Allocation factsheet for Year 7 places September 2026

Preferences for the Community Secondary Schools in Brighton & Hove were allocated according to the Council’s admission priorities and are set out in the tables below.  Table 1 also shows preferences for Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA), Cardinal Newman Catholic School, King’s School and Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) which each have their own admission arrangements used to allocate places.  

Any student living within Brighton & Hove who was not offered a place at one of their preferred schools would have been offered a place at the nearest school with places available.  

For September 2026 onwards, parents may express a preference for up to four schools. These figures include on-time applications from outside Brighton & Hove.  

Table 1 - Number of on-time preferences received for each school 

Numbers in brackets show the places offered at this school. 

*Kings School also had one 5th preference from an out of area applicant. 

Please note that this document does not show how late applications were processed, or how directions were made for students who could not be offered a school of preference.  Therefore, schools that initially had places left may now be full (with directions, or late applications received before the 22nd January 2026).  

Free school meals priority (priorities 4 and 5)

For children starting Secondary School in Year 7 in September 2025 onwards, a new admission priority was introduced for the Community Schools: children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). Priority 4 is for children eligible for Free School Meals and living within the school’s catchment area. Priority 5 is for other children eligible for Free School Meals, up to the city average (taken as 30%).

The number of places available at each school under Priorities 4 has been calculated by applying the city average to the school’s Published Admission Number (PAN) and subtracting the number of places offered to pupils eligible for FSM under Priorities 1,2 and 3. Children who are considered under Priority 4 will also be considered under Priority 7.

The number of places available at each school under Priorities 5 has been calculated by applying the city average to the school’s Published Admission Number (PAN) and subtracting the number of places offered to pupils eligible for FSM under Priorities 1,2 3 and 4. Please see table 2 (below).  Children who are considered under Priority 5 will also be considered under Priority 8, and under Priority 6 if applicable.  

For more information about the Free School Meals priority, please see the Council’s website here.

Table 2 - Number of places available and allocated at each community school under priorities 4 and 5 (free school meals)

All schools were able to admit every student from Priority 4. If a student has not offered a place under Priority 4, it is because they have been offered a place at a higher preference school.

All schools except for Varndean School were able to admit every student from Priority 5. 

Open admissions (priority 6)

For September 2026, we've introduced a new open admissions priority (Priority 6). Up to 5% of places in each of the city's community secondary schools will now be open to pupils who live in single-school catchment areas.  This priority is for children living outside the school’s catchment area but within the catchment area for BACA, PACA, Patcham or Longhill. This priority does not apply for pupils living in the Patcham catchment area applying for Patcham High School, or pupils living in the Longhill catchment area and applying for Longhill High School. 

For more information about the Open Admissions priority, please see the Council’s website here.

Table 3 - Number of places available and allocated at each community school under priority 6 (open admissions)

All pupils who expressed preferences for their catchment area school or both schools in a dual school catchment area have been offered a place at their catchment area school of a higher preference. 

Table 4 - Number of offers made for each community school under each admission priority

*Students with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) were automatically offered a place at the school named in their Plan. 

Priority 1 – Looked After Children

Priority 2 – Exceptional Reasons 

Priority 3 – Sibling Link

Priority 4 – FSM In Catchment Area

Priority 5 – FSM Out of Catchment Area

Priority 6 – Open Admissions

Priority 7 – In Catchment Area

Priority 8 – Other Children 

Please see the council’s website for a detailed explanation of each of the 8 admission criteria.  

If you require clarification on this factsheet, or would like information about which schools have spaces available, please contact the School Admissions Team by sending an email to  schooladmissions@brighton-hove.gov.uk. 

If you are unable to send an email, please call 01273 293653. Telephone lines are open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 1.30pm.