Statement on the Secondary School
Admissions Review - Cllr Simon Battle (January 2006)

I would like to make the following statement in relation to the Secondary School Admissions Review. I was a member of the all-party Working Group which examined the admissions process and which recommended improvements to the existing system. I am also a ward councillor in Goldsmid, part of which is adversely affected by the current system.

The core of what I would like to say is that both myself and my colleague Labour Ward Councillor Vince Meegan support a fairer system which would enable a better choice for residents of the eastern part of the ward. Specifically we believe there should be greater opportunity for residents to access the school which is considered by many families as their community school, Blatchington Mill. We will continue to work for this goal on behalf of local residents.

The current admissions system, which is based on walking distance to school, provides some residents – in western Hove and in north Brighton – with a luxurious choice of secondary schools. Meanwhile other families are offered a very restricted choice and in parts of Goldsmid Ward this has meant some parents failing to be allocated any of their three choices. In the case of roads such as Addison Road and Lyndhurst Road, parents have often opted for Blatchington Mill, which is perceived by many as this community’s local school, but been allocated schools as far away as Patcham instead.

The fundamental problem is the geographical spacing of schools and the lack of secondary schools in the City Centre area. The Working Panel had within its remit the task of attempting to introduce greater fairness into the system. We decided to do this by helping the disenfranchised areas where we could, without upsetting the largely successful existing system too far (90 per cent of parents are getting allocated their first choice secondary school).

The working group's original proposals evened out the unfairness of the admissions system by addressing the imbalance of certain areas.

In my opinion, the Working Group’s proposals for a measuring point at Hove Cricket Ground for Blatchington Mill could have been implemented for 2007. This would have enabled residents of eastern Goldsmid Ward to gain access to Blatchington Mill.

However, a majority of the Working Group did not feel the mandate existed to implement this change – plus others relating to access to Dorothy Stringer by residents in east Brighton - in light of the overwhelming opposition to the proposals for change during consultation.

For this reason the Working Group recommended to the Children, Families and Schools Committee that no change be introduced for 2007, while still expressing its belief that the so-called nodal approach would be beneficial and could be implemented in future.

While I personally supported a change for 2007, I cannot deny that it would have been preferable to have had amandate from the consultation. This was simply not forthcoming.

For further information on the details of Secondary School Admissions Review please see the Council’s Website: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk.

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