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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST MADE FOR THIS ITEM:
 
None
 

RESOLVED:
 
That Cabinet:
 
1.   
Noted that no responses were received during the consultation
period, which ran from 27 November 2025 to 15 January 2026. The
anticipated reasons for this outcome were outlined from paragraph
7.7.

2.   
Noted the equalities impact assessment of the proposals on
protected groups at Appendix 7.

3.   
Agreed the recommendation set out in the report to proceed with the
proposal to reduce the published admission number (PAN) for the
primary and secondary schools listed in Table 1 from September
2027.

4.   
Agreed the Council’s admission arrangements for the academic
year 2027/28 as set out in Appendices 1–4.

5.   
Agreed Haringey’s fair access protocol as set out in Appendix
5 to come into force from 1 March 2026.

6.   
Agreed that the determined arrangements for all maintained primary
and secondary schools in the borough were published on the
Council’s website by 15 March 2025, with an explanation of
the right of any person or body, under the School Admissions
(Admission Arrangements and Co?ordination of Admission
Arrangements) Regulations 2012, to object to the Schools
Adjudicator in specified circumstances.

Reasons for decision:
 
In common with many
London authorities, Haringey had