Schools 4 communities: Brighton & Hove Schools Action Group


Beyond 2008: Do the proposals plan for the future?


A growing population

The Office of National Statistics has projected that the population of Brighton and Hove will be 300,400 by 2029 – that's an increase of 19.3% on 2004 levels. The South East Plan, published by the South East Regional Assembly, says Brighton & Hove will need to provide at least 11,000 new homes by 2026, but a new report prepared for the government by Roger Tym & Partners states that 17,600 homes would be nearer the mark.

The Secondary school admissions proposals appear to make no provision for this massive increase in population. Our secondary schools are already approaching capacity and provision is particularly poor in East Brighton – a situation exacerbated by the closure of COMART in 2005.

According to CFS statistics, there will already be over-capacity in 2008, with 2042 kids for 1989 places.

And looking at the government's proposed changes to 14-19 education, which include a target of 90% of 17-year-olds participating in education by 2015, there will be even more need for more capacity in the system.

Building schools for the future

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the biggest single government investment in improving school buildings for over 50 years. The aim is to rebuild or renew every secondary school in England over a 10-15 year period.

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) offers the chance for every local authority in England not only to renovate its secondary schools, but to reform and redesign the pattern of secondary education provision to best serve communities for decades to come.

The vision of BSF is that schools will be 'assets at the heart of the community, which everyone can use and benefit from'. Schools and communities will both gain from extending school activities and services into the community and using school facilities beyond the school day.

The first wave of work has already under way in some parts of the country, with £2.2 billion spent in its first year (2005-6).

Sadly, it appears that Brighton & Hove will only be in wave 10-12 (of 15) of this improvement programme.

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