Proposed change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Broadstone Hall Primary School 

Following an approach to Stockport Council by the governing body of the school, the Council requested a variation to the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Broadstone Hall Primary School from 75 to 60 for September 2027.  This was approved the School Adjudicator in July 2026 Broadstone Hall Primary School: 14 July 2026 - GOV.UK.

This agreed variation only applies to the school year 2027/28 and so this consultation looks to reduce the Published Admission Number at Broadstone Hall Primary School from 75 to 60 for September 2028 onwards.

The request to reduce the PAN for Broadstone Hall Primary School is driven by a significant surplus of Reception places across the Heaton planning area and the resulting financial impact this has.

The school currently operates with 19 classes across seven year groups, including mixed Year 1 and 2, and mixed Year 3 and 4 classes. Maintaining a PAN of 75 in the context of falling demand would require the continued use of mixed-age classes and/or under-capacity classes, leading to inefficiencies in staffing and resource allocation.

Reducing the PAN to 60 from September 2027 will enable the school to operate with two full classes in each year group, reducing reliance on mixed-age provision and avoiding the need to maintain underfilled classes. This would support a more balanced class structure and reduce the number of classes from 19 to 16 initially, with a further reduction to 14 classes by the 2031/32 academic year and operate as single age classes across the school.

If offers were to exceed 60 places, the school would be required to organise provision across three classes in order to comply with Infant Class Size legislation. Reducing the PAN would therefore align staffing more closely with pupil numbers, providing greater certainty in future planning, supporting long-term financial stability, and enabling the school to maintain high-quality educational provision.

In addition to this, with a PAN of 75, this results in mixed-aged classes across school. While mixed-age classes can offer benefits in certain contexts, they can also present challenges that can negatively impact teaching and learning when they arise primarily as a consequence of low pupil numbers rather than educational design (for example, where a mixed age class contains the majority of one year group and a small minority of pupils from another year group due to low numbers). Mixed-age classes increase the complexity of curriculum planning, assessment, and teaching, as staff are required to deliver learning objectives from two different year groups simultaneously. This reduces the time available for focused instruction and make it more challenging to ensure that all pupils receive age-appropriate challenge and support - as well as assessment of academic, social and personal progress and development. Teachers must balance differing curriculum expectations, which can place additional demands on workload and limit opportunities to provide targeted interventions for pupils. Furthermore, pupils may experience interruptions to curriculum continuity, particularly where programmes of study need to be adapted to avoid repetition or gaps in learning across a two-year cycle. As a result, while effective teaching can mitigate many of these issues, mixed-age classes often require significant additional planning and resources to ensure that educational standards and pupil outcomes are maintained.

The governing body of Broadstone Hall Primary School has approved the consultation to reduce the Published Admission Number at the school from 75 to 60 for September 2028 onwards.

Proposed change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Rose Hill Primary School 

Following an approach to Stockport Council by the governing body of the school, the Council requested a variation to the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Rose Hill Primary School from 75 to 60 for September 2027.  This was approved the School Adjudicator in July 2026 Rose Hill Primary School: 3 July 2026 - GOV.UK

This agreed variation only applies to the school year 2027/28 and so this consultation looks to reduce the Published Admission Number at Rose Hill Primary School from 75 to 60 for September 2028 onwards.

The request to vary the PAN for Rose Hill Primary School is driven by a significant surplus of Reception places across the Marple planning area and the resulting financial impact this has.

A lower than expected intake in Reception has significant implications for both the school’s budget and the quality of teaching and learning. With an admission number of 75 but only, for example, 64 pupils enrolling, the school experiences a reduction in pupil-led funding, creating financial pressures that affect staffing, resources, intervention programmes, and wider educational provision. Technically, a temporary class teacher is having to be appointed for 4 pupils, which is not cost-effective nor sustainable - this funding could be more effectively spent on resources, support and interventions for pupils. As staffing costs represent the largest proportion of school expenditure, reduced income limits the school’s capacity to maintain optimal staffing structures and specialist support, despite the need to continue delivering a broad and balanced curriculum and quality-first teaching. Smaller cohorts also impact long-term financial sustainability, as reduced numbers progress through the school and continue to affect funding in subsequent years. Consequently, the school must carefully manage resources to minimise any adverse effects on educational outcomes while ensuring that high-quality teaching, targeted support, and enrichment opportunities remain available to all pupils. 

Reducing the PAN to 60 from September 2028 will enable the school to operate with two classes in each year group, reducing reliance on mixed-age provision and avoiding the need to maintain underfilled classes. This would support a more balanced class structure and reduce the number of classes from 5 across two year groups to 2 initially in each year group.

Without this variation, if there were an unexpected increase in applications, leading to more than 60 pupils but well below 75, it could force the school into a position where they need to organise the year group into three small classes to comply with infant class size legislation. By proactively reducing the PAN to 60, this risk is minimised, ensuring a more stable staffing and class structure whilst protecting the school’s ability to deliver high-quality education.

