When Brighton & Hove City Council met on the 27th February 2025 to vote on school admissions reform, it marked the culmination of a twenty-year fight for change. From the community of Whitehawk — once hidden in the city’s hollows — to the council chamber.

In this third and final episode of our three-part second series, we take you inside the decisive vote that could reshape education in Brighton for a generation. We meet the campaigners, parents and educators who’ve spent years pushing for a fairer system. Alongside their stories, we explore how power really works in our education system, from legal threats and leaked letters to the quiet pressures inside council meetings and school governance.

As Brighton takes this historic step toward greater social mix in schools, we ask: what kind of city do we want to be — and who gets to decide? After a campaign that has divided our city, this episode ends with a call: now is the time to come together — and build a fairer future, for every child.

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Featured Guests

• Rose - Parent and Volunteer, Class Divide
• Emily – Parent and Volunteer, Class Divide
• Dave – Parent and Class Divide campaigner
• Essie – Parent, Working-class academic, Volunteer at Equity in Education
• Alice – Parent, from Preston Park in Brighton
• Carlie Goldsmith – Co-founder, Class Divide
• Professor Danny Dorling – Professor of Geography, University of Oxford
• Professor Sam Friedman – Professor of Sociology, London School of Economics
• Professor Diane Reay – Professor of Education, University of Cambridge
• Oliver Percy – Barrister, education law specialist, School Inclusion Project
• Rachelle Otulakowski – Headteacher, Longhill High School
• Daniel Yates – Former Leader, Brighton & Hove City Council

Further Reading & Reports

• Who Is Losing Learning? – Report by IPPR and The Difference
• Creative Industries Class Report – Policy and Evidence Centre for the Creative Industries
• Social Mobility and Class Ceiling Studies – Sam Friedman’s research

Music Credits

Music in this series was kindly donated by Olivier Alary, Maaja Nuut, Rumm, Neil Hale, Salvatore Mercatante, Polypores, Minor Pieces, Shida Shahabi, Max de Wardener, Simon James, Rutger Hoedemaekers, Toydrum, The Official Body, Benjamin Harrison, Traams, and Clarice Jensen. Thanks to Alex at Fat Cat Records, and Colin at Castles in Space.

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