All schools and interested parties are invited to contribute their views on the consultation by 13 January 2012.

Projections of pupil numbers show that there is a spike in numbers for reception classes for September 2012.

Numbers show that we will have five less places across the city in September 2012 than will be required. Although all children including the additional five children could be accommodated somewhere in the city, analysis of the post code data shows that nearly 120 additional places will be needed in Hove and at the Brighton/Hove border.

Rather than direct children to schools a significant distance from their local area, and to provide the needed extra places, the Council has informally approached four schools and asked them to take an extra class for September 2012.

The four schools are: 

1. Connaught (managed by West Hove Infants)

2. Westdene

3. Goldstone

4. Queens Park

Each of these schools are popular with parents, and are undergoing major building work to provide an additional form of entry from September 2012.  Even though some of these schools have already begun to take additional children, each school will have a number of brand new classrooms that will be empty in September 2012.

The addition of an extra class in 2012 beyond those schools planned expansions will enable local children to attend local schools. The extra class will carry on through the school for seven years requiring temporary accommodation for their last, or last few years. The extra class will not set a precedent for future years and once the 2012 ‘spike’ has been accommodated future intakes at the schools will revert to the published admissions number.

To take part in this consultation go to the Brighton & Hove City Council Consultation Portal