What is the Admissions Consultation?

We are consulting to reduce the current published admission number (PAN) for Glade Academy from 60 to 30. The PAN was originally set at 60 to reflect planned growth in housing in both Brandon and along the A14 corridor, however this growth has not been realised and the intake is typically around 30 pupils. Further to this there is a national decline in birth rate, which means that there are fewer children requiring school places. Reducing the PAN would aid our longer term strategic planning for the academy.

We do not intend to amend the existing admission arrangements for Glade Academy other than the Published Admission Number and will continue to work closely with Suffolk LA and other local admissions authorities to ensure that there are sufficient pupil places in Brandon should the need arise.

The admission arrangements outline:

• how our academies will manage applications for Reception, Year 3 (Eastgate and Admirals) and Year 7 (KLA). This is known as “the schemes of coordination”;
• the admission numbers for schools within Eastern Multi Academy Trust, often referred to as the PAN or Published Admissions Number, which relates to the number of places each academy will offer
• how academies decide which pupils obtain priority for school places. This is known as “the oversubscription criteria”.

When does the consultation run from and to?

This consultation will run from Wednesday 15^th November 2023 until Wednesday 10^th January 2024. If you wish to submit your views, you must do so during this period.

Who is involved in the consultation?

We intend to consult with the following groups:

• Parents of children at Glade Academy
• Other persons in the Brandon area who may have an interest in the proposed arrangements
• All other admission authorities within the local area
• The Local Authority (Suffolk LA)

Why are we consulting?

The Admissions Code (2021) places a duty on admissions authorities to consult on their admissions arrangements either every 7 years or prior to any changes being made to the admissions criteria. We are consulting because we propose to lower the number of pupils who will be admitted to Reception from 60 to 30.

How do we propose to manage applications?

Applications for a place at Glade Academy to start in September should be made to Suffolk Local Authority. For in-year transfer applications, these will be made directly to Glade Academy. The application decisions for September are made by the academy on provision of the applications by Suffolk LA. This is no change to the current arrangements.

Published Admissions Number (PAN)

Eastern Multi Academy Trust is consulting on reducing the PAN for Glade Academy to 30 places from 60 from September 2025.

Will Glade Academy use selection or banding?

Eastern Multi Academy Trust does not propose using selection or banding as part of its admissions arrangements. If the number of pupils requesting a place at Glade Academy does not exceed the PAN then all pupils will be admitted to the school. This is no change to the current arrangements.

How will Eastern Multi Academy Trust academies prioritise admissions if they receive more requests than places available?

There are no changes proposed to the admissions arrangements. In the event that an academy receives more applications than the number of places it has available, places will be given to those children who meet any of the criteria set out below, in order until all places are filled. Where a parent is applying for a place based on the fact that they are an employee this criterion can only be applied for the school in which the parent works.

All children whose education, health and care (EHC) plans name the school will be admitted before any other places are allocated.

1. Highest priority will be given to looked after children and all previously looked after children who apply for a place at the school.
2. Priority will next be given to children of staff at the school, in either of the following circumstances:
   a) The member of staff has been employed at the school for 2 or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, or
   b) The member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage

Please note: this criterion can only be applied for admission to the school in which the parent works

3. Priority will next be given to children who attend named feeder schools for each academy (Relates to King’s Lynn Academy (Y7), Admirals (Y3) and Eastgate (Y3) specifically)
4. Priority will next be given to children with siblings at the school. Siblings include step siblings, foster siblings, adopted siblings and other children living permanently at the same address. Priority will not be given to children with siblings who are former pupils of the school.
5. Other children living inside the catchment area.

Our Admissions Policy can be found at Eastern Multi Academy Trust - Policies (eastern-mat.co.uk)

Eastern Multi Academy Trust is seeking your views on the reduction of Glade’s PAN from 60 to 30 from September 2025.

In line with the Admissions Code, we invite your comments regarding the reduction in Glade’s PAN. The proposed arrangements would come into effect from 1^st September 2025.

This consultation will be open for a period of 7 weeks between Wednesday 15^th November 2023 and Wednesday 10^th January 2024. Please email any comments you wish to make to Mrs. Rebecca Schrooder (Trust Operations Manager) at rebecca.schrooder@eastern-mat.co.uk for consideration or in writing to:

Mrs. R. Schrooder
Operations Manager
Eastern Multi Academy Trust
Queen Mary Road
King’s Lynn
Norfolk
PE30 4QG