Consultation on PAN reduction proposal at Belle Vue Girls’

The purpose of this communication is to provide an opportunity for stakeholder views on the change of the PAN from 180 to 150 per year group.

Background

The current Published Admission Number (PAN) at Belle Vue Girls’ is 180. This means that the number of children admitted to the school in Year 7 each year is a maximum of 180.

Belle Vue Girls’ and BDAT are proposing to reduce the PAN to 150.

This proposal would mean that the maximum number of pupils intended to be admitted in Year 7 in 2026, and all subsequent Year 7 cohorts, will be 150. 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 1150, made up of 180 places in each year from Year 7 to Year 11 and 250 places for sixth form.

When planning secondary school places, the Bradford District is split into 9 secondary school planning areas. Belle Vue Girls’ sits in the Bradford West planning area.

Across the Bradford West planning area there are 1255 Year 7 places. Belle Vue Girls’ currently has 29 surplus places (there are currently 151 children on roll in Year 7).

Current published forecasts indicate that the numbers of Year 7 places required in Year 7 for the next four intake years across Bradford West planning area will fall from 2028. Forecasts for Year 7 places needed over the next five years for Belle Vue Girls’ are:

2025/26:              180    
2026/27:               172  
2027/28:              180

2028/29:               175

2029/30:               153

2030/31:              146

 The school has considered the following three options:

a)   Do nothing and keep the PAN at 180 – School are predicting 150 on roll for the Year 7 classes and are not forecasting to fill to 180 meaning the school will not receive the maximum funding. Although the forecast indicates that Year 7 will not fill, there would be an expectation from the Local Authority that the school can still take up to 180 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 150, the Year 7 cohort is forecast to have between 180 and 145 allocations in the forecast years (2026 - 2030)– 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. Belle Vue Girls’ and BDAT are therefore seeking representations on the proposed change to the PAN for Belle Vue Girls’ in the Bradford West planning area.

Specific proposal: Amend the PAN from 180 to 150

Belle Vue Girls’ and BDAT propose to reduce the PAN from 180 to 150 from 1^st September 2026.

This means that the maximum number of pupils intended to be admitted in Year 7 in 2026 and all subsequent Year 7 cohorts, will be 150. For children who already have a place in the school there will be no change.

In accordance with the School Admissions Code (2021), Belle Vue Girls’ and BDAT are consulting with key stakeholders, including;

• Belle Vue Girls’, Staff
• Parents/carers of current pupils and prospective parents of pupils
• All other Admission Authorities within the District including Bradford LA.
• 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 the BDAT and Belle Vue Girls’ website.

This consultation will run for six weeks from Monday 21^st October 2024 to Friday 29^th November 2024, 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 Belle Vue Girls’.  Any questions in relation to the consultation should be sent to the school via School contact email address. community@bvga.bdat-academies.org

Factors that have been considered by Belle Vue Girls’ 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 Bradford West planning area where there is a falling demand for secondary places from 2026 / 2030, resulting in a significant surplus across the area. There are also significantly lower numbers of younger children across Bradford West 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 Year 7 to Year 11 recorded by the school on the October 2024 census was 841, which is below the current capacity of 900, using 93% of the school capacity and for sixth form 116 against a capacity of 250, 46.4% of sixth form capacity.
• Belle Vue Girls’ 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 Bradford West e.g. a bulge year. Should the LA ask the school to admit children substantially in excess of 1.5FE, the LA will employ it’s bulge class funding approach.

This consultation paper will be published on the BDAT and school website. https://www.bdat-academies.org/admissions-consultation-september-2026/

Belle Vue Girls’ 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.