Appendix 3

Proposed change to priority area for Willingdon Secondary school, and to the separate priority areas for Polegate and Willingdon primary schools and Eastbourne Primary schools: rationale

Since the separate area for Polegate and Willlingdon primary schools was created (for September 2018 admissions), a new estate has received planning permission, and in part, built, in Lower Willingdon, outside the Eastbourne borough boundary and within the area served by the two primary schools.

However, this estate is only accessible (by road at least) from within Eastbourne borough, and the closest primary schools are in the Eastbourne community area.  Logistically, it would make more sense for families in this area to consider Eastbourne schools as their local schools, particularly given that there will be a forecast shortfall of places in the two primary schools if this estate forms part of their community area.

There is also an issue of perceived fairness in that children living in the new estate would have to travel past the homes of children living in the Eastbourne primary area in order to access their ‘local’ school provision, which would be unavailable to those whose homes they were passing.

Consequently, it is proposed that the estates on the former sites of Brodricklands and Hamlands Farm (see attached map) should be transferred to the Eastbourne community area.  It already falls within an area shared between the Eastbourne Academy and Willingdon Secondary School, but it is proposed to remove it from the area for Willingdon to ensure sufficient capacity for more distant children for whom Willingdon is the nearest secondary school in the same way.

There is a proposal for a further development on the site of Mornings Mill Farm.  This development will be accessible from Wealden, but not from the estate to which this proposal refers.  The Mornings Mill Farm development, if built, will therefore remain in the area for Polegate and Willingdon Primary Schools, and for Willingdon Secondary School.