A dad who moved to a house backing on to a school so his children could go there is angry that they may have to go elsewhere. Rob Lloyd moved to Friar Road earlier this year to be closer to his preferred secondary schools. He has two children at primary school and can see Varndean High School from his bedroom window as it is at the end of the garden.
But among new school catchment area proposals streets immediately next to Varndean High School could be removed from its catchment area. Mr Lloyd, 45, said: “Geography tells you we should be able to send our kids to that school. None of them need to use public transport, so there’s zero carbon footprint.
Why destroy that?” When secondary schools are oversubscribed, the council allocates places using a number of criteria before, ultimately, relying on a lottery system. In recent years, with a “bulge” caused by high birth rates passing through the schools, some youngsters have had to travel to schools more than an hour away from their homes. Mr Lloyd said that it was “bonkers” to potentially send his children to a school miles away rather than at the bottom of their garden.
The council’s proposed shake-up is also intended to address the “attainment gap” between disadvantaged children and those not eligible for free school meals. Mr Lloyd said: “The focus should be on improving schools in areas where they aren’t performing well. Every child has the right to attend a local school embedded in their community.
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