Statutory consultation on the proposed reduction in Published Admission Number for Keighley St Andrew’s C of E Primary School for the 2024/25 academic year
Background
The current Published Admission Number (PAN) at Keighley St Andrew’s C of E 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. Keighley St Andrew’s C of E Primary School sits in the Keighley 1 planning area.
According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the number of live births nationally fell for five consecutive years up to 2020, with the total number of live births in 2020 being the fewest since 2002. There was a slight increase in 2021
but still fewer births than in 2019. Given the falling number of births nationally and across the District, this has led to a high level of surplus places in some of the primary school planning areas, including Keighley 1, where Keighley St Andrew’s C of E
Primary School is situated.
Over recent years, there has been a significant reduction in the number of reception places required across this planning area. In response to this reduction, Long Lee Primary School will reduce their PAN from 60 to 45 from September 2023, reducing the PAN
for this planning area to 360. In addition, PAN reductions are taking place in 2023 at Beckfoot Nessfield and Holycroft Primary School, two academies in neighbouring Keighley 2 planning area. These planned changes will help to reduce the number of surplus
reception places across Keighley.
The number of reception pupils at Keighley St Andrew’s C of E as recorded on the January Census has not reached 60 pupils since the 2013/14 academic year, with the number of surplus places fluctuating from 6 to 18 over those years. 39 reception children
were recorded on roll in the October 2022 Census return.
Across the Keighley 1 planning area, there were 375 reception places available for allocations in 2022, with the total number of places allocated on National Offer Day being 311, leaving 64 vacancies.
The proposed PAN reduction will provide 345 places in the planning area for September 2024. Current published forecasts indicate that the numbers of reception places required in reception for the next four intake years across Keighley 1 are:
2023/24: 335
2024/25: 306
2025/26: 293
2026/27: 279
The Local Authority’s forecast information has been used to model the school’s budget over the next five years. This process showed that if the PAN remains at 60 the school will face financial difficulty. The proposed PAN reduction will help to ensure the
school is in a financially stable position.
The School Admissions Code requires that all admission authorities consult where they propose to reduce a PAN. As the Admission Authority, Keighley St Andrew’s C of E Primary School Governing Body are seeking representations on the proposed change to the
PAN for Keighley St Andrew’s C of E Primary School in the Keighley 1 planning area.
In accordance with the School Admissions Code (2021), Keighley St Andrew’s C of E Primary School 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
This proposal has been published on the school’s website.
This consultation will run for six weeks from Thursday 1 December 2022 and Monday 30 January 2023, after which time any representations received will be considered and a report taken to the full school Governing Board for a decision to be made on the PAN
for Keighley St Andrew’s C of E Primary School.
Specific Proposal
Keighley St Andrew’s C of E Primary School propose to reduce the PAN from 60 to 45 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 45. 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 Governors 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 1 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 325, which is significantly below the current capacity of 420.
- 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 Keighley 1 planning area will be 345 from 2024.
- Should circumstances change in the future in the number of children requiring a primary school place, the Local Authority will work with local schools to ensure all children can be placed in a local school.
Keighley St Andrew’s C of E Primary School Governors and Bradford Council 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.
Any representations should be made on the online survey
https://online1.snapsurveys.com/PANconsultationKSA Alternatively, if you would prefer a paper copy of the response form, please email
SufficiencyConsultation@bradford.gov.uk quoting Keighley St Andrew’s C of E PAN reduction.