Consultation on PAN reduction proposal at Wycliffe C of E Primary
The purpose of this communication is to provide an opportunity for stakeholder views on the change of the PAN from 60 to 45 per year group. We are making a request to the Department for Education to change the PAN from September 2023.
Background
The current Published Admission Number (PAN) at Wycliffe C of E is 60. This means that the number of children admitted to the school in Reception each year is a maximum of 60.
Wycliffe and BDAT are proposing to reduce the PAN to 45.
This proposal would mean 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.
Currently, the net capacity of the school is 420, made up of 60 places in each year from Reception to Year 6. However, currently there are 335 children due to a decrease in pupil numbers over the past 4 years.
When planning primary school places, The Bradford District is split into 26 primary school planning areas. School Name sits in the Shipley2 planning area.
The fall in pupil numbers at Wycliffe C of E is reflected in pupil numbers across the Bradford District. There has been a decrease in the number of younger children registered with the NHS which has led to a high level of surplus places in some of the primary
school planning areas, including Wycliffe C of E.
According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the number of live births nationally has fallen for five consecutive years, with the total number of live births in 2020 being the fewest since 2002. Given the falling number of births nationally
and across the District, the Council does not anticipate that the numbers of children requiring school places in the Shipley2 planning area will increase significantly in the near future.
Across the Shipley2 planning area there are 180 Reception places. In September 2021 only 167 of these places were actually taken leaving a surplus of 13. Wycliffe C of E currently has 14 surplus places (there are currently 46 children on roll in Reception).
Current published forecasts indicate that the numbers of Reception places required in Reception for the next four intake years across Shipley2 planning area will continue to fall. This means the current 2021 surplus reception places at Wycliffe C of E will
not improve. Forecasts for Reception places needed over the next four years in Shipley2 planning area are:
2022/23: 158
2023/24: 145
2024/25: 145
2025/26: 145
The school has used the Local Authority Reception places forecast information to model the school budget over the next five years in order to make an informed decision on its future. The school has considered the following three options:
a) Do nothing and keep the PAN at 60 – The Reception classes are not forecast to fill to 60 meaning the school will not receive the maximum funding to enable two classes per year group. Although the forecast indicates that reception will not fill, there
would be an expectation from the Local Authority that the school can still take up to 60 pupils throughout the whole intake year. This may result in a high number of in-year allocations that could potentially require changes to class organisation during the
school year which is detrimental to the pupils and the school.
b) Reduce the PAN to 45 The Reception cohort is forecast to have between 37 and 38 allocations in the forecast years (2023 - 2025)– There will be sufficient places to meet the forecasted demand for places.
The School Admissions Code requires that all admission authorities consult where they propose to reduce a PAN. Wycliffe C of E and BDAT are therefore seeking representations on the proposed change to the PAN for Wycliffe C of E in the Shipley2 planning area.
Specific proposal: Amend the PAN from 60 to 45
School Name and BDAT, propose to reduce the PAN from 60 to 45 from 1st 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 in the school there will be no change.
In accordance with the School Admissions Code (2021), Wycliffe C of E and BDAT are consulting with key stakeholders, including;
- Wycliffe C of E Staff
- Parents/carers of current pupils and prospective parents of pupils
- 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
A copy of the proposal has been published on Wycliffe C of E website.
This consultation will run for six weeks from Monday 13th December 2021 to Monday 31st January 2022, after which time any representations received will be considered and a report taken to BDAT for a decision to be made on the PAN for Wycliffe
C of E. Any questions in relation to the consultation should be sent to the school via School contact email address
Factors that have been considered by Wycliffe C of E and BDAT when deciding to consult on these proposals include:
- A large portion of funding received by schools is directly related to the number of pupils attending the school. Too many pupil vacancies mean that the school 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 whilst not having a detrimental effect on the education it offers its pupils.
- The school is located in Shipley2 planning area where there continues to be a falling demand for primary school places, resulting in a significant surplus across the area. There are also significantly lower numbers of younger children across Shipley2 and
the wider Bradford District, registered with the NHS who will require a school place over the coming years
- The total number of pupils from Reception to Year 6 recorded by the school on the October 2021 census was 335, which is below the current capacity of420.
- School Name and BDAT are more than willing to look creatively at solutions in conjunction with Bradford Local Authority in the future which may help to solve any problems resulting in a shortage of school places in the Shipley2 e.g., a bulge year. Should
the LA ask the school to admit children substantially in excess of 1.5FE, the LA will employ its bulge class funding approach.
This consultation paper will be published on the school website
September 2023 Admissions Arrangement Consultation and PAN Consultation - Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (bdat-academies.org)
Wycliffe and BDAT 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 and prospective pupils. The reduction in
PAN will ensure that an appropriate number of places are provided for future pupils, in line with forecasts.
You can let us know what you think by completing the online questionnaire:
PAN Consultation Comments