Statutory consultation on a proposed reduction to the Published Admission Number at St Matthew’s C of E Primary School for the 2026/27 academic year
Background
The current Published Admission Number (PAN) at St Matthew’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. St Matthew’s C of E Primary School and Nursery sits in the South West 5 planning area, along with Bankfoot, Bowling Park, Bradford Academy, Marshfield, Newby and St Stephen’s CofE primary schools.
The latest data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) goes up to the end of 2023 and shows that the number of live births in the UK has fallen in seven of the previous eight years, with the total number of live births in 2023 being the fewest since 1977. Data for the Bradford district confirms more than 1,000 fewer live births were recorded in 2023 than in 2015. Consequently, there has been a significant reduction in the number of Reception places required, which has led to a high level of surplus places in some primary school planning areas, including South West 5. Bradford Council does not anticipate that there will be a significant reversal of this trend in the foreseeable future.
Since 2018/19, i.e. for the cohorts currently at the school, the number of Reception pupils at St Matthew’s C of E Primary School, as recorded in the January school census, has reached 60 only once. On average over the last three years, there have been 13 surplus Reception places at that point in the school year. 47 Reception children were on roll in January 2024.
On the day offers were released to parents of children due to start Reception in 2024 (National Offer Day), 47 children held allocations to St Matthew’s C of E Primary School. 48 were on roll at the point of the October school census.
Across the South West 5 planning area, there were 420 places available to start Reception in 2024. However, the total number of places allocated on National Offer Day was only 380. This has since risen slightly to 384 on roll in October 2024 but is still considerably below the number of available places.
Forecasts for the next four intake years include current residents and expected additions from approved new-build housing (i.e. developments under construction or with sufficient planning approval to begin construction). The forecasted number of Reception places required in South West 5 schools are:
2025-26: 335
2026-27: 342
2027-28: 351
2028-29: 365
Bradford Council’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 is likely to face financial difficulty. A PAN reduction is therefore proposed to help ensure the school maintains a financially stable position.
A PAN reduction from 60 to 45 at St Matthew’s C of E Primary School would reduce the number of Reception places in South West 5 to 405, which is still much higher than the number required for the local population.
The School Admissions Code (2021) sets out the requirements for admission authorities to consult when they propose to reduce a PAN. As the admission authority for St Matthew’s C of E Primary School, Bradford Council is seeking the views of the following key stakeholders:
- parents/carers of current pupils and prospective parents of pupils
- the school’s governing body and staff
- Leeds Diocesan Board of Education
- admission authorities of other primary schools in the district
- councillors and MPs
- Trade Unions
- anyone else who has an interest in the proposed change
This consultation will run from Monday 4th November 2024 until Sunday 15th December 2024. All views submitted during this time will be collated in a report for the council’s Executive Committee, who will decide whether to reduce the PAN at St Matthew’s C of E Primary School.
Specific Proposal
Bradford Council proposes to reduce the PAN at St Matthew’s C of E Primary School from 60 to 45 from 1 September 2026. This is the only proposed change to the school’s admission arrangements.
If the proposal is agreed, the maximum number of pupils admitted to Reception in 2026, 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.
Prior to consulting on this proposal, Bradford Council has considered the following:
- the total number of pupils from Reception to Year 6, as recorded by the school at the October 2024 census, was 361, which is below the current capacity of 420
- a large portion of the funding received by schools is directly related to the number of pupils attending the school. Too many vacancies mean that schools do not receive the maximum possible revenue per class
- forecasts for future Reception intakes suggest the school would still have a significant number of vacancies each year if the PAN was 60; a reduction to 45 is therefore required to address budgetary concerns
- due to declining birth rates, the number of Reception places offered by schools in the South West 5 planning area is significantly higher than that required by the surrounding population. When there is a high level of surplus places in an area, each school is at risk of rapid changes in parental preference having a significant impact on the number of pupils it admits each year. A PAN reduction to 45 at St Matthew’s C of E could therefore have a positive, stabilising effect for all local schools
- the proposed PAN reduction will leave sufficient Reception places for local children in the future. If approved, the proposal would mean the overall PAN for the South West 5 planning area would be 405 from 2026, which is higher than the projected number of required places
- Bradford Council will work with all local schools and multi-academy trusts to look creatively at solutions in the future, should there be a rise in birth rates and a shortage of school places in the South West 5 planning area – eg a bulge intake
Bradford Council believes that reducing the PAN at St Matthew’s C of E 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 a more appropriate number of places, in relation to current forecasts, are provided for future pupils in the area.
If you would like to submit your opinion on this proposal, please visit https://online1.snapsurveys.com/StMatthewsCE or scan this QR code to complete an online survey:
Alternatively, if you would prefer a paper copy of the response form, please contact the school office or email SufficiencyConsultation@bradford.gov.uk. Completed paper response forms can be returned to the school office.