A PROTEST is set to take place this afternoon against proposed cuts to school admission numbers.

Parents, governors, pupils and teachers from several schools in East Brighton will be gathering outside Hove Town Hall from 4pm.

Organiser Leila Erin-Jenkins started the Stop the Proposed School Admission Cuts to Our Schools campaign when it was announced that the school her children attend, Bevendean Primary, will see a reduction in class sizes.

The Facebook page dedicated to the cause now has over 400 members and petitions.

The council has proposed that from 2023 seven schools in the east of the city will have their published admission numbers (Pan) cut, some by as much as half - such as at Carden and Queen's Park, due to a decline in birth rates and fear that classes will not be filled.

Leila said: "We want to show the council just how many people are against this and how many people don't want it to happen.

"We feel that the burden of Pan reductions should be shared across the city or they should not reduce the Pan at all, which is an option."

Through the proposed reduction in class sizes schools will receive less funding and will not allow children to "thrive" as they are now, says Leila.

The cuts are likely to lead to staff redundancies including support staff, as well as mixed age classes and bigger classes.

Leila believes that by cutting the pupil admissions at Bevendean, Carden, Woodingdean, Rudyard Kipling, Queen's Park, Coldean and Saltdean Primary Schools it will also discourage family's from settling in the area.

She added that the seven schools take a large proportion of disadvantaged children and children with special educational needs/ disabilities.

Representatives from at least four of the schools are expected to attend the rally this afternoon, hoping to convince the council of the community's stance.

Speeches will also be given by the MP for Kemptown Lloyd Russel-Moyle and heads of charities for disadvantaged people in the area.

Three petitions that have each been signed by 1,250 people from Bevendean, Carden and Woodingdean Primary schools will be delivered today at 6pm.

The decision for Pan reductions at these schools is currently under public consultation and the vote will take place in early January 2022, the council have already stated that the decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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