Consultation on school admission arrangements 2024-25
This consultation closed on 6 January 2023 - any responses received after this date will not be considered. Thank you to all who responded.
What happens next?
In February 2023, the council’s Cabinet will consider the results of the consultation and make a final decision on the proposed admission arrangements for 2024/25.
If agreed, the arrangements would be introduced for September 2024 entry. However, we intend to approach the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) for approval to change the Reception PAN of these schools from September 2023 as well.
What we consulted on
Proposed reduction in the Published Admission Numbers (PAN) at several Haringey Primary Schools
The council has a duty to make sure that enough school places are available for every school-age child whose parents wish them to attend school. To ensure there are enough places a surplus of around 5% of extra school places is usually needed, according to guidance from the Department for Education (DfE).
We currently have more than 10% surplus Reception places and reducing the PAN as planned would help bring this number closer to the DfE guidance. Demand for primary school places has fallen in recent years and our projections of future demand show that this will continue to fall, so we are consulting on proposals to reduce the PAN at several of our primary schools.
You can find more details of the proposals below including proposed reductions in the PAN at the following schools:
| School | Current admission number | Proposed Admission Number | Proposed reduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risley Avenue Primary School, N17 7AB | 90 | 60 | -30 |
| St Francis de Sales Catholic Infant School, N17 8AZ | 90 | 60 | -30 |
| The Mulberry Primary School, N17 9RB | 90 | 60 | -30 |
| Lordship Lane Primary School, N22 5PS | 90 | 60 | -30 |
| St Mary’s Priory Catholic Infant School, N15 5RE | 60 | 30 | -30 |
| Earlham Primary School, N22 5HJ | 60 | 30 | -30 |
| Bruce Grove Primary School, N17 6UH | 60 | 30 | -30 |
| Seven Sisters Primary School, N15 5QE | 60 | 30 | -30 |
Background information
Following many years of rising demand for school places, due to the growth in Haringey’s population, we now need to reduce the general school capacity across the borough.
This is because:
- the birth rate in Haringey and in London generally is no longer continuing to increase
- more families are now moving out of the London area than was predicted in the past
Both of these factors have contributed to some areas of the borough having too many surplus school places.
The School Place Planning Report 2022 (PDF, 3.65MB) predicts that demand for Reception school places in Haringey will fall to 2,600 by the end of the decade. This is a big change from past years when we had an extremely high demand for Reception school places - for example in 2012 (3,163) and 2013 (3,116).
The decrease in demand for school places has affected some schools' ability to manage both their class sizes and the number of staff they need. In order to support some of the worst affected schools with these issues, we are proposing to reduce the number of school places being offered at Reception and future year groups at the schools listed in the table above.
Our aim is to:
- help stabilise each school’s pupil numbers
- make school leaders able to plan and deliver education effectively
- meet local demand
A large portion of the funding given to schools is based on the number of pupils attending that school. Too many vacancies mean that schools will not receive the maximum amount of funding possible. Schools with small class sizes below 24 pupils may not be able to support themselves financially in the long term, as they may not be able to fund a classroom teacher.
We are proposing to reduce the number of available places to enable the schools to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively. This change aims to assist school governing bodies to plan for long-term stability, a consistent structure, and a stable financial position, providing a secure foundation for high-quality educational outcomes for all pupils.
Will there be enough places?
A decrease in demand for Reception places has been a continuous trend in many areas of London, including in our neighbouring boroughs. This is predicted to continue over the next few years. Because of the high number of vacancies in Reception at the beginning of the 2022/23 academic year in each school, we expect that there will still be enough school places available for local children even if PANs are reduced.
What happens if there is an increase in demand later?
We will carefully track the number of school applications received. If there is an increase in demand for primary school places and more places are required, the schools proposed to reduce (in the table above) will return to their original PAN.
Are we proposing to make any other changes to the admission arrangements for community schools for 2024/25?
No, we are not proposing any other changes to the admission arrangements for the 2024/25 academic year. We previously consulted on the 2023/24 admission arrangements between October and December 2021 and the council’s Cabinet agreed the arrangements in February 2022.
When are we proposing to reduce the PANs?
Following the consultation, if the proposed changes are agreed then the school PANs for Reception will be reduced from September 2024. However, if these proposals are agreed then we also plan to approach the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) for approval to change the Reception PAN of these schools from September 2023 as well.
See more frequently asked questions in the document below.
Consultation documents and proposed arrangements
The full details of the proposed arrangements as well as frequently asked questions are provided below:
- Admission arrangements for 2024-25 - consultation document (PDF, 1MB)
- Admission arrangements for 2024-25 - FAQ (PDF, 86KB)
- Admission arrangements for 2024-25 - poster (PDF, 96KB)
Contact
Own admitting authority schools
Consultations on admission arrangements for 2024-25
The following schools are also consulting on their proposed admission arrangements for the academic year 2024/25:
St John Vianney RC:
- St. John Vianney RC Proposed Admission Arrangements for 2024-25 (PDF, 491KB)
- St. John Vianney RC - Letter from Governors 2024-25 (PDF, 491KB)
St Martin of Porres:
- St. Martin of Porres RC - Letter from Governors 2024-25 (PDF, 556KB)
- St. Martin of Porres RC - Proposed Admission Arrangements for 2024-25 (PDF, 998KB)
- St. Martin of Porres RC - Proposed Supplementary Form for 2024-25 (PDF, 758KB)
St Paul's RC:
- St. Paul's RC - Letter from Governors 2024-25 (PDF, 558KB)
- St. Paul's RC - Proposed Admission Arrangements for 2024-25 (PDF, 400KB)
- St. Paul's RC - Proposed Supplementary Form 2024-25 (PDF, 811KB)
St Gildas' RC Junior:
St Peter-in-Chains RC Infant:
Heartlands High School:
Our Lady of Muswell RC:
- Our Lady of Muswell RC - Letter from Governors 2024-25 (PDF, 197KB)
- Our Lady of Muswell RC - Proposed Admission Arrangements for 2024-25 (PDF, 296KB)
- Our Lady of Muswell - Proposed Supplementary Form 2024-25 (PDF, 196KB)
St James' CE:
St Michael's CE (N6):
To comment on these proposals you must contact the schools directly.
Links to school websites can be found on our Primary schools and Secondary schools pages.