How many schools are in Brighton and Hove?

Brighton and Hove has 84 open schools: 48 primary schools and 10 secondary schools across 5 areas. Data sourced from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools (GIAS) register.

What areas are covered by Brighton and Hove school catchment zones?

Brighton and Hove administers catchment areas across 5 areas, including Brighton, Hove, Other, BRIGHTON, Brighton and Hove. Each school's catchment boundary is set by the local authority and reviewed annually as part of the admissions process.

How do school catchment areas work in Brighton and Hove?

In Brighton and Hove, catchment areas define a geographical zone around each school. Children living within the catchment boundary are given priority in oversubscription criteria. The exact boundary, and the "last distance offered", changes each year based on application volumes. Official catchment maps and admissions policies are published by Brighton and Hove council each autumn.

Which schools in Brighton and Hove are oversubscribed?

Oversubscription varies by school and year in Brighton and Hove. Popular schools typically receive more applications than available places, meaning the "last distance offered" shrinks annually. To check demand for a specific school, consult the Brighton and Hove admissions authority's published offer data or the school's own admissions policy.

Brighton and Hove School Catchment Areas

Reviewed by the catchment.school editorial team · Last updated 15 March 2026

Brighton and Hove is a unitary authority on the Sussex coast with 84 state schools – 48 primary and 10 secondary – across four main areas. Notably, the city retains four selective grammar schools, which makes it unusual among urban coastal authorities. Unlike many comparable councils, Brighton and Hove has only 8 academies, meaning the majority of its schools remain under council oversight. Seventeen schools apply faith criteria in their oversubscription policies.

Demand for places is relatively modest overall: just 6 of the 73 schools with published capacity figures are currently at or above their admission number. The picture is more competitive for grammar school places, where entrance tests are required and applications come from across the city and surrounding East Sussex. Of the schools with a current Ofsted inspection, 21 are rated Good or Outstanding.

Catchment boundaries in Brighton and Hove are published by the council each autumn. For grammar school applicants, the selective test is held in September and results are published in October, ahead of the January admissions deadline. For all other schools, the council's oversubscription criteria prioritise looked-after children, siblings, and then catchment distance. Confirm your address is within the intended school's catchment before the National Offer Day closing date.

84 total 48 primary 10 secondary 5 areas

Based on the latest published capacity data, 6 of the 84 schools in Brighton and Hove are at or above their admission number, so catchment distance is decisive at those schools. Brighton and Hove has 4 selective schools that admit by entrance test rather than distance. 17 schools apply faith-based criteria alongside catchment distance. Of the 25 Brighton and Hove schools with a current Ofsted rating, 21 are rated Good or Outstanding.