We are delighted to announce that a proposal to create a new priority category of Free School Meals (FSM) children in secondary school admissions was agreed by Brighton & Hove City Council’s Children, Young People and Schools committee.
Why we support the proposal
Meaningful Choice
Children eligible for Free School Meals will have more choice of secondary schools irrespective of what catchment area they live in.
Fair
All secondary schools in the city will teach at least the average percentage of pupils eligible for Free School Meals in the city, for example, 18% of Dorothy Stringer pupils are eligible for FSM and if this proposal is approved and implemented this will rise to at least 28% in 2025.
Inclusive and Diverse
Research from America shows that having more socio-economically integrated schools, rather than schools that are attended by mostly poor or mostly more affluent students, results in better educational outcomes for all and promote greater diversity in social relationships.
Best for teachers and for students
Schools with high proportions of children from low income families can struggle to attract the best qualified teachers and can have a high staff turnover, and this negatively impacts the learning of pupils.
Brighton & Hove leads the way
We want Brighton and Hove to lead efforts to reduce education inequality and be a truly fair and inclusive city.
Don’t just take our word for it
This proposed policy change has support from heads and teachers, policy makers, politicians and researchers. Read about that support here.
Listen up.
In this bonus episode of our podcast series, we delve into this critical consultation happening within the council that could reshape the landscape of education in Brighton and Hove. Featuring Dr Ellen Greaves, Andy Schofield, Dr Carlie Goldsmith, Longhill Headteacher Rachelle Otulakowski, Fiona Millar, Cllr David McGregor and Cllr Jacob Taylor.
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We're raising £500 to help fund our campaigning for Free School Meal priority in admissions criteria in Brighton.