Parents happy with council's U-turn over school cuts in Brighton

Hundreds of parents from seven primary schools in Brighton opposed plans to cut class sizes in their schools, pleading with the council to take a different approach in how it reduces class sizes for the city’s schools.

Brighton and Hove City Council ran a six-week consultation from November to January which saw parents from multiple schools gather signatures and let their community’s voices be heard against the proposed classroom cuts.

The reduction in admissions is required due to a falling birth rate in the city, which would lead to classes not being filled in schools.

• READ MORE: Pupil numbers will NOT be cut at city's primary schools - latest council vote

Brighton and Hove City Council forecast 325 spare places this September, rising to 744 by 2024, if they were to do nothing.

This would increase the risk of the government stepping in and potentially closing an entire school to meet targets, if the council did not act.

Seven schools faced cuts in the initial consultation – Bevendean, Carden, Coldean, Queen’s Park, Rudyard Kipling, Saltdean and Woodingdean Primary School.

Leila Erin-Jenkins was one of many parents who organised petitions and protests against proposed classroom cuts

Leila Erin-Jenkins was one of the parents who led the campaign for Bevendean Primary School in Heath Hill Avenue, Brighton.

The mother-of-four who has three children currently at Bevendean primary school said she “did not expect” yesterday’s outcome from the children, young people and skills committee (CYPSC).

Leila, from Bevendean, said: “We’re overjoyed that we managed to win it, I don’t think any of us expected that result.

• READ MORE: 'It will make things worse and not better' - MPs and schools protest over proposed admission cuts

“We had three petitions which involved standing outside school gates and leafleting all the seven schools about the rally. Because of the six-week timeframe, it felt like we were fighting a losing battle.”

In terms of falling birth rate, Leila thinks larger schools should face cuts to their classrooms, stating it would impact smaller schools a lot more if they have their admissions slashed.

She said: “I think it needs a whole-city approach to this issue, there will need to be cuts but I think they need to be at the schools that can take those cuts.”

Multiple schools protested outside Hove Town Hall in December

Abby Kinslow, whose five-year-old son Gabriel goes to Carden Primary School, was one of the parent’s who organised a protest with parents from Carden Primary School in County Oak Avenue, Brighton.

The mother-of-three said: “I don’t think it will be easy to work out. Obviously, everyone is concerned with their own school and own community which I suppose is natural.

“I’m just really glad the council will try to bring together the school’s across the city with a decision that doesn’t disadvantage the schools that already have a disadvantage.

“I hope they can find a way to make a choice that benefits everyone. It will take some doing and something does have to be done, but ideally the burden will be shared.”

Abby Kinslow with her children, Gabriel, 5, Solomon, 3, and Asher, six months

Councillor Hannah Clare, chairwoman of the council’s children, young people and skills committee, thanked people who got involved with the consultation.

She said while they are committed to keeping schools open, the country is still facing a “serious problem” with falling numbers of children at schools in the next few years.

Cllr Clare said: “A key concern is that changes at this point would have a disproportionate impact on schools that serve some of the city’s most disadvantaged pupils.

• READ MORE: Hundreds turn out for 'emotional' protest march against proposed school admission cuts

“We recognise that nearly all of our schools are currently managing within existing budgets or have clear recovery plans in place.

“With this in mind we have decided to leave things as they are for now and then see how parental preferences for this September’s intake affect things.

“Many people want to see all schools in the city playing their part in reducing the overall number of surplus places – particularly larger schools and schools situated in areas where there are accessible alternative schools.

Parents at Carden School organised a protest march to voice their discontent at the proposed cuts in November

“We agree – and in recent years we have tried to make this happen, precisely because bigger schools are proportionally less affected by a reduction in numbers than smaller schools.

“But we have effectively been stopped from doing this by the national Schools Adjudicator, who is appointed by the government.

“With falling pupil numbers continuing to be a serious issue, we will continue to engage with our family of schools about any concerns they have.”

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