This is not life or limb but is something that's brought great sadness to our daughter.
On 1st March our daughter, along with other Year 6 Primary school children up and down the country, received news of which secondary school she'll be going to. Where we live in Brighton and Hove a lottery system is used - mainly due to the fact the two most central Brighton schools - the only ones in our immediate catchment area - are the most popular and are often over-subscribed. Our Daughter had her heart set on one of these two schools, having very close friendships with a couple of children who started there already and are now Yr7's (what we used to call first-year seniors). Her peers in her class and year at her current Primary school also almost unanimously selected this same school as their first choice too, and there's been much excitement and anticipation in the last few months leading up.
When the emails came out to parents on March 1st we learned that our daughter didn't get any of her 3 choices of school (you must choose 3) and instead had been offered a school a long way away, well outside of the city. I had to break the news to her as we left the playground while around us her friends were each learning their news and chattering excitedly about where they'd each be going. We later found out she was the only child in her class not to be offered a place at one of their preferred schools, and the only child in the whole year to be allocated the school she has been given. She would be leaving behind all the friendships she's built in Primary school (some really lovely kids) and starting over again. On top of that, nurturing new friendships- especially outside of school time would be hard for her, as most of the children who attend this school live in its vicinity, which is a 30 min drive away for us.
We've tried to explain to her that she's not been singled out and it's purely random, but it's hard for her to understand with her being the only one. At the age of 11 these things really matter, and while I know as an adult that unexpected turns in life can sometimes work out for the best or make us stronger, I still can't help feeling gutted for her that she won't be making that transition with any of her other friends. She's an only child, and so the importance of those friendships to her perhaps runs a little deeper too.
The Council have known about the current population spike for a number of years of course due to census data and the numbers coming up through Primary, and this situation was predicted. Two years ago it was announced a new secondary school would be built to cope with the additional demand, but after many promises this would be open in time for this September's intake, they announced in the Autumn that it would not be going ahead. The two main secondary schools were opposed to this new school at the time, and both offered to increase their intake by an additional class each for the next three years, until the pupil numbers are predicted to decline again. One of them has kept it's promise for this year, but the other has deferred that promise until next year.
There are just 37 other children across the whole city in the same situation as our daughter who've been scattered to schools across the city and beyond.
I'm asking a small favour of each of you to sign the petition below, asking Brighton & Hove council to reconsider their position. All that's needed are 1,250 signatures and that will allow us as parents to give a presentation at the next Council comittee meeting and hopefully enable at least some of these kids to start school along with their friends. There's no stipulation that those who sign must live in the area or be affected by this directly, so I'd be hugely grateful if you could lend your support by adding your name:
https://phantom.brighton-hove.gov.uk...TPID=21654301&
Many thanks
Graham
Last edited by gcleminson; 7th April 2018 at 21:19.
✅ done. Must be a nightmare. I’m lucky in that I am able to choose to send my kids Private and the current lottery system for school places is one of the reasons. I at least have some control over where my kids go. The system you describe is happening all over and it’s ridiculous! Good luck with it all.
Although our kids have long since left school, I remember the trauma attached to finding out which school the kids would be moving up to.
At that time, a number of people appealed, appealed again and generally made a nuisance of themselves until their child was finally allowed to go to the desired school; I think in your situation that’s what I’d do!
In the meantime I’ve signed the petition and wish you (and your daughter) the best of luck in your endeavours.
Edit: looks like you’re almost 60% there already!
Last edited by Dave+63; 22nd March 2018 at 18:10.
Signed.
It is a stressful time for kids moving to secondary school and hope that the petition makes a difference. Keep us updated on how it goes.
Signed, good luck
Signed, Good Luck.
Signed, I was #743
Done; 747th.
I have signed it. My son missed out on our preferred primary school but the alternative was a good one. Very often in these scenarios you see people moaning about school placements when they have done something like moved at the last minute and expect a school to suddenly accommodate them at short notice, to do a lottery over catchment seems quite unfair. There were 750 signatures when I signed, I hope you get your chance to be heard. Good luck.
Done, Good luck.
#750 CHECKING IN......
