School sums don’t add up for 'BN2 3' postcode kids
22 January 2007
Green councillors strongly oppose moves by Labour-led Brighton and Hove Council to include families from the ‘BN2 3’ post code district within the new Falmer High School catchment area.
The district lies between Elm Grove in the south and Bear Road in the north. It had been designated a part of a new catchment area for the city centre rather than Falmer - which lies far to the north.
Greens point out that there would be around 270 children in every year’s in-take for a secondary school with only 210 places per year.
“The sums simply don’t add up,” said Bill Randall (pictured left) , a Green councillor for Hanover and Elm Grove Ward which covers the BN2 3 area.
"It’s a big diversion from what had already been agreed by the council’s schools committee. Green councillors will fight any changes tooth and nail.
"Furthermore, there’s been no proper consultation on this proposal, " Bill explained.
"The council made no mention of moving families in ‘BN2 3’ to the Falmer catchment when it instructed the school admission working group to look into boundary issues that affect other areas of the city such as the Prestonville area.
“It will also divide a natural community in two with children forced to leave their friends in local primary schools and travel to Falmer High in the far north of the city instead of the main secondary schools that will serve the rest of the city centre, Varndean and Dorothy Stringer.”
Bill added: “If, as seems likely, the Labour-led council establishes Falmer High as a city academy, independent of city control, then it’s logical to keep the catchment boundaries as close to those that the academy intends to adopt.
"Otherwise there will be more disruption at a later stage."
Notes to editors:
For more information, please contact Geoffrey Bowden Green Party Press Officer on 07958 682 683.[ENDS]
