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Brighton's education lottery

Last Modified: 28 Feb 2007
By: Victoria Macdonald

Brighton and Hove Council is to introduce a lottery to decide which children go to which school.

It's one of the most pressing issues faced by parents throughout England: how to get a place at a prestigious local school.

In some cities more than 30% of parents fail to get their first school preference.

The traditional route for those with money is to move to the right catchment area, but this is beyond the means of many parents. As a result, good schools can become middle-class enclaves.

That's why Labour-run Brighton and Hove Council has come up with a novel way of achieving equal access to its secondary schools - a lottery. But some parents aren't amused.