A Letter Delivered. A City Called to Act.
Today, we hand-delivered an open letter to Brighton and Hove City Council. Signed by nearly 600 residents, teachers, parents, and community members, this letter is a clear demand for urgent action.
We’re asking for two things:
An independent review into how the city supports its children and young people, to understand why so many past strategies have failed.
A commitment from the council to help every school develop a clear equity and inclusion plan, so that our most disadvantaged children don’t keep falling through the cracks.
We didn’t come to this lightly. We came because the data is now undeniable. Reports from the Sutton Trust, and Impetus all show the same thing: Brighton and Hove ranks among the very worst in the country for outcomes for children eligible for Free School Meals.
There are only 16 constituencies in the entire country doing worse.
This is a national disgrace. And it’s not just about education.
The inequalities in our city run across health, housing, employment, youth services and transport. If Brighton and Hove can be a world leader in digital innovation, climate policy, culture and design, then we must ask why we continue to fail so many of our poorest children.
It’s time for the city to face up to the full picture - not just the parts we’re proud of.
A first step: help us understand the barriers to getting to school
We know that one major obstacle for families is transport. The cost, reliability, and availability of school buses directly affect attendance, lateness and access to after-school activities.
That’s why we’re launching the Class Divide Secondary School Transport Survey today. If you’re a parent or carer of a secondary school pupil in Brighton and Hove, we want to hear from you.
Tell us:
How your child gets to school
What works
What needs fixing
Whether transport is affecting your child’s attendance or experience
It only takes 5 minutes to complete.
Take the survey now - Click Here
We’ll use your responses to:
Build evidence for a fairer, safer and more affordable school transport system
Inform a city-wide transport hackathon in September 2025
Influence council decisions and national policy discussions
We want to thank everyone who signed the letter, shared their story, or supported this campaign. You’ve helped make this moment possible.
But this is only the start.
Join us. Speak up. Take the survey. Share the film. And if you want to get involved, we’d love to hear from you.
