Anger over secondary school places in Horsham prompts new action

Horsham MP Jeremy Quin has launched a survey on local education for Southwater residents to share their views with him.

Problems were revealed earlier this year when parents were told that their children had been allocated secondary school places in Burgess Hill. They had all asked for their children to be given places at schools in Horsham.

Jeremy said: “Residents will recall the frustration a number of Southwater families faced with the secondary school allocations earlier in the year.

“While all pupils – of whom I was made aware by parents – who were allocated schools outside the Horsham/Billingshurst area were subsequently accepted into a local school, the process did cause considerable concern and distance to school wasn’t the only worry raised.

“I am keen to hear views on education for young people living in Southwater and I would be very grateful if residents could take the time to fill out my survey.”

An online copy is available on his website: https://www.jeremyquin.com/southwater-survey-local-education The survey will close on December 15.

Jeremy says the primary reason for the issue was a ‘bulge’ in pupil numbers. “This is happening across the country, which means for a short period we have more pupils of secondary school age than in the past,” he said. “This will unwind in coming years and there are already fewer children in the lower years at primary schools across Horsham than recently.

“Although it is a county council’s responsibility to ensure there is appropriate schooling for all children, I am determined that local children should be able to be educated locally.”

He said he was “actively engaged with the county council and others to ensure they were “thinking through all the ramifications of school allocations for the September 2024 school year.

“Even with the increase in pupil numbers in the short term, there are sufficient school places in the Horsham area to accommodate local children including those in the village.

"This does, however, depend on parental choice and schools have been impacted by recent changes, including Forest School very successfully moving from single sex to co-ed.

“In the past Southwater residents when asked for their preference voted, albeit narrowly, against having a new secondary school built in the village. I have been told previously that this was because there was a sense that, whilst it was great for younger pupils to be educated in the village, parents wanted their older children to be educated in Horsham town itself.

“I also understand that there was a fear that a new secondary school in the village would presage a further increase in local house building.”

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Urging people to take part in the survey, he stressed: “These issues are not determined by your MP and have wider implications beyond the village of Southwater. I should also be clear that decisions on the allocation of development sites for local house building are determined by Horsham District Council.

"However, an indication of views may be helpful as part of the debate and I will share the anonymised results received.”