Pupil Admissions at Drapers Mills Primary Academy

The current Published Admission Number (PAN) for Drapers Mills Primary Academy is 90. This means that the number of children admitted into the school in reception each year and in every subsequent year group is a maximum of 90.

Under the terms of the School’s funding Agreement with the Secretary of State for Education, the overall capacity of the School (maximum number on roll) has been set at a final roll of 630 made up of 90 children in each year from Reception to Year 6.

There are currently only 495 pupils enrolled in the school. As a result the Headteacher, Governors and Academy Trust would like to reduce the Published Admission Number from 90 to 60 places in Reception for September 2020 and to 60 places for every other year group from September 2020.

Although the Regulations and Code of Practice relating to school admissions no longer require an admissions authority to consult when increasing a school’s PAN, there remains a requirement to consult when the proposal is to reduce a PAN. The Kemnal Academies Trust, as the admissions authority, is seeking comments on this proposed change.

Specific Proposal

The Kemnal Academies Trust proposes to reduce the published admission number for Reception from 90 to 60 with effect from September 2020.

This means that the number of places available for children in Reception in 2020 and all subsequent Reception cohorts – will be 60. This is the only proposed change to the admission criteria, all other criteria, including oversubscription, will remain the same.

If this demand were to change in the future, the school could increase its admission number to meet the need.

Our pupil numbers are stable as a two form entry school and the proposal to reduce the PAN has been approved by the Trust Board and school governors. We firmly believe that a reduced PAN is in the best interests of for the provision of education for our current and future pupils.

Who is consulted?

This consultation is for the attention of: a) parents of children between the ages of two and eleven years old in the surrounding area; b) other persons in the area who have an interest in the proposed arrangements; c) all other admission authorities within the local area; d) the local authority; and e) adjoining neighbouring local authorities.

How to Respond

This consultation will run from 6 December 2018 to 31 January 2019 and you are invited to submit comments in writing about the proposal above to Jess Wilks, Project Support Officer, TKAT, The Atkins Centre, Kemnal Technology College, Sevenoaks Way, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 5AA by midday on 31 January 2018 or by email to jess.wilks@tkat.org

Please mark the subject “Drapers Mills Primary Academy PAN Consultation”. Following the consultation period the Trust will consider all comments received before deciding whether to submit an application to the DfE to affect the change. A decision will be made before 15 March 2019.

A copy of the new proposed Admissions Policy 2020/21 can be found here.