Proposed Admission Arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools 2027/28

Background

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to determine admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools in their area, including school admission numbers, by 28 February each year. In doing this, local authorities must comply with the requirements of the School Admissions Code and all relevant legislation.

When changes to the admission arrangements are proposed, consultation must take place between 1 October and 31 January and must last for a minimum of six weeks. 

The Published Admission Number (PAN) is the maximum number of children to be admitted into the reception year in the academic year.

West Berkshire has experienced a sustained decline in birth rates over recent years. This demographic trend is now reflected in reduced pupil allocations, with some lower allocation levels becoming the established norm.

Chieveley Primary School has a capacity of 210 pupils and a PAN of 30. In 2024/25, the last full academic year, the school had 171 pupils on roll. Over the past decade, the school's catchment population has steadily declined and currently averages approximately 10 children per year. Forecasts suggest this may reduce further to between five and seven children annually by the end of the decade.

The school currently admits around 88% of its catchment population, which represents approximately 42% of its total intake. Increasingly, the school relies on inward movement from neighbouring villages, where pupil numbers are also in decline, which is a trend that is expected to continue. 

Spurcroft Primary School has a capacity of 420 pupils and a PAN of 60. In 2024/25, the last full academic year, the school had 368 pupils on roll. The school's catchment population is declining, with average cohort sizes projected to fall from 53 to 43, and further to 38 over the forecast period, with occasional smaller cohorts anticipated.

The school currently admits approximately 61% of its catchment population, which accounts for around half of its total intake. Inward movement primarily originates from the Francis Baily and Parsons Down catchment areas. 

Predictions for both schools are that these low numbers will continue across the forecast horizon (2025-29).

Implications and impact

From a financial and operational standpoint, the schools need to maintain enrolment close to their PAN to remain sustainable. This reduction would help the schools better manage staffing, resources, and compliance with class size regulations, while ensuring they can meet the local demand for places.

There is a potential risk, that in some instances, families living outside the designated catchment area, who have a child already attending, e.g. Spurcroft Primary School, may be unable to secure a place for a younger sibling at the same school.

Current trends suggest that the risk is low and there will be sufficient capacity to accommodate both catchment and sibling applicants, however, any significant change, such as increased popularity and changes in parental preference, could impact the schools' ability to maintain this balance.

It is important to note that Spurcroft Primary School is unlikely to reach its full capacity of 60 pupils and cannot sustain significantly smaller class sizes from a financial perspective. While the risk of oversubscription is currently low, it is not negligible. The risk is expected to diminish over time as the proportion of non-catchment allocations continues to decline.

What we are proposing

We're proposing the following changes, which reflect demographic trends, including declining birth rates, lower allocations, and patterns of school preferences within the local community:

1. Chieveley Primary School: Proposed reduction of PAN from 30 to 15. 
2. Spurcroft Primary School: Proposed reduction of PAN from 60 to 45. 

A reduction in PAN at these schools supports strategic planning across the wider area, aligning with actions identified for geographically linked schools.

You can see the full set of proposed determined admission arrangements here.

How to take part

If you'd like to comment on our proposals, please complete our survey by midnight on Friday, 30 January 2026. It should take about 10 minutes. 

Complete our survey

If you have any questions about the survey, please email the School Admissions Team.

For general enquiries about school admissions, please visit our webpage.

What happens next

Your feedback will be taken into consideration, and a final decision made by Delegated Officer Decision in early 2026. Any approved changes will be implemented at the end of February 2026.