I would like to respond to Sean Pillot de Chenecey (Letters, March 10) regarding equality within schools admissions. Mr Pillot de Chenecey says the new system is a "shining example of social justice".

The new system involves lotteries within catchments and the catchments have been drawn to exclude children from the two largest housing estates from any of the better performing schools. The parents of children within deprived communities are significantly worse off.

Previously, parents within these areas have had the opportunity of applying, and were successful, in obtaining places citywide. These parents now find themselves within a single catchment and have the choice of just one poorly performing school.

I suspect that should Mr Pillot de Chenecey's child be among the 30 per cent of children within the Dorothy Stringer/Varndean catchment that are unable to secure a place at either of these schools, he will be less spontaneous in his praise of our "progressive city".

  • Amanda Booth, Valley Close, Withdean Brighton