end up getting expelled and coming back to Longhill anyway.
If they’re ’better schools’, why wouldn’t they be able to ‘handle’ these kids? Surely, the mark of a good school is its ability to engage, educate and instil positive behaviours in any child that walks through their gates? Or are you saying they’re ’better schools’ because of the people that choose to send their children there? In which case, they’re no better or worse than anywhere else. Seems like an odd comment to make and incredibly sweeping and disparaging of a whole geography.
I’m struggling to make sense of this, but doesn’t it say that no-one within catchment who applied in time was denied a place ?
I’ve noticed over the last few months that this website loves to give the council’s view on this issue while minimising the concerns of parents.
Parents aren’t worried about this year, it’s next year that will bring the real problems. You can see from your own article that the reduction in PAN for Varndean and Stringer is going to be an issue.
Why not cut out the middleman and just get the council to write these articles for you?
I tend to disagree. I think this site is far more balanced than The Argus.
I do agree with you regarding next year’s admissions. Instead of trying to up the schools that are failing, Labour are just bringing down the better schools down.
There is only one fair way to allocate places for all children, and that is 100% open admissions for all state schools. (Faith and other schools set their own remits).
Why should any child be considered less deserving or less intelligent, based upon which area they live in? The converse is, why should any child from an affluent neighbourhood be considered more intelligent and deserving of a choice of school?
Also, the families who work hard and do not earn a great deal but do not receive free school meals or extra benefits are often those worse off than those on benefits, after deductions from salaries for childcare, rent, rates, etc. so should not be leapfrogged over as less deserving than those on free meals.
Last year two of my grandchildren received none of their 3 expressed places each, despite living in a one school catchment area, so have to travel miles anyway.
They are happy where they are. Often it is the less popular schools who provide more wrap around care for pupils, as they have smaller numbers, so can deal with issues quicker.
References please: “much higher number FSM pupils , which academics say can lead to poorer outcomes for all pupils.” Coz this sounds like bs to me.
Evidence please: “a much higher number FSM pupils , which academics say can lead to poorer outcomes for all pupils.”
This is utter nonsense. Anyone who knows anything about education knows this:
1) Schools change and get better / worse in a few years so choosing a school for a 10yo now does not mean it will be the best or worst school in 3 yrs time when they are choosing their GCSEs and starting the courses.
2) Children who live in affluent areas have parents who improve those schools’ exam results because they pay for a ridiculous amount of private tuition. Parents living in poverty can’t do this: you only have to look closely at the “popular” schools’ disadvantaged data to see this: the catholic secondary school performed woefully for its disadvantaged last year and every year, getting almost one grade lower than they should have per pupil, but still got an outstanding grading by OFSTED.
Send your child to your local school!