consultation on increasing admission numbers in our school

[lingle]

does anyone have experience they could share here?
Our LEA is consulting on increasing our school admission numbers from 45 per year to 60 because we have had more than 26 children above our admission number for the last three years.

It's all a bit ironic as we used to be undersubscribed. Now we are the most popular school in town.

The consultation refers to "increasing the size of the building" if we increase the pupil admission numbers.

Here's my question: I volunteer in school so have seen how much teacher time is wasted and energy expended negotiating access to the hall, to limited small classroom teaching spaces, etc. So my main concern is that, whilst we could build more classrooms on our field (:() this would just increase the pressure on the hallways/small teaching rooms and ultimately reduce the quality of the pupil's experiences, especially for extra-curricular activities, booster groups, challenge groups and physical activities.

Is this something they'll be thinking about? Is this something I can usefull comment on? I don't want to waste my time but this is a big issue for me.

It depends really - on why the school has become so popular in recent years. Is it becuase it has become outstanding, good league table results, rising birth rates, housing boom etc. If it's because it has become an outstanding school then there is a really good reason to share that with other children (social equity if you like) everyone deserves a good local school - however if it's because of a local housing boom then they might be better off building a new school.
In the end small local schools which are small are likely to suffer in circumstances like this and if you dont increase in might be likely in the future that you might close.

If the LEA decides to expand the school there is very little you can do about it.

All the school can do is object to the plans (I don't think they're allowed to build on the field)

And they can appeal to the schools adjudicator. Who will probably rule in favour of the LEA.

Def object to the plans. For every reason you can think of.

The govs should issue a letter to all the parents stating their position, and what they'd like parents to do about it........

The LEA will probably do it, one of the advantages one of my DCs schools gave for becoming an academy, was that it could argue the LEA would need to build a new building rather than just roll in some portakabins if it decided to increase the numbers (and this is one of the largest secondaries in the County).
However if a campaign is mounted, they may just spend a bit more and make it more workable.
Good luck!

You know so many things that other parents don't because you've witnessed it!! I think you should inform other parents. Ask the head teacher and governors about building a bigger hall or anything else needed. For example one hall for reception and another for Y1&2 or other years if it's a primary. Ask for a meeting to take place so you can voice your concerns in public and all parents can hear you.

thanks.

I telephoned the council. apparently there is something called Building Bulletin 99 that determines the ratio of communal to classroom space BUT the government may be abolishing it.

and the school field thing is a planning law issue.

The whole rational behind increasing the PAN is that the school has the capacity to take those kids. So I would be extremely worried that the LA is intending to increase the PAN, because you are already coping with extra pupils, not because they are going to build you some new classrooms. To go from 45 PAN to 60 PAN you should be talking about going from 10 or 11 classrooms to 14 classrooms and if I was the school I would be opposing this until there is a written guarantee that the extra classrooms are going to be built within the next 12 months.
There is also of course the questions about other facilities. I would be less bothered about the hall (providing that it can cope with the dinner time situation) and more bothered about the office accommodation. That kind of an increase in number means more people in the office and a bigger staff, so consideration needs to be given to the school office, staff room and head's office as to whether they are going to be adequate

ok thanks. trouble is that as a parent there's only so much you can say about the office, etc.

It's all very confusing because the reality is that we already have nearly that number because we are so oversubscribed now.

the publicity job my friends and I did for the school 5 years ago when it was the unloved school in the area clearly worked too well! We should have left it as a well-kept secret!