Signed. Hope it works out for the best 👍🏻
Signed - sad to disrupt children's formative years like this. 751 people so far
Now 755
Good luck!
As a parent of school age children (and in the greater Brighton area) I feel extremely sorry that you all have to go through this. It defies logic, and you explain very well the impact this has on children and their families. I suspect I know where she will have to bus out to. Not good.
Not quite the same but my sister in law had an awful experience where her two children (1 school year apart) were actually sent to different primary schools. The appeal meeting with the council was a joke and their decision stood. Imagine trying to get two children aged 5 and 6 to two different schools within 5 minutes of each other. Chaos ensued for 8 months until a space came up. Just an example to show how logic and sense doesn't come in to it.
all the best and I really hope it come good for you all. You have to fight and it sounds like you're up for it.
Hope this helps.
762 signed , as someone who has had dealing with b and h council I will just say .........good luck.
Duly signed Graham.... good luck
Signed with pleasure sir ,good luck .
Signed - and just 483 to go until you hit your 1250 target. Really hope you manage to satisfactorily resolve this, and that your daughter gets to go to school with her friends.
signed, nothing worse than upset kids, hope it works out
Signed 770. Nigel
I’ve been through similar before so understand your frustration.
Signed, 771
Done as well, give em hell!
Done.
Signed. No 782. What an appalling system with little/no humanity shown whatsoever.
785th.
Signed. No 786. What an appalling system with little/no humanity shown whatsoever.
789 here.
I won’t say what I think of B&H council’s handling of this, I don’t want Eddie to ban me!
Last edited by KavKav; 22nd March 2018 at 20:29.
Done. Absolute disgrace. Good luck.
Signed - 791. All the best
Thanks yes, we're appealing for both her preferred choices. You need to have extremely compelling grounds and prove that the school you're arguing for offers something that the allocated school does not. Friendships, distance, even academic results are not taken into consideration. Our daughter's pretty well rounded, enjoys going to school, no major educational causes for concern, so we're putting every ounce of energy we can into the appeals but we're aware we're quite unlikely to succeed.Originally Posted by Dave+63
I have mixed feelings about this. There's currently a middle-class enclave in the centre of the city around the two best-performing schools . The outlying areas, especially to the East of the city are a different demographic, and this particular school performs WELL below national averages. Change has to come from somewhere though, and if the council had had the balls to send, say, 10 kids from each class to this school then at least I'd have been able to accept that more, as that would be a genuine attempt to mix things up and bring ALL the schools up to the level they should be at, rather than the current inequality.
Thanks to all that have signed so far. Much appreciated.
signed
What planet do these people that make these decisions live on? Clowns.
800.
Getting there.
Now 801
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Where is she going? Just curious - guess you mean dot.stringer & varndean were her 1st choices - i lived near them & also taught & lived in Brighton for 25 years. We had to appeal our daughter's school near to those schools too(st.bernadettes)as lived in surrenden & due to some legal technicality we got in & after a complaint from somewhere they created 2 forms as a one off. This was long ago before the lottery system ' brighton lea are useless though
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Last edited by lordloz; 22nd March 2018 at 19:31.
Sighned. Hope you get the numbers to at least go along and make them accountable for their incompetence.
You are lucky that these are still Local Authority schools and not academies - I don't think many parents realise what a black hole they are in terms of accountability - in theory they have to follow the same rules but the practice can be very different...
Signed mate hope it gets sorted we went through similar with primary schools but managed to get one we wanted I’m dreading the same all over again with secondary schools as the alternative might as well be borstal so we will be opting for private if we don’t get one of our choices.
806. Good luck.
J
Signed and good luck.
Done, and good luck.
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
Signed. Fingers crossed it works out for her.
Done - best wishes and good luck
Signed and good luck 823 here
I really feel for you, we've been going through the rigmarole of applying for school places from overseas (which adds a further complication) for about a year and are incredibly relieved that both girls have been allocated slots at the same school.
Naturally I'm happy to put my name to the ePetition for reconsideration.
Matthew
842 here. I hope things work out for you and your family
Done, best of luck.
Done and good luck.
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Another signature here.
Good luck.
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