Consultation on our Published Admission Number (PAN)
As you may be aware, the number of children entering primary schools locally and nationally has been falling for several years. This means that, by the time these year groups reach secondary school in 2027, there will be fewer pupils needing Year 7 places. As a result of this, schools are now looking to amend their future student numbers accordingly.
We are therefore undertaking a consultation to reduce our Published Admission Number (PAN) from 190 to 150 from 2027 onwards. This means that, from then, we will only recruit 150 pupils to Year 7 instead of 190 today. This will have no bearing whatsoever on current pupils at the Academy nor on our admissions process.
Our decision to undertake this consultation is based on several important considerations related to demographic trends, financial sustainability, and our continuing commitment to providing high-quality education and support for all pupils. Keeping our PAN at 190 would result in a large number of empty places in the future, and extra staffing which would not be a good use of resources or beneficial for pupils.
By reducing our PAN to 150, we are adjusting responsibly for these demographic changes. Doing so would help us protect the school’s financial stability, allowing us to continue offering the high-quality education, support, and opportunities to all our pupils. It also means we could maintain the right level of staffing, ensuring class sizes remain manageable and that pupils continue to receive the personalised help and pastoral care that are central to our ethos.
Most importantly, this change would allow us to remain a strong, well-resourced school at the heart of the community; one that can continue to provide a safe, ambitious, and nurturing environment for every young person who joins us.
We are keen to understand the views of parents as part of this consultation and value your feedback.
The consultation will run from Tuesday 9th December 2025 to Tuesday 20th January 2026. You can share your views by sending an email to: consultation@georgeeliotacademy.org.uk
A copy of the proposed admissions policy is available here. Alternatively if you require a hard copy of the policy please email consultation@georgeeliotacademy.org.uk.
We value your input and want to ensure that any changes we make are in the best interests of our pupils, families, and the wider community.
Thank you for your continued support.