Brighton & Hove's new school admissions policy prioritising FSM-eligible children has enabled 95 pupils to secure places outside their catchment areas. Despite concerns about Varndean School's incoming Year 7 cohort rising to 38% FSM-eligible pupils, we view this rebalancing as positive progress towards educational equity across the city's schools.

Last week, following National Offer Day, the council released the 2025 school admissions data—the first opportunity to assess the impact of last year's groundbreaking policy change giving priority to children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM).

Class Divide welcomes today's decision by Brighton & Hove Council to approve changes to school admissions policies, marking the most significant reform to our school admission system in nearly two decades and a landmark victory for families in historically disadvantaged communities across our city.

To: all councillors and local MPs

We write in response to plans proposed by Brighton and Hove City Council in relation to catchment areas, school sustainability, and social diversity in local schools.

As academics and researchers in education and related fields (including geographies), we are aware that bold steps are needed to reduce persistent educational inequities – but that they are rarely taken.

Brighton & Hove stands at a crucial moment in its journey toward educational equity. On February 27th, councillors will vote on the most significant changes to our school admission system in nearly two decades.

In a packed room on a rainy January evening, educators, administrators and community activists gathered to tackle one of Brighton and Hove's most pressing challenges: the stark educational inequality that continues to hold back students from low-income backgrounds. The event, organised by Class Divide's teachers' network, brought together voices from across the educational spectrum to share insights and strategies for creating positive change.

Brighton & Hove Council proposes groundbreaking changes to school admissions, including guaranteed places for disadvantaged pupils and open admissions, aiming to create a fairer education system regardless of postcode or income.

At this week's Council scrutiny meeting, Whitehawk parent Lewis shared his powerful testimony about navigating Brighton's school admissions system. His story of managing school transport with his autistic twins highlighted a crucial truth - that for many Brighton families, school 'choice' isn't really choice at all. Read his moving account of how transport costs and geography create invisible barriers in our education system, and why change matters for every child's future in Brighton & Hove.

We wanted to share our initial thoughts and actions on from the council’s new proposals for secondary schools and the launch of the 8-week consultation.

The recent coverage of the council's proposals has highlighted both the complexity of making changes to our city's school system and the very real anxieties many parents feel about their children's education.

Brighton & Hove stands at a crossroads in education. Today, our city council has shown commitment to reforming the secondary school system, and as Class Divide, we're cautiously optimistic about the potential for real change.

A response to the 2024 Brighton and Hove Catchment and PAN review by the Class Divide Teachers Network.

We have important news to share! Brighton and Hove City Council has just announced a review of catchment areas and Planned Admission Numbers (PANs) for secondary schools. This is a significant development that we've been pushing for since our campaign began.

The recent study by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has shed light on a disturbing trend in England's education system - the widening attainment gap between students from low-income families and their wealthier peers. This report resonates deeply with our mission and underscores the urgency of our work.

A message of support for our manifesto from teachers.

No one speaks up for the disadvantaged in our education system like Class Divide, and their manifesto for the UK general election 2024 sets forward a programme that most educators would endorse. Their plan includes simple actions that could transform the lives of those affected.

Our mission is to make Brighton & Hove the best place to go to school if you are a child from a low-income family or community. However, we recognise that achieving this goal requires changes to national education policy. Today, we are proud to launch our manifesto, outlining the five crucial actions the next government must take to ensure children from low-income backgrounds have equity in education.

One of the most exciting things about our action over the last year has been the number of teachers and other education professionals who have got in touch with us to offer their support and tell their own stories about how the education divide in the city impacts them both in the classroom and in their careers.

Class Divide on BBC Politics South East

The day after the FSM vote, our founder and spokesperson was invited onto BBC Politics live to speak about the policy change.