Ashlands Consultation on PAN reduction
We are opening a consultation to seek your views on a proposed reduction of our Pupil Admission Number (PAN) from 60 to 30 per year group at Ashlands Primary School from September 2027.
All other general admissions criteria remain unaffected, including that for oversubscription.
Currently, the number of children admitted to the school in Reception each year is a maximum of 60.
Ashlands Primary School and Moorlands Learning Trust are proposing to reduce this number to 30.
This proposal would mean that the maximum number of pupils admitted into Reception in 2027, and all subsequent Reception cohorts, will be 30. For children who already have a place at the school in other year groups there will be no change. This proposal
does not impact on the admissions criteria for entry into our nursery provision.
The school has a net capacity of 420 pupils, with 60 places allocated to each year group from Reception through to Year 6. However, due to a declining birth rate in the area, the current number of children enrolled across all year groups stands at 243. At
present, there are 32 surplus places in Reception alone. Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), shows that the number of births nationally has fallen, with the total number of births in 2020 being the fewest since 2002. Current published forecasts
indicate that the number of places required in Reception for the next four intake years across Wharfe Valley West planning area (5 schools) will continue to fall.
This shortfall in pupil numbers creates unpredictability and financial planning challenges. In the best interests of the school’s long-term viability, this step is being taken to establish a more sustainable model moving forward.
As a result, this strategic decision has been made in collaboration with Bradford Council, drawing on their understanding of the current landscape. Reducing the PAN will assist the school in providing stability in long-term planning and allow Ashlands to
continue to deliver high-quality educational outcomes for all pupils.
A copy of the proposal has been published on Ashlands Primary School website and on Bradford Schools Online.
This consultation provides an opportunity for you to share your views and will run from
Monday 6th October 2025 to Monday 24th November 2025.
After this time, any representations received will be considered by governors and Moorlands Learning Trust for a decision to be made.
Any questions in relation to the consultation should be sent to the school via the school contact email address:
office@ashlands.mlt.co.uk
Please complete the online questionnaire to share your views:
https://forms.office.com/e/BBPp6hAbp1
Please use this link to see our admissions policy for 2026-2027
https://www.ashlandsprimary.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MLT-Admissions-Policy-2026-27-Ashlands-final.pdf
Kind regards Donna Russell