Fury after children miss Brighton school places

Freya Elliott, ten, is one of 62 Brighton children in the Varndean and Stringer catchment areas who have been “scattered” across the city amid a shortage in school places.

Freya’s mother, Lucy Elliott, 31, says her young daughter now faces “commuting like an adult” after being told she must attend Longhill School, more than three miles away from her home.

Her journey to school will now see her having to take three buses from 7am every morning.

“She cries and I cry,” said Lucy.

“I try to remain positive but I’m worried for her. I’m worried for her mental health and safety.

“She’s beside herself and trying to make me promise her that she won’t have to go.”

Neither mother Lucy, who works at a school near their home, or her father, a policeman in London, will be able to drive her to school.

READ MORE: Families of 62 children missing school places hand in petition

“She would have to leave just after 7am and walk down Springfield Road in Brighton. She would then get the bus to the Steine.

“She would then need another bus – which I believe is the 2 along the coast. Then, when in Rottingdean, get another bus up to Longhill School.”

“She’s gone from happy and excited to nervous and worried. I’ve noticed councillors talk about equality and kindness.

A petition has been handed to Brighton and Hove City Council

“All our children should not feel worry, distress, anxiety and sadness about what should be an exciting time in their lives.”

The families of 62 children in the same situation have called on the council to review the number of secondary school places available at Dorothy Stringer and Varndean School for the September 2021 intake.

A petition to the council calling for action, started by Amy Hyland and signed by more than 2,000 people, said: “The impact of the pandemic and a national lockdown has been huge. Their emotional resilience is at a low.

“Instead of being able to look forward to the next stage in their education with , they are now having to contend with extreme disappointment and anxiety, as they have been offered places far from their homes and their local community.”

In 2018, the council decided not to go ahead with plans for a new secondary school on the basis of additional capacity being provided by existing schools.

The council said the plans been abandoned as secondary schools had offered to take additional pupils. Funding was freed up to support this.

The petition added: “The council’s data would have shown that there would be additional demand for secondary school places for September 2021.

“As a consequence of reducing the school spaces available, children are not able to go on to attend a secondary school in an area they have grown up and where they are part of their local community.”

Councillor Hannah Clare, chairwoman of the council’s children, young people and skills committee, said: “We understand how upsetting it can be for families when we are unable to offer them one of their preferred schools. Unfortunately the large number of pupils this year in the catchment areas for Varndean and Dorothy Stringer made this unavoidable.

“We work in close partnership with our schools on all school admissions matters.

“However, both schools are full. Varndean will also have building work ongoing in September and therefore can’t accept extra pupils.

“Given the number of pupils involved, and the fact that Dorothy Stringer is already operating at full capacity, the working group and Dorothy Stringer agreed they would not be in a position to offer the children a place.

“After consulting with our secondary schools we all agreed that the appropriate way to manage this situation was to allocate all the city’s secondary school places in line with our published admissions policies”