Your article about Brighton and Hove City Council's refusal to apply for a mid-year change in its admissions policy for secondary schools (The Argus, September 1) omitted one important point.

We have taken independent top-level legal advice about our position. The advice states that the authority's refusal to ask the school adjudicator for such a change is entirely reasonable.

Changing admissions criteria mid-year would be a massive decision with huge consequences for other parents across the city. We have to meet strict criteria even to apply for such a change and it is clear the criteria have not been met.

The review we are undertaking of our secondary school admissions system will take into account the views of all parents across the city.

Our current system has achieved a high level of parental preference - our aim now is to see if we can improve on this.

-Councillor Pat Hawkes, chairwoman, children, families and schools committee, Brighton and Hove City Council