Decision - School Admission Arrangements 2026-27

The mayor confirmed that the recommendations had been carried by 38 to 11 against with 1 abstention.

RESOLVED:

1)             That Full Council agrees to make no changes to the council’s admission arrangements other than the proposed changes listed below in recommendations 2.2 to 2.11. The full admission arrangements are set out in Appendix 5.

2)             That Full Council agrees to increase the Published Admission Number (PAN) of Rudyard Kipling Primary School from 30 to 45 for entry into reception year from September 2026

3)             That Full Council agrees to amend the catchment area boundary between Longhill High School and Dorothy Stringer and Varndean schools, as set out in section 20 below.

4)             That Full Council agrees to reduce the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Blatchington Mill School from 330 to 300 for entry into year 7 from September 2026.

5)             That Full Council agrees to reduce the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Dorothy Stringer School from 330 to 300 for entry into year 7 from September 2026.

6)             That Full Council agrees to reduce the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Longhill High School from 270 to 210 for entry into year 7 from September 2026.

7)             That Full Council agrees to make a change to the admissions priorities for community secondary schools, to provide that at any school the percentage of places for pupils eligible for Free School Meals within the oversubscription priorities 1-5 should be set at 30% of the Published Admission Number (PAN).

8)             That Full Council agrees to the introduction of a new Criteria 6 within the oversubscription criteria for entry into community secondary schools in the city, to be referred to as Open Admissions. This is to be set at 5% of the total PAN of those schools and is only available to pupils living within a single school catchment area in the city.

9)             That Full Council agrees to increase the number of preferences that families can express from three to four for admission from September 2026 onwards.

10)         That Full Council agrees to make no change to the ‘relevant area’ for school admissions purposes.

11)         That Full Council agrees to the proposed primary and secondary school coordinated schemes.

12)         That Full Council notes the intention to review the Home to School Transport Policy informed by the admissions arrangements determined by Full Council, review capital expenditure on school buildings in 2025/26 and evaluate the educational disadvantage strategy, Better Outcomes, Better Lives.