Council Ordered to Change Secondary School Admissions Rules
Brighton and Hove City Council must alter its secondary school admissions arrangements following a partial upheaval of objections by the Schools Adjudicator.
Adjudicator ruling on admissions changes
Brighton and Hove City Council has been ordered to change its secondary school admissions rules after the Office of the Schools Adjudicator partially upheld objections to changes introduced earlier this year.
Schools Adjudicator David Holland examined complaints from four anonymous parents, though one fell outside the deadline for objections. His ruling means the council must amend its admissions arrangements when allocating places for children starting year 7 in September 2027.
Free school meals criterion clarification required
Mr Holland found that the council's rule giving priority to children eligible for free school meals was "unclear" following a change in government policy. Since September, free school meals have been available to all households receiving universal credit, whereas previously the threshold was a family income of less than £7,400.
The adjudicator ruled that the free school meals criterion should apply only to those receiving "targeted" free school meals, with a family income under £7,400 a year, rather than to all those eligible.
Sibling link upheld
The council's plan to allocate places to children with a brother or sister already at a school, regardless of catchment area, has been upheld. This was introduced as part of the January changes to admissions rules.
Waiting list arrangements to be reviewed
Mr Holland also found that the council's waiting list arrangements "lacked sufficient clarity" and did not conform to the Schools Admissions Code. He ruled that the council cannot automatically withdraw children from waiting lists unless parents actively opt in to remain, stating: "I do not consider the code permits an arrangement under which unsuccessful applicants are excluded from the waiting list unless they actively opt in."
The council must address this by Saturday 31 October, the closing date for secondary school place applications.
Council response
Councillor Jacob Taylor, Labour deputy leader of the council, welcomed the adjudicator's decision to uphold the sibling link expansion. He said the council was "pleased" that the approach reflected its "commitment to tackling inequality, creating greater equity of opportunity and improving educational outcomes".
The council noted that it has received the Fair School Admissions Gold Award from the Sutton Trust for two consecutive years.
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