People Overview & Scrutiny Committee
Subject: Educational Equity Framework
Date of meeting: 29 September 2026
Report of: The Chair, People O&S Committee
Contact Officer: Name: Corporate Director for Families, Children and Wellbeing
Email: giles.rossington@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Ward(s) affected: (All Wards);
Key Decision: No
1.1 The council is currently developing an Educational Equity Framework. Plans for this framework are being shared with People Overview & Scrutiny Committee at an early stage, so the committee has an opportunity to input into its development. Once a final draft has been agreed, the framework will again be shared with People O&S in advance of its consideration by Cabinet.
2.1 People Overview & Scrutiny Committee should:
• Note the latest education performance and trend data
• Note the activity currently underway to address educational disadvantage, including changes to school admission arrangements and wider inclusion initiatives.
• Consider the emerging themes identified through local data and intelligence.
• Provide views on the areas of educational disadvantage that should be prioritised for further analysis and future scrutiny reporting.
3.1 In general, Brighton & Hove school performance remains strong, outperforming national averages. However, the city has a longstanding problem with educational equity: children from more disadvantaged backgrounds tend to perform poorly in comparison to non-disadvantaged children, and the both the size of this gap and the attainment of disadvantaged children are worse than national averages.
3.2 The council sought to address this problem through Better Outcomes, Better Lives: Brighton & Hove’s Strategy for Tackling Educational Disadvantage 2022-26. There have been successful initiatives and partnerships across the life of the strategy, but limited evidence of positive impacts on school attainment, attendance or exclusions. The council is committed to addressing these issues, both via a number of active workstreams, and by the development of a new Educational Equity Framework.
3.3 People Overview & Scrutiny Committee has been invited to contribute to the development of the Framework. More details of educational disadvantage in the city and the ways that partners plan to increase equity may be found in the appendices to this report.
4.1 This report asks People O&S committee to contribute to the development of the Educational Equity Framework rather than suggesting a specific option to be agreed.
5.1 None directly for this report. Members may wish to explore the council’s community engagement plans in terms of the development of the Educational Equity Framework.
6.1 There are no financial implications arising directly from this information only report.
Name of finance officer consulted: Ishemupenyu Chagonda Date consulted (18/09/26):
7.1 No direct legal implications have been identified.
Name of lawyer consulted: Victoria Simpson Date consulted 21/09/2026
8.1 None directly for this report. Members may wish to explore the council’s risk management planning in the context of developing the Educational Equity Framework.
9.1 None directly. Members may wish to explore how the council plans to address the specific educational disadvantages experienced by young people with protected characteristics, for example in terms of ethnicity or disability.
10.1 None directly.
11. Health and Wellbeing Implications:
11.1 None directly. Members may wish to explore plans to address educational disadvantage for young people in contact with social care.
12. Procurement implications
12.1 None identified.
13. Crime & disorder implications:
13.1 None directly.
14.1 Members are asked to note plans to develop an Educational Equity Framework and note that data that underpins approaches. Members are also asked to contribute to ideas to the development of the framework.
Supporting Documentation
1. Annual Standards Report (data pack)
2. Presentation slides