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Report to: |
Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability
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Date of meeting:
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3 November 2025 |
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By: |
Director of Children’s Services
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Title: |
Admission arrangements for East Sussex Schools 2027-28 (permission to consult)
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Purpose: |
To seek Lead Member approval to consult on the proposed admission arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled schools for the 2027-28 academic year. |
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Lead Member is recommended to:
1) agree to consult on the proposed admission arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled (VC) schools for the 2027-28 academic year as set out in Appendix 1;
2) note that there are no proposed changes to the admission arrangements;
3) agree to consult on the proposed published admission numbers (PANs) for Community and VC schools for 2027-28, specifically the proposed PAN change at Hankham Primary School; and
4) agree to consult on the proposed co-ordinated schemes of admissions as set out in Appendices 3-6.
1.1 The School Admissions Code 2021 states that admission authorities must determine (set) their admission arrangements annually. However, provided the relevant admission authority is not proposing any changes to their admission arrangements, there is no requirement to consult annually; where there is no change to arrangements consultation must take place every 7 years.
1.2 For the avoidance of doubt, East Sussex County Council (‘the Council’) consults annually, whether there is a change or not.
1.3 As part of the consultation process, and in accordance with current statutory requirements, the Council will consult parents and carers, schools, the relevant Dioceses and neighbouring local authorities. Details of the proposed arrangements will be posted on the Council’s website.
1.4 The relevant area for the purpose of consultation is the administrative County of East Sussex, and there are no proposals to change this for 2027-28.
2.1 The Council does not propose to make any changes to the admission priorities for 2027-2028. The proposed priorities are set out in Appendix 1.
2.2 The consultation will include Priory School, Lewes whose trust is responsible for admissions to the school. This is because their trust has requested that the Council consults on their behalf as they propose to use the Council’s admission arrangements.
Proposed PAN changes- Hankham Primary School and Southover CE Primary School
2.3 The Headteacher and governing body of Hankham Primary School have asked the Council as admission authority to consult on reducing the school’s PAN from 20 to 15 to reflect the falling birth rate in the local area.
2.4 The Headteacher and governing body of Southover CE Primary School have also asked the Council as admission authority to consult on reducing the school’s PAN from 45 to 30 due to their concerns around the difficulty in organising mixed age classes when numbers fall short of the PAN.
2.5 Other schools for which the Council is the admission authority may make similar requests which will be incorporated into the consultation if time permits.
3.1 The Council is required by law to consult on its admission arrangements every 7 years, or sooner if any changes to those arrangements are proposed for schools for which it is the admission authority. The Lead Member is recommended to agree to consult on the attached admission arrangements for 2027-28 (with the proposed changes set out in section 2 above).
3.2 The results of the consultation will be reported back to the Lead Member after the consultation period closes in January 2026 with recommendations for amendments as necessary resulting from comments received. Final admission arrangements must be determined by 28 February 2026 and published by 15 March 2026 in line with statutory deadlines.
CAROLYN FAIR
Director of Children’s Services
Contact Officer: Jo
Miles
Tel. No. 01273 481911
Email: jo.miles@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL MEMBERS
ALL
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS
None