Impact by area:
Patcham

If you live in Patcham it is still unclear whether your kids will be in a single Patcham High catchment or whether your kids will be in a dual catchment area served by both Patcham High and Falmer High.

At the current time Patcham children can walk to one of 3 local schools, Patcham High, Dorothy Stringer and Varndean. The proposals effectively end the ability of Patcham parents to send their children to Varndean or Dororthy Stringer.

The original proposals put before the Children Families and Schools Committee on 6th November, recommended a dual catchment of Patcham High and Falmer High. An amendment to the proposals was agreed in principle that Patcham and Falmer should be in their own single catchment areas.

Patcham parents should not believe that this is the end of the matter. The council record from the 6th November meeting on this aspect states (emphasis added)

'That a statutory consultation be undertaken with schools on the basis of those proposals for admissions arrangements from 2008 put forward by the Working Group, including the fixed catchment areas set out in the appendices, recognising that these proposals may be amended in the light of that consultation, particularly in relation to the catchment area for Patcham High School'

There was intense political pressure which originally resulted in the dual catchment. This political pressure will not have disappeared and it is essential for those Patcham parents who want a single catchment to continue lobbying for this outcome.

Many Patcham parents while somewhat relieved that they may end up with Patcham in a single catchment , are still aggrieved that their children cannot walk to the other local schools with which they have maintained community links for many years. Trevor Allen Headmaster of Dorothy Stringer has been quoted as being very unhappy about the loss of traditional community links with the Patcham, Westdene and Stanford.

Many Patcham parents would like to see these proposals ditched altogether in favour of the current system. If that is not possible it is essential that Patcham kids be able to attend their own local school, Patcham High. Any link with Falmer in a dual catchment will inevitably result in Patcham kids being bussed 3 miles to Falmer.