Class Divide

Gary Pleece, CEO of East Brighton Trust, recently met with Carlie Goldsmith from Class Divide to interview her for the upcoming issue of The ECHO. The longer version of that interview can be found below.

United by Divide

In January this year, Brighton and Hove City councillors approved a radical change to the city’s secondary school admissions policy. From 2025 children eligible for Free School Meals will be a new priority group and will have a better chance of getting a place at a school outside of their catchment area. This change, the first of its kind in England, came about after a five-year long campaign by the East Brighton based Class Divide. Set up in 2019, Class Divide is made up of a group of current and former East Brighton residents who went to school, or have children in school, on the estate.  Class Divide’s Carlie Goldsmith talked to the Echo and explained how the campaign came about and why it is needed.  

Underachievers?

In 2022 34% of Whitehawk children achieved a grade 5-9 in English and Maths compared to 56% of children in the city and this means they lack a full range of choices at college. Too often, children and parents in East Brighton are blamed for lacking aspiration in education but Class Divide believe that its is often the school system that isn’t ambitious enough for local children. And it’s not all about grades, ‘children have the right to access a good quality education in a school where they are welcomed, belong and feel safe’, says Carlie, ‘but it has been the case for too long that Whitehawk children have been neglected by the education system and we are campaigning to change that.’ 

The school admissions campaign came about when Whitehawk parents attended Class Divide meetings and pushed the group to take up this issue. Parents made it very clear they wanted more choice of school for their children after feeling that local children were locked out of popular schools located in other parts of the city. Class Divide stress that Whitehawk children are bright, talented and have bags of potential. All schools would benefit from having such a great group of children in their classes and should embrace the opportunity. But it’s not all about school choice and exam results. 

What does that look like?

‘We want a school system that includes all children’, stresses Carlie, ‘one where the needs of children are met and children from working-class families feel welcome and a sense of belonging in school. Where they have great relationships with their teachers and peers. Our ambition is that Brighton and Hove becomes the best place in the country to go to school if you are from a low-income family or community.’ 

If this were true, more East Brighton children would be in a position to make good choices about what they want to do with their lives. Too many kids in our part  of the city don’t currently leave school in that position and this makes it very hard for them in the job market, something made even harder because Brighton and Hove have one of the most educated populations in the country.

The home to school journey 

Giving all children in Whitehawk free home to school bus travel is another Class Divide campaign. Over the past four years, the group have submitted petitions and deputations to the council and have shone a light on the high cost of travel to school. In July 2024, councillors voted for all children who attend Longhill School to get free bus travel. 

Messaging – the challenge

Parents whose children are eligible for Free School Meals and who are applying for places for their children to start secondary school next September are applying under the new system where they have some priority in admissions and might access places at schools that were previously out of reach for them. This doesn’t just apply to children in Whitehawk but across all of Brighton & Hove. And if they are worried about the cost of the bus it is already the case that children on FSM are entitled to free travel to more than one school. If in doubt, call the home to school transport team on 01273 293 501 and check what schools your child can travel to for free. 

In the meantime, if you want to know more about the Class Divide campaign go to their website www.classdivide.co.uk or follow them on social media.