Brighton schools: Parents call for 'bulge' spaces

Parents of 62 children have called for increased capacity at two Brighton schools after they failed to get places in their local catchment area.

Many are the only children from their current classes not to have been offered a place at their catchment secondary schools, campaigners say.

They want extra places made available at Dorothy Stringer and Varndean schools to cater for a 'bulge year'.

But councillors say the two schools are already over capacity.

Since 2018 both schools have admitted extra pupils because of 'bulge years', when the number of children in the city has been particularly high.

During a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council, parents of the children, who call themselves the Misplaced 62, submitted a petition of 2,402 signatures calling for extra spaces to be made available this September.

'Pupils have left'

Parent Anna Cole said there are seven state schools in the city that are closer to her home than the one her son has been offered a place at.

She said: "These are children who have been through lockdown, many of whom are already suffering from anxiety and stress, and now they find themselves as the only ones in their class who are facing long commutes that involve about three different buses, on their own.

"These two schools have catered for bulge years before, and since last September a number of pupils have left, so we believe they do have capacity for some extra pupils."

'Disruption'

But Councillor Hannah Clare said increasing capacity at the two schools has affected pupils' learning.

She told the full council meeting: "Dorothy Stringer School has highlighted from its experience that larger year groups have a detrimental effect on students' attitude to learning and progress.

"Varndean is experiencing ongoing disruption of the building works needed to provide for this expansion."

Councillors agreed to note the petition.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].