Historic School Offers Day: How Inclusive Admissions Are Delivering for more families
Following more than five years of campaigning by our grassroots community, today’s National Offers Day marks a historic turning point for education in Brighton and Hove.
Official data released by the City Council proves that our city’s pioneering new school admissions rules, which included the Whitehawk catchment changes designed to create a fairer, more socio-economically diverse school system are beginning to work. Crucially, this has been achieved without squeezing families out of central catchments.
Ultimately, families want the school that is right for their child. The data highlights that many families in the city centre chose to place their first-preference choices outside of their own catchment area. This suggests that having real options is not just important for families in the east of the city, but for those in the city centre too.
Under the new policy, which requires community schools to prioritise Free School Meal (FSM) eligible pupils and sets aside places for Open Admissions, families across the city have been successful in securing their preferred schools.
The numbers speak for themselves:
83% of families received their first preference school, an actual increase from last year.
Zero families were squeezed out: All pupils living in a dual school catchment area who expressed a preference for both of their catchment schools were successfully offered their catchment area school or a higher preference.
Families are actively using the new criteria: The Free School Meal and Open Admissions priorities are successfully opening doors for children across the city.
For communities like Whitehawk, where children have historically been locked out of real choice, today represents a generational shift.
Here is what parents and campaigners from our community had to say about today's news:
Dave, Whitehawk Parent and Class Divide Campaigner:
"With the school offers today, we can see the changes we campaigned for over the last five years taking full effect. It is brilliant to see that families are successfully using the new Free School Meal and Open Admissions criteria. More students are finally going to their real first-choice schools that suit their individual needs, and this fairer system will benefit the whole city moving forward."
Lewis, Whitehawk Parent:
"Today is the start of a new era for our community. We are finally seeing outcomes driven by real choice and opportunity for our children, rather than having none. The fact that schools are opening their doors to children outside their immediate neighborhoods proves that the Open Admissions and FSM priorities are working. It's so special to be looking at the future with hope."
Curtis James, Class Divide Co-Founder:
"This news is a massive win for everyone across Brighton and Hove. It is a victory for the parents who have fought for equity, but it should also reassure parents who were understandably scared their children would be squeezed out of their catchment schools. The official council data confirms that all pupils living in a dual school catchment area who expressed a preference for both catchment schools have been offered their catchment area school or a higher preference.
This seamless transition happened because a changing picture of preferences is emerging, with families in central dual-catchment areas actively choosing schools outside their catchment, including PACA, Patcham, Longhill, and BACA, as their first preferences. Equity in our schools doesn't mean a loss for anyone; it creates a stronger, fairer city with a better socio-economic mix for us all."
Looking Forward: Backing Longhill and Keeping Kids in Brighton
While today is a day of celebration, we know the work to build a truly equitable city is ongoing. As a campaign, we are now calling on the city to throw its full support behind Longhill High School.
Despite being a fantastic community school with a highly positive Ofsted report that praises its safe environment, high aspirations, and strong extracurriculars, Longhill currently has 129 unfilled spaces for the 2026 intake. We urge parents across the city to look beyond old stigmas. A truly inclusive city means backing all of our community schools.
Furthermore, as Brighton and Hove's schools become fairer, more diverse, and better equipped to serve all children, we hope to see an end to the historical trend of swathes of Brighton and Hove’s children traveling out of the city to attend schools in Lewes and other neighboring towns. By championing local schools like Longhill and embracing our new, equitable admissions system, we can ensure that Brighton and Hove's children are educated together, within the city they call home.