School with PAN 20 offers 30 places, how can this work?

[RaisinHell]

Our school has a PAN of 20. Apparently 30 places have been offered for YR in Sept.

What is going to happen to the school? If it accepts the full 30 children this year then it won't be able to take its PAN of 20 next year without going over its total roll number of 140.

For this year it will be ok as there are gaps at the top end of the school so the total will be at or under 140.

I don't get it. Does this mean that by next year we will have an extra class? Can anyone explain/suggest likely scenarios please?

Thanks.

what is PAN

pupil.... a. Number?

PAN = planned admissions number, sorry thought it was in common use on here especially at this time of year

SchoolsNightmare, thanks.

No, no bulge class AFAIK, there will be the 30 in YR instead of the usual 20 or so.

Don't know if this is a one off or if they plan to take 30 from now on but obviously this will set a precedent I would have thought.

Apparently there is a huge shortage of YR places throughout the borough.

The problem will be with the mixing of classes in future years, we have only 5 classes. So I guess they could go to 150 in theory. After that the school physically could not really cope (small classrooms, tiny playground/hall space) I wouldn't have thought.

If they're planning an additional classroom within a year or so then fine, otherwise I think they're really squeezing them in.

Pretty poor that there has been no communication to parents explaining what's going on - but yes, I'd imagine the PAN has been bumped to deal with the lack of school places. Lots of schools have been asked to take more if they have the capacity.

Thanks, no the school have not said anything about this. We only know about it because some of the present kids have younger siblings starting so those mums know about the intake of 30.

Understand about infant class size of 30. It's just that the bulge of 30 will then for next year (2013) have a big impact on the rest of the classes mixings, for example the YR for 2013 assuming it goes back down to PAN 20 will have to be a mixed a YR and Y1 class, and also will probably push the junior classes over 30, both of which have never happened before but with the overall numbers there's no other way unless the school gets a new class.

The code is clear that with the agreement of the school and the Local Authority that places over and above the PAN can be offered. It does not happen that often because the LAs are always nervous that it sets a precedent that they cannot then defend in future.
The problem is that with the increases in pupil numbers seen in areas, the LA have had to take actions that they would normally shy away from. That is I suspect what has happened here. There has been a lack of places locally and the school has agreed to take the pupils. It is not officially a bulge class as this would be a separate extra class.
In terms of next year, the school must take the 20 pupils that the PAN indicates, they have no choice over that. My concern would be what the extra 10 pupils means in terms of classes further up the school and the precedent that has been set for taking 30 next year.

admisssion thanks this:

"My concern would be what the extra 10 pupils means in terms of classes further up the school and the precedent that has been set for taking 30 next year"

is what I am worried about. The extra 10 will cause the classes to be mixed in ways not normally done purely down to numbers and will cause children to be 'pushed up' the school as the school will be very bottom heavy compared to normal.