Background
The current Published Admission Number (PAN) at Holycroft Primary School is 60. This means that the number of children admitted to the school in Reception each year is a maximum of 60.
When planning primary school places in Bradford, the District is split into 26 primary school planning areas. Holycroft Primary School sits in the Keighley 2 planning area.
The population growth in Bradford over the last decade increased pressure on primary school places, resulting in a large-scale expansion programme to meet the growth in demand. Due to an increase in demand in the Keighley 2 planning area, St Joseph’s Catholic
Primary School increased their PAN from 30 to 45 in September 2016.
Whilst there are still small areas of population growth, overall across the Bradford District, there is now a decrease in the number of younger children registered with the NHS. This has led to a high level of surplus places in some of the primary school
planning areas, including Keighley 2, where Holycroft Primary School is situated.
Nationally, the number of live births has been falling over the last few years, with the total number of live births in 2019 being the fewest since 2004. In the Bradford District, there were 7270 live births in the 2019, which is considerably lower than
recent years with the exception of 2018 when there were 7244. The Council anticipates that the numbers of children requiring school places in the Keighley 2 planning area will decrease over the next few years.
The current total PAN for the Keighley 2 planning area is 445 places. Current forecasts indicate that the number of reception places required for reception for the next four intake years are:
2022/23: 317
2023/24: 318
2024/25: 312
2025/26: 312
The number of Reception places allocated at Holycroft this September was 37. This has put the number on roll at the school from Reception to Year 6 at 338, well below the 420 places currently available.
In accordance with the School Admissions Code (2021), Holycroft Primary School and Northern Star Academies Trust is consulting with key stakeholders, including;
- Parents/carers of current pupils and prospective parents of pupils
- Bradford Council (the local authority in which the school is situated)
- All other Admission Authorities within the District
- Neighbouring Local Authorities
- Councillors and MPs
- Trade Unions
- Anyone else who has an interest in the proposed changes
To enable this consultation, Holycroft Primary School will publish the proposal on its website.
This consultation will run for six weeks from 29th November 2021 to 21st January 2022, after which time any representations received will be considered and a report taken to the Trust’s Board on for a decision to be made on the PAN
for Holycroft Primary School.
Specific Proposal
Holycroft Primary School and Northern Star Academies Trust propose to reduce the PAN at Holycroft Primary School from 60 to 45 from 1 September 2023.
This means that the maximum number of pupils intended to be admitted in Reception in 2023, and all subsequent Reception cohorts, will be 45. For children who already have a place at the school in other year groups there will be no change.
Factors that have been considered by Holycroft Primary School when deciding to consult on this proposal include:
- A large portion of funding received by schools is directly related to the number of pupils attending the school. Too many vacancies mean that schools will not receive the maximum possible revenue. Therefore the school is proposing to reduce the number of
available places to enable the school to operate more efficiently and cost effectively.
- The school is located in Keighley 2 planning area where there continues to be a falling demand for primary school places, resulting in a significant surplus across the area.
- The total number of pupils from reception to Year 6 recorded by the school on the October 2021 census was 338 and is well below the current capacity of 420.
- Figures that have been shared by Bradford Council from the NHS show lower numbers of younger children registered with the NHS who will require a school place in the coming years
- Holycroft Primary School Governors believe that reducing the PAN will assist the school to provide stability in their long-term planning and allow them to deliver high quality educational outcomes for the pupils currently on roll. The reduction in PAN will
ensure that an appropriate number of places are provided for future pupils, in line with forecasts.
This consultation paper will be published on the school website:
www.holycroftprimary.org.uk
We welcome the thoughts and responses of all members of the school’s community. You can let us know your views by using the response sheet provided, or by
completing the consultation online.
All comments or suggestions can also be emailed FAO: NSAT Director of Governance: Dr Lizzie Oliver –
governance@nsat.org.uk