What happens if more children apply for a school place at a community school than there are places available.
The council is introducing a priority for children who are eligible for free school meals for applications in September 2025.
If a community school receives more applications for school places than it has available, a list of 7 rules is used to decide which children get offered a place first.
These rules are known as school admission priorities.
Read our school application guides for more information.
This includes those children who appear (to the Brighton & Hove City Council) to have been in state care outside of England and stopped being in state care because they were adopted.
A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of, or were accommodated by:
'Previously looked after' children are children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following being 'looked after'.
To show your child fits in this priority you will need to provide proof of your child’s status.
Some children have a medical or social need that can only be met at a specific school.
To show your child fits in this priority you will need to provide independent evidence that shows why your child’s needs can only be met at your preferred school.
Sibling link includes brothers and sisters as well as other children in the home who share the same main address.
The main address is usually where your child is registered with a doctor.
Your child's main home address needs to be in the catchment area and they must be eligible to receive free school meals.
View some frequently asked questions about the free school meals priority.
Your child must be eligible to receive free school meals and live outside the catchment area.
The number of places in this priority are limited so that the school has no more than the average number of free school meals children attending.
View some frequently asked questions about the free school meals priority.
Your child's main home address needs to be in the catchment area.
You can check secondary school catchment areas on our school map.
Other children include all children who do not meet any of the criteria listed above.
Pupils living outside a schools catchment area and eligible for free school meals who are not offered a place under priority 5 will also be included in this criteria.
If more children in each priority apply than there are places available computer software is used to randomly decide who should be offered a place first.
Church voluntary aided, academy and free schools use their own rules to decide which children get offered a school place first.
View our school application guides for more information.