In addition to this, with a PAN of 75, this results in mixed-aged classes across school. While mixed-age classes can offer benefits in certain contexts, they can also present challenges that can negatively impact teaching and learning when they arise primarily as a consequence of low pupil numbers rather than educational design (for example, where a mixed age class contains the majority of one year group and a small minority of pupils from another year group due to low numbers). Mixed-age classes increase the complexity of curriculum planning, assessment, and teaching, as staff are required to deliver learning objectives from two different year groups simultaneously. This reduces the time available for focused instruction and make it more challenging to ensure that all pupils receive age-appropriate challenge and support - as well as assessment of academic, social and personal progress and development. Teachers must balance differing curriculum expectations, which can place additional demands on workload and limit opportunities to provide targeted interventions for pupils. Furthermore, pupils may experience interruptions to curriculum continuity, particularly where programmes of study need to be adapted to avoid repetition or gaps in learning across a two-year cycle. As a result, while effective teaching can mitigate many of these issues, mixed-age classes often require significant additional planning and resources to ensure that educational standards and pupil outcomes are maintained.

The governing body of Rose Hill Primary School has approved the consultation to reduce the Published Admission Number at the school from 75 to 60 for September 2028 onwards.

Admission Arrangements for Honeycomb Education Trust

The School Admissions Code requires Admission Authorities to consult every seven years on their admissions arrangements. Mellor Primary School and Bolshaw Primary School are Academies and Honeywell Education Trust is the Admission Authority for the schools. The Local Authority co-ordinates the admission arrangements for Honeywell Education Trust and is hosting the consultation on their behalf.

See Appendix 3 for the proposed Admission Policy for the schools.

Proposed change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Vernon Park Primary School 

Stockport Council is consulting on a proposal to reduce the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Vernon Park Primary School from 45 to 30 for admission to Reception from September 2028 onwards.

The proposal is driven by the forecast surplus of Reception places across the Offerton planning area and the resulting financial impact on schools.

From 2028/29 onwards, Offerton is forecast to have between 29 and 37 surplus Reception places each year, equivalent to approximately 12% to 15% of available capacity. Reducing Vernon Park’s PAN by 15 would still leave between 14 and 22 surplus Reception places across the planning area, maintaining sufficient flexibility to respond to fluctuations in demand. There is also significant forecast surplus capacity in the neighbouring Stockport primary planning area, which is geographically close to Vernon Park.

For admission in September 2026, Vernon Park received 31 first-preference applications. A total of 34 places were offered on National Offer Day against a PAN of 45, of which nine were offered to children living within the school’s catchment area. As at 19 October 2026, 38 children were on roll in Reception.

Forecast demand for Vernon Park remains above the proposed PAN of 30. The Council therefore recognises that reducing the PAN may mean that some applicants who might previously have secured a place at Vernon Park are offered an alternative school.

However, the Council must plan sufficient places across the wider planning area rather than at individual schools in isolation. The forecasts indicate that sufficient Reception capacity would remain across Offerton following the proposed reduction, alongside further capacity in the neighbouring Stockport planning area. The reduction would therefore bring available capacity more closely into line with forecast demand while retaining a reasonable level of surplus to accommodate fluctuations in pupil numbers.

Although forecasts cannot guarantee the number of applications received in any individual year, current projections indicate that Vernon Park would be expected to fill a PAN of 30 and may operate a waiting list. The proposal therefore reflects the level and distribution of capacity required across the wider area rather than a lack of demand for the school.

In considering where capacity could appropriately be reduced, the Council has considered forecast demand alongside the organisation and sustainability of individual schools. Reducing Vernon Park’s PAN from 45 to 30 would establish a clear one-form-entry model, while retaining sufficient capacity across Offerton and the neighbouring Stockport planning area. The proposal therefore provides a practical way of reducing surplus capacity while maintaining flexibility to respond to changes in local demand.

A PAN of 45 represents one and a half forms of entry and can make class and staffing arrangements difficult where an intake exceeds 30 but does not generate sufficient pupil-led funding to support two full classes.

This is particularly relevant in Reception and Key Stage 1, where infant class size legislation limits classes containing a single qualified teacher to 30 pupils. If more than 30 pupils are admitted, the school may need to organise the cohort across two smaller classes. Where the intake remains below 45, the additional pupil-led funding may not meet the full cost of operating a second class.

Reducing the PAN to 30 would allow Vernon Park to move progressively towards a one-form-entry structure as the new cohorts move through the school. This would support greater certainty over class organisation, staffing and financial planning.

While mixed-age classes can offer benefits in some circumstances, they can also create additional challenges where they arise because of pupil numbers rather than educational design. Staff may be required to plan, teach and assess the curriculum for two-year groups within one class. This can increase the complexity of curriculum planning and make it more difficult to provide age-appropriate teaching, support and intervention. A more stable one-form-entry structure would reduce the need to organise classes in this way and provide greater continuity for pupils and staff.