Plans for schools in Brighton to prioritise places for the poorest children will boost social mobility by weakening the link between geography and admissions, sector leaders say.
Brighton & Hove City Council is consulting on proposals to give secondary school admissions priority to pupils on free school meals (FSM), after looked-after children. Both groups would get precedence over prospective pupils within a catchment area.
It would apply to all local authority schools, but there would be a cap based on the average number of disadvantaged pupils across the area.
Council chiefs believe the move will help to lessen “stubborn levels of inequality”.
