People who live in Brighton & Hove can give their views on the city’s school admissions system at a series of events over the next three weeks, and via the council’s website until the end of February.
Brighton & Hove City Council is consulting on three proposed amendments to the current secondary admissions system as part of a wider review of the system. If agreed the changes would take effect in September 2013. They are:
- A small expansion of the Portslade (PACA) secondary catchment area
- A small expansion of the Dorothy Stringer/Varndean catchment area
The proposals are in the context of Dorothy Stringer agreeing to increase the number of pupils it takes each year, and pressure on school places in the Hove catchment area.
Also being consulted on is a proposal to make the sibling link at secondary level only applicable within catchment areas.
When the current secondary admission arrangements were introduced in 2008, the intention was that the sibling link should only apply within the designated catchment area for a child’s home address.
This was to ensure that there would be sufficient places available in their catchment school or schools for all the children living in each catchment area. However, this change was delayed until 2013-14 so as to allow sibling links to work through for children already in secondary school at that time.
It is proposed that from September 2013 the sibling link priority should as envisaged only be applied within catchment areas. This should help to ensure, in a time of rising pupil numbers, that pupils are able to attend a school in their catchment area, should they apply to do so.
Should the proposed catchment area changes be agreed, it is envisaged that there would be a similar transitional period for siblings of existing pupils in the areas that have changed.
Also under consideration is a proposal to change the way home to school distance is measured for the city’s primary admissions system.
People can contribute to the review – and get a free cup of coffee – at two public drop-in events, to be held:
- Outside the Jubilee library on Thursday 2 February from 3-7pm
- Outside Sainsbury’s West Hove superstore on Saturday 4 February from 10am and 2pm.
Detailed information including maps showing the proposed catchment changes will be available at each meeting.
The review will also include meetings with focus groups of parents of children in years 4 and 5 at 12 local primary age schools – two in each secondary catchment area. The schools involved are: Coombe Road; St Nicolas CE; Peter Gladwin; Fairlight; Saltdean; Our Lady of Lourdes; Downs Junior; Middle Street; Westdene; Coldean; Hangleton Juniors and Somerhill.
Residents can also visit the council’s website at consult.brighton-hove.gov.uk/portal for full information and the chance to join in the school admissions consultation. The deadline for responding is 29 February.
The council’s cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Sue Shanks, said: “This is very much an open ended consultation and we’re keen to hear people’s views on it.”