Proposals to consult the public about changes to school admissions rules for September 2027 are due to go before the council’s cabinet next week
The proposals would reduce the published admission number (PAN) at two schools, allow sibling links at secondary schools regardless of catchment area and make changes to waiting lists.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s cabinet is due to be asked to approve a consultation from Friday 14 November to Friday 9 January on the council’s website.
The results are due to be presented to the full council on Thursday 29 January 2026.
Changes to secondary school admissions have prompted the change in sibling link. Since September, pupils receiving free school meals had a greater priority to secure an out-of-catchment area place.
Also, the “open admissions” criteria will allow children in a single school catchment area to apply for a place at a secondary school outside their catchment for next September.
Under the current rules sibling link only applies to youngsters applying to their catchment area school.
The report to cabinet said: “This will allow families who have obtained an out-of-catchment area place through the free school meals or the ‘open admission’ criteria to benefit from the continuity where younger siblings will be able to attend the same school as the older sibling, if they are still attending the school.
“This is currently only a benefit that applies to families who have an older sibling in the designated catchment school.
“It is not possible to quantify the number of siblings who will be able to benefit from this policy as it will depend on several factors.
“However, in recent years there have been approximately 400 pupils placed at catchment schools under the sibling link criterion.”
Governors at Downs Junior School, in Rugby Road, Brighton, have asked to reduce their intake from 128 to 96 from September 2027, reflecting the falling number of pupils moving up from Downs Infant School.
In September 2024, Downs Infant School reduced its PAN from 120 to 90, with this group due to move up to the junior school in 2027.
Rudyard Kipling Primary School in Chalkland Rise, Woodingdean, temporarily increased its PAN to 45, but now governors have asked to reduce it to 30, one form, because of falling pupil numbers in The Deans.
Public events are currently planned for
Downs Junior School
In person on Wednesday 26 November in the morning
Online on Wednesday 19 November in the early evening
Rudyard Kipling Primary School
Online on Tuesday 2 December in the early evening
General meeting
Online on Wednesday 3 December in the early evening
Changes are also proposed to the way that the council operates waiting lists. Currently if a child is not allocated their first choice school they are automatically added to the waiting list.
The proposals are aimed at preventing duplicat offers and would require parents to name the school that they would prefer.
School funding is based on pupil numbers and the low birth rate in Brighton and Hove has resulted in the council reducing admissions at primary and infant schools since 2019.
Brighton and Hove currently has 2,445 places for reception-age pupils, with a quarter of them expected to be vacant in September 2027.
Projections show no more than 1,900 children are expected to start in reception in 2028.
The drop in admissions after a series of “bulge” years is now hitting secondary schools too.
In September 2027, 2,234 of the 2,500 state secondary school places in Brighton and Hove – including the two religious schools Cardinal Newman and King’s – are expected to be taken up, leaving 11 per cent vacant.
By 2031, just 2,009 secondary spaces are expected to be filled, leaving a fifth vacant.
The council’s cabinet is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm on Thursday 14 November. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast.
