Background
The current Published Admission Number (PAN) at Steeton Primary School is 45. This means that the number of children admitted to the school in reception each year is a maximum of 45.
When planning primary school places in Bradford, the District is split into 26 primary school planning areas. Steeton Primary School sits in the South Craven planning area.
Across the Bradford District, there has been a significant reduction 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 South Craven.
According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the number of live births nationally has fallen in five of the last seven 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, there has been a significant reduction in the number of reception places required across this planning area; the Council does not anticipate that there will be a significant increase in the number of places required in the
near future.
The number of Reception pupils at Steeton Primary School, as recorded in the January school census, has not reached 45 pupils for any of the cohorts currently at the school, i.e. not since before 2016/17. 34 children were allocated places at Steeton Primary
School on National Offer Day in 2022.
Across the South Craven planning area, there were 165 reception places available for the 2022 intake. The total number of places allocated on National Offer Day was 139, leaving 26 available places at that time.
The proposed PAN reduction will provide 150 places in the planning area from 2024. Current published forecasts indicate that the numbers of reception places required in reception for the next four intake years across South Craven are:
2023/24: 165
2024/25: 135
2025/26: 134
2026/27: 128
The increased demand for 2023/24 means a PAN reduction would not be appropriate before 2024/25.
The Council’s forecast information has been used to model the school’s budget over the coming years. This process showed that if the PAN remains at 45 the school is likely to face financial difficulty. The proposed PAN reduction will help to ensure the school
is able to maintain a financially stable position over the long-term.
The School Admissions Code requires that all admission authorities consult where they propose to reduce a PAN. As the Admission Authority, the Council is seeking representations on the proposed change to the PAN for Steeton Primary School.
In accordance with the School Admissions Code (2021), the Council 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
A copy has been sent to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator and the proposal will be published on the school’s website.
This consultation will run for six weeks between Thursday 3 November 2022 and Thursday 15 December 2022, after which time any representations received will be considered and a report taken to the Council’s Executive Committee for a decision to be made on
the PAN for Steeton Primary School.
Specific Proposal
Bradford Council proposes to reduce the PAN at Steeton Primary School from 45 to 30 from 1 September 2024.
This means that the maximum number of pupils intended to be admitted in Reception in 2024, and all subsequent Reception cohorts, will be 30. There will be no impact on children who already have a place at the school in other year groups.
Factors that have been considered by the Council 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 the South Craven 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 2022 census was 286, which is below the current capacity of 315.
- Due to the lower numbers of younger children registered with the NHS who will require a school place in the coming years, the Council forecasts that there will be sufficient school places available for local children if the PAN is reduced. If agreed, the
overall PAN for the South Craven planning area will be 150 from 2024.
- Should circumstances change in the future in the number of children requiring a primary school place, Bradford Council will work with local schools to ensure all children can be placed in a local school.
Bradford Council believes that reducing the PAN at Steeton Primary School will provide stability for the school’s long-term planning and allow it to continue 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.
Any representations should be made on the online survey
https://online1.snapsurveys.com/Steeton
Alternatively, if you would prefer a paper copy of the response form, please email
SufficiencyConsultation@bradford.gov.uk quoting Steeton Primary School PAN reduction.