Proposed Planned Admission Numbers (PANs) Consultation for 2008/09 Academic Year

1. Introduction

1.1 The County Council is responsible for setting the annual Planned Admission Number (PAN) for all community and VC schools in consultation with governing bodies.

1.2 VA and Foundation schools are responsible for setting their own PANs in consultation with the County Council.

1.3 Following consultation, the County Council is required to publish the PANs for all schools including VA and Foundation. PANs are published in the Parents' Guide issued for each academic year.

1.4 For the proposed Planned Admission Numbers for the academic year 2008/09, we are consulting schools electronically via the Norfolk Esinet website. See instructions in paragraph 3.3.

1.5 Exceptions to the consultation are set out in paragraph 2.

2. Exceptions to the 2008/09 Consultation

2.1 Under the Norwich area reorganisation, a number of schools will be closing and new schools established effective from 1st September 2007. The County Council will be consulting the Shadow Governing bodies of those schools separately and not as part of this consultation. This is also applicable to the new schools at Dussindale and West Costessey and the Necton Schools in the Swaffham High School area. It will be made clear on the Esinet feedback forms from which schools electronic feedback is not required, i.e. 'FEEDBACK IS NOT REQUIRED'.

2.2 Re-organisation proposals from 2008/09 affect primary and secondary schools in the following high school areas: Great Yarmouth; Gorleston; Caister. The admission numbers for schools in these areas for the academic year 2008/09 have previously been set by Statutory Public Notices and were subject to consultations as part of those processes. Those admission numbers are not negotiable for 2008/09 and the County Council will not require feedback from the schools so affected. It will be made clear on the Esinet feedback forms from which schools feedback will not be required, i.e. 'FEEDBACK IS NOT REQUIRED'.

2.3 Admission numbers are not set for special schools and are not therefore part of this consultation exercise.

3. Action - Feedback is required by 1st MARCH 2007

3.1 You need to check the proposed Admission Number for 2008/09 and seek the agreement of the governing body to the figure. This agreement should subsequently be minuted at a full meeting of the governing body.

3.2 Please use the feedback box to let us have your agreement/ disagreement to the PAN and any comments on the proposal by 1st March.

3.3 Instructions: how to access the feedback page

3.3.1 The consultation page for your school can be accessed via Esinet. You need to be logged in to My School to access this page. The Admissions Number consultation for 2008/09 is in the Buildings sub-section listed on the left hand side of the page. The form includes the previous Admission Number for 2007/08 and a reason for any proposed change in 2008/09.

3.3.2 To open this link manually open Norfolk Esinet website and click on: School Management and Governance > My School > enter Login details > Buildings > Admission Number consultation for 2008/09.

3.4 The Planned Admission Number reflects known changes to schools accommodation and organisation as at September 2008.

4. List of All Schools' Planned Admission Numbers

4.1 The County Council is required to consult all schools with the proposed PAN for every school. A table listing the proposed PAN for all schools (including the exceptions mentioned in paragraph 2) is on Esinet and can be found here. The All Schools spreadsheet is listed on the left hand side of the Esinet page.

4.2 To open this link manually open Norfolk Esinet website and click on: School Management and Governance > My School > enter Login details > Buildings > Admission Number consultation for 2008/09 - the All Schools spreadsheet is listed on the left-hand side.

4.3 The All Schools spreadsheet shows reorganised schools under their new status. New schools are listed under their new DfES numbers where these have been allocated and the names and DfES numbers of the schools they have replaced are also shown.

4.4 The All Schools list will be updated to reflect any changes made during the consultation period.

5. Surplus Places

5.1 The County Council has a duty to monitor pupil places and to reduce the number of surplus places where this is feasible. The level of surplus places is submitted annually to the DfES.

5.2 In the reason for change section of the electronic consultation form, schools may find a statement along the lines PAN lowered to reduce surplus places. Sometimes it is sufficient to lower the admission number by only 1 or 2, to reduce the number of surplus places. If this action has been taken, it is with the view that the revised PAN will be adequate to meet the local demand for places.

5.3 Where surplus places are high and a mobile exists, we will be contacting those schools where it is believed a unit can be removed without prejudice to the adequacy of the remaining accommodation.

6. Accommodation Assessment and Planned Admission Number

6.1 Following the on-going re-surveys of schools' accommodation details, the minimum/maximum range of teaching capacities and associated admission limits have changed necessitating an increase or decrease in the PAN for some schools. Where this has happened the entry is noted with due to revised accommodation survey or similar.

7. County Council Contacts

7.1 Principal contact:
Simon Conner, Pupil Place Planning Officer
Tel. No. 01603 222503
Fax No. 01603 224291
Address: Norfolk County Council, Children's Services, Planning & Buildings, Room 7, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DL

7.2 Alternative contacts:
Chris Harrison telephone 01603 222353
Steve Hicks telephone 01603 222353