School Admissions Data for 2025: 95 Free School Meals Children Offered More School Choice
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).
We can now see that 95 FSM-eligible children secured places in schools outside their catchment under the new priority. This represents a significant achievement in our campaign's primary goal: providing more school choice for families.
The value of increased choice
Having more choice in schooling is fundamental to educational equity. For many families, particularly in areas like Whitehawk, school choice has historically been limited by unfair catchment and admissions, geography and socioeconomic factors. This policy directly addresses that imbalance, empowering families to select schools that best match their children's needs and aspirations.
Choice in education means different things to different families—it might mean access to specific teaching approaches, extracurricular activities, or simply a school environment where a child feels they can thrive. By expanding these options for FSM-eligible children, the policy recognises that one size doesn't fit all in education.
A systemic change for all children
While this policy benefits children across the city, it has been particularly significant for Whitehawk, where our campaign started. Parents in Whitehawk told us they wanted more choice, and with 63.3% of pupils at City Academy Whitehawk entitled to FSM, many now have that choice.
Beyond admissions, the 2024 FSM campaign marked a turning point in Whitehawk's civic engagement. Historically, participation in local democracy here has been low—not due to apathy, but because of systemic barriers. Precarious work, financial pressures, and a lack of faith in political systems make engagement difficult. Class Divide tackled this head-on, bringing the consultation directly to residents through flyers, community events, and conversations that empowered residents to make their voices heard.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Choice For All
The council has now voted through further reforms to their school admissions code, with the aim of making the admissions system even fairer for children across the city. The introduction of a small open admissions criteria means that even children who are not eligible for Free School Meals now have a choice of schools to apply to, and this time next year we'll be able to see how this change impacts school choices throughout Brighton and Hove.
While these are promising first steps, this policy work is part of a longer journey. A team of academics is currently examining the broader outcomes of these changes, and we look forward to learning from their research in the coming years.