Consultation on a proposed reduction in the Published Admission Number for Kenton School

This consultation ran from Monday 2nd November to Wednesday 16th December 2020. The Trust Board will consider any comments received and decide how it wishes to proceed. Admissions arrangements for September 2022 will be determined by 28th February 2021 and any subsequent objections will need to be made to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator by 15th May 2021.

Kenton School is part of the Kenton Schools Academy Trust. The Trust, as the Admissions Authority for the school, is consulting on and seeking comments on a proposal to reduce its Published Admissions Number. Through this arrangement, Trustees believe that the school will be better placed to strengthen further its dimension as a community school, working with its local Primary partner schools in continuing to develop quality 0-19 educational provision for the children in this part of north west Newcastle.

For September 2020, the school agreed to take additional students into year 7 over and above its PAN to help to support the local authority with the management of pressure on places locally anticipated for 2020-21 and 2021-22. The school currently has 358 students in its current year 7, representing an additional 40 places on the previous year.

For 2022-23, there will be two new additional secondary schools open in close proximity. In addition, the UTC in Newcastle, currently out to consultation on the matter, is highly likely to be recruiting students into year 7 for the first time. As a result of these developments, it is anticipated that there will be spare capacity in provision locally.

Kenton School is keen to strengthen further all of the good work undertaken with its Primary partner schools and is confident that a reduction in its PAN will still enable local Primary School children to choose Kenton School as their school of first choice.

Year groups of 300 will still provide optimum scope in the delivery of a broad, balanced and quality curriculum within a supportive and caring learning environment.

Specific proposal

1. The Trustees of Kenton Schools Academies Trust propose to reduce the Published Admission Number of the school from 342 to 300 with effect from September 2022.

2. This will mean that the number of places available for children in year 7 from September 2022 will be 300 and for all subsequent years’ cohorts.

3. For children who already have a place at the school in other year groups there will be no change; the admission number for all other years remains at 342 as they progress through the school.

4. This is the only proposed change to the Admissions Criteria for 2022-23. The current policy (for admissions for 2021-22) is published on the school’s website.

5. The Board of Trustees proposes to keep this matter under review annually. Were it deemed sensible to increase the PAN at some point in the future, current legislation allows for this to happen without the need to go out to further consultation.

Factors that have been taken into consideration by the Board of Trustees in deciding to consult on this proposal

Factors include:

• prioritising improved learning provision and progression 0-19 for local children and young people, building on strong working relationships with the school’s principal Primary partner schools

• the management of pupil places locally in the context of new schools’ development

• the modelling and costing of the curriculum premised on this proposed change to ensure seamless transition in the delivery of a quality, broad and balanced 11-19 curriculum

• early modelling and costing of the curriculum provision to ensure affordability with minimal, if any, adverse impact on staffing

• no additional capital cost implications