Decision - School Admission Arrangements 2026-27

This report seeks permission to undertake a consultation on proposed school admission arrangements to take effect from September 2026.

1)            Cabinet agrees to make no changes to the Council’s admission arrangements other than the proposed changes listed below.

2)            Cabinet agrees to consult upon a change to the Published Admission number (PAN) of Rudyard Kipling Primary School from 30 pupils to 45 pupils.

3)            Cabinet agrees to consult on making a change to the admission priorities for secondary schools to include a change in the application of a criteria for pupils with Free School Meals and the introduction of a criteria for pupils outside the catchment area. The application of the Free School Meals priorities should align with the intention of allowing additional access to pupils on Free School Meals where a school would otherwise not meet the city-wide average figure for their overall intake. The proposed admission arrangements are detailed below and in Appendix 5.

4)            Cabinet agrees to consult upon a change to the PAN of Longhill High School from 270 pupils to 210 pupils, Blatchington Mill School from 330 pupils to 300 pupils and Dorothy Stringer School from 330 pupils to 300 pupils. The proposed PANs are detailed below and in Appendix 1.

5)            Cabinet agrees to consult on making changes to the catchment area of Longhill High School and the catchment area of Dorothy Stringer and Varndean schools. The proposed admission arrangements are detailed below and in Appendix 5.

6)            Cabinet agrees to consult on increasing the number of preferences that families can make from three to four.

7)            Cabinet agrees to consult on the “relevant area” remaining the same. The “relevant area” is the area which describes the geographical area of consultation that any school proposing a change to admission arrangements must use. This is currently defined as the area within the city boundary.

8)            Cabinet agrees to make the changes to the wording of the admission arrangements for 2026/27 as advised by the Schools Adjudicator in recent written decisions, namely how a pupil’s main address is determined if they live at more than one address, how parents apply for admission out of the usual year group and updated notes and the definition of the random allocation process. These changes will ensure the requirements of the School Admissions Code are met. Admission arrangements are detailed in Appendix 5.

9)            Cabinet agrees to amend paragraph 5.9 to read:

5.9     The scheduling of public meetings will include:

·         Thursday 12 December – Online 10:00 – 11:30

·         Tuesday 7 January – In-person 18:00 – 19:30, Hove Town Hall (TBC)

·         Saturday 11 January – In-person 10:30 – 12:00, Jubilee Library

·         (TBC)

Further meetings will take place and the details for these will be available when the public consultation launches on 6 December 2024.