Brighton & Hove City Council says the Schools Adjudicator has ruled on objections to its secondary school admission changes for September 2027. In a news release on 22 October 2026, the council said some of its changes can go ahead as planned and others must be amended.
The adjudicator has agreed that a sibling link for all pupils can go ahead. The council’s free school meals criteria must now apply to children eligible for “targeted” free school meals, rather than “expanded”.
What the adjudicator decided
The council announced changes to its secondary admission arrangements for September 2027. A number of objections were then raised with the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. After considering them, the adjudicator decided that some changes can go ahead and others must be amended. The council has set out its current plans on its 2027-2028 admission arrangements page.
Sibling link. Can go ahead as planned, for all pupils.
Free school meals wording. Clarified by the adjudicator. The priority now applies to children eligible for “targeted” free school meals.
Share of places. Now linked to the average of targeted free school meals in Brighton & Hove, set after the autumn school census.
Waiting lists. The council says it will review how it proposes to manage pupils on secondary school waiting lists.
The sibling link for all pupils
The existing sibling link only applies to children who live within a school’s catchment area. From 2027 it will apply to all pupils. The council says this lets families keep benefiting from earlier changes that offer places to children living outside a school’s catchment area, such as the free school meals and open admission criteria.
“We welcome the adjudicator’s decisions and are pleased that our approach to expanding the sibling link for all pupils regardless of catchment area has been upheld.
This reflects our commitment to tackling inequality, creating greater equity of opportunity and improving educational outcomes, work that has been recognised by the Sutton Trust’s Fair School Admissions Gold Award for 2 consecutive years.”
Councillor Jacob Taylor, Deputy Leader of the Council
That award is covered in our report, Brighton Hove Wins Sutton Trust Fair School Admissions Gold Award Second Year 2026.
How people responded to the sibling link
The proposal was one of the most debated parts of the council’s consultation, which ran from 14 November 2025 to 9 January 2026. The council’s report to Full Council on 29 January 2026 recorded 332 responses to this question on its online portal. A majority strongly disagreed.
The report says 199 comments on this part of the proposal mostly raised strong concerns that it could reduce the chance of children living inside catchment areas getting places at their local schools. It also records a petition of 201 names, organised by Equity in Education, supporting the sibling link change. In all, the consultation drew 344 online responses and 5 public meetings.
Free school meals: targeted, not expanded
The adjudicator clarified the council’s free school meals criteria after the government changed how benefits-related free school meals are issued. They are now split into “targeted” and “expanded” free school meals. The council says these changes came in during summer 2026, after it had set its 2027/28 arrangements.
The priority will now apply to children eligible for targeted free school meals. The council will offer a proportion of places across the city’s secondary schools up to the average of targeted free school meals in Brighton & Hove. That figure will be set after the autumn school census, which is being carried out now.
The council had previously said that 30% of places would be available to children eligible for free school meals. It says the adjudicator’s decisions mean it will now offer a proportion of places linked to the number of targeted free school meals in the city instead.
How the changes arrived
2025-26. Secondary criteria give priority to children eligible for free school meals, up to the city average.
2026-27. An “open admission” criterion gives priority to pupils living in a catchment area containing one school, up to 5% of the school’s published admission number.
13 Nov 2025. Cabinet agrees to consult on the admission arrangements for September 2027.
14 Nov 2025 to 9 Jan 2026. Public consultation, with 5 public meetings and 344 online responses.
29 Jan 2026. The report on 2027-28 school admission arrangements goes to Full Council.
Summer 2026. The government splits free school meals into targeted and expanded, after the council set its arrangements.
22 Oct 2026. Council announces the Schools Adjudicator’s decision.
31 Oct 2026. The council says it will address the decision and amend its arrangements. This is also the closing date for secondary applications.
What happens next
The council says it is considering the full details of the decision. Its school adjudicator page says the admissions team will email parents who have already applied if changes are ordered. Applications can be amended until the closing date of 31 October 2026.
“The determination also means we’ll be reviewing how we propose to manage pupils on waiting lists for secondary schools across the city.
We’re currently considering the full details of the adjudicator’s decision, and we’ll be addressing this by 31 October and amending our admissions arrangements accordingly.”
Councillor Jacob Taylor, Deputy Leader of the Council
The council says it will clarify any changes and update the information on its website once this is finalised.
Comments
No comments yet. Start the conversation.