Lancing academy welcomes applications from Shoreham pupils

Parents and pupils were shocked not to have been allocated places at a Shoreham secondary school

David Simmons, chair of the Sir Robert Woodard Academy’s school council, is inviting parents and children to come along for a tour of the school.

His intervention comes after the Herald reported that several Shoreham pupils did not get a place at their preferred school, Shoreham Academy, and were instead allocated a school place at Steyning Grammar’s campus in Storrington – a 24-mile round trip away.

The Lancing academy has promised to provide a school bus from Shoreham, giving students a safe alternative to travelling on the A259 or the A27, Mr Simmons said.

“I would like to remind parents that ours is also an exceptional school, in fact one that did better in results in English and maths than Shoreham Academy this year,” he said.

Some parents of Swiss Gardens Primary School pupils were ‘shocked’ to find their children were not allocated a place at Shoreham Academy – as they had expected their children to go to a secondary school in their own town.

Figures released by the county council revealed there were 40 pupils at Shoreham primary schools who applied to Shoreham Academy but were not given a place – or 14 per cent of the total 296 who applied.

Swiss Gardens had the highest number of pupils not offered a place, with 13 of the 46 who applied missing out.

Nine pupils at Buckingham Park did not get a place, out of 62 who applied, while six pupils of the 19 who applied from St Nick and St Mary’s also missed out.

Places were given to 39 pupils who attend a primary school in Brighton and Hove but live in the Shoreham Academy catchment area – as places are allocated by the home address of a child and not by the school they attend.

None of the pupils at Lancing primary schools who applied were given a place at Shoreham Academy.

Alastair Reid, a leading member of parent campaign group Future of Adur Schools Team (FAST), said schools did not have the capacity to meet the demand from Shoreham’s changing demographic.

The group will hold a public meeting from 8pm on Monday, April 3, at the Shoreham Centre to discuss what can be done to alleviate pressure on school places in Adur.

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