Share your views on secondary school admissions arrangements

We’re launching an engagement exercise to find out what residents think about possible changes to secondary school admissions arrangements. 

Three possible models could help us develop a fair and inclusive education system where available school places align more closely with pupil numbers, which in turn will assist with budget sustainability. 

Educational inequalities

Councillor Jacob Taylor, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “We want to build an education system in the city that is fair and inclusive – where all pupils can access a great education. 

“To do this, we need to address educational inequality in the city, as well as the issue of falling pupil numbers in our secondary schools. 

“We’re launching this engagement to identify solutions and ensure the opportunities and outcomes of our children and young people are not dictated by their background.

“We’ve developed three different models that could tackle these issues and ensure all secondary schools in the city are able to thrive. We are keen to hear from parents, carers and the wider community about these options.

“The rules on school admissions mean that we cannot propose a change across all schools in the city, but we hope to work with academy and church schools to do what is right for Brighton & Hove’s children and young people.”

Declining pupil numbers

Brighton & Hove is experiencing a drop in pupil numbers across the city, which is beginning to impact our secondary schools. 

Alongside the decline in pupil admissions numbers, disadvantaged young people across Brighton & Hove are not seeing equal outcomes as their peers, both in the city and nationally. 

To address these issues, we need to review the number of pupils the city’s secondary schools take and the catchment areas where students attending our schools come from. 

We cannot change admissions arrangements for church schools, academies and free schools as this is the responsibility of their governing boards. However, we are aiming to work closely with these schools throughout the process.  

Three models

We have set out 3 different models of how catchment areas and admissions numbers can change to ensure each school can thrive. It is hoped that this will help tackle barriers to success that some schools face when trying to deliver high-quality education to all pupils. 

You can read the secondary school admissions models and share your views through the Your Voice online engagement platform.

The survey is open until Wednesday 23 October

We’re also holding 3 public meetings: 

The events are open to everyone. To help us manage the capacity of the Hove Town Hall meeting, we’re asking anyone who would like to attend to book their place through Eventbrite.

Following this, Cabinet will decide whether to carry out a formal consultation on making a change to secondary school admission arrangements in November.

Any changes agreed to school admissions in the city would take effect from September 2026.