People are being asked their views on a proposal to give a higher admissions priority to pupils receiving free school meals when they pick their secondary school preferences.
Brighton and Hove City Council agreed to start a public consultation about the proposal from today (Tuesday 7 November).
If the proposed policy change is approved, pupils on free school meals would have the third highest priority when applying for secondary school places for September 2025.
The rule would apply so that a secondary school would be expected to accept a proportionate number of children on free school meals equal to the average across Brighton and Hove.
At the moment about 25 per cent of children are eligible for free school meals – but the proportion at schools such as Blatchington Mill, Dorothy Stringer and Varndean is lower.
Meanwhile, above average numbers of children qualifying for free school meals attend the likes of Longhill, Hove Park, the Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) and the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA).
The council’s Children, Families and Schools Committee approved a consultation about the proposed changes at a meeting at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Monday 6 November).
Some councillors said that classmates from disadvantaged backgrounds had missed out on opportunities, including Labour councillor Jacob Taylor.
Councillor Taylor, who co-chairs the committee, said that many of his classmates at Longhill in Rottingdean did not have the same opportunities as those who attended more central secondary schools.
Councillor Taylor said: “When I left Longhill and went on to college and university, you just noticed your classmates from Longhill were not coming with you in the same way those from Stringer and Varndean were.
“That’s no comment on Longhill as a school, which I love, care for and support. But the truth is that children in certain parts of this city don’t get the outcomes and opportunities that other children do from more advantaged backgrounds.”
He praised the campaign group Class Divide for its work in highlighting the inequalities faced by young people in Brighton and Hove, particularly disadvantaged children at secondary school.
Labour councillor Jacob Allen, who also went to Longhill, said that the proposals “returned to the true spirit of comprehensive education”.
Councillor Allen, who represents Woodingdean, said: “It’s simply not fair that schools such as Blatchington Mill and Newman have free school meals levels of 16 per cent while Longhill and BACA have 36 per cent and 46 per cent respectively.
“Like you (Councillor Taylor), I went to Longhill, and I saw exactly the same thing when I went on to BHASVIC that people just weren’t coming with me. Most of my new friends were from the other side of town.”
Green councillor Sue Shanks said that families receiving free school meals would still have to pay for transport to schools further from where they lived.
Councillor Taylor said that Labour was keen to cut transport costs for all pupils.
But the council’s head of schools organisation Richard Barker said that there would be no changes to the home to school transport criteria, adding to the cost for some families.
Mr Barker said that if more pupils applied for a place at a school, taking it over the average proportion receiving free school meals, then children would be offered places by random allocation.
Currently, with numbers falling, the council expects there to be enough capacity in secondary schools to offer places to all children in each catchment area.
But one risk is that numbers drop at schools with a high proportion of children receiving free school meals – and this is something that the consultation is expected to explore.
The changes would not apply to academies and church schools unless they were to opt in – potentially excluding PACA, BACA, Cardinal Newman Catholic School and the King’s School.
To take part in the public consultation, which runs until Friday 22 December, click here.
The results are due to be presented to the committee on Monday 8 January.
Cllr. Allen mentions Cardinal Newman, but is exempted from this whole thing being funded by the church, it does not have a catchment area.
Cllr. Taylor says he is looking to cut transport costs for children, by enabling them to attend to school over the legal distance, the council will incur mandatory additional costs, and in our current financial situation, I personally am a bit wary of this. When you consider where a number of our schools are in relation to the key residential areas of Brighton.
However, evidence base does show some better attainment of those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds by mixing them up with more advantages backgrounds including better socialisation.
It’s a good idea, but it will come as an expense to the council. I suspect the conversation will be about how to balance this.