Although our determined Admissions Arrangements for 2026 state that our published admission number is 60, as a school we have taken the decision to request a variation with the Office of the Schools Adjudicator to move to one form of entry. The published admission number change will be requested as 30.
We believe this will allow us to focus on giving each of our students the best education in an enriched learning environment with first-class teaching.
What is the Published Admission Number (PAN)?
The Published Admission Number (PAN) is the maximum number of children the school intends to admit into a specific year group (usually the normal point of entry, such as Reception). This number is determined as part of our annual admission arrangements. We are looking to move from 60 to 30.
Why is the school varying its admission number?
As there are widely documented falling rolls across the area, we have chosen to take pre-emptive action rather than “reactive” action.
The decision aims to balance the needs of the school with the demand for places in the local area. In all of this, the needs of the children at Holy Trinity are our first priority.
Has this variation been approved by the local authority/Department for Education?
The school is following a formal process to vary admission arrangements, which involves approval by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA). The school has sought the support of Richmond Borough Council for this change and is notifying other admission authorities in the area. The outcome of this process determines if the variation is agreed upon by the OSA.
Will the class sizes change?
For infant classes (Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 in England), there is a legal maximum of 30 pupils per single teacher. This limit is a key consideration in determining the PAN. While the school aims to maintain manageable class sizes across all year groups, only infant class sizes are capped by law.
How will this change affect the school’s funding or resources?
School funding is linked to the number of pupils on roll. A decrease in pupil numbers may influence funding, but the school is committed to managing its resources effectively to maintain a high standard of education. If the school is required to admit a number of pupils over its capacity, the local authority may provide additional resources or funding to support this.
Who can I contact for more information?
If you have further questions or require more information about our admission arrangements or the variation process, please contact Mr George, the headteacher, directly on ageorge@htprimary.com
The full, determined admission arrangements are published annually on our website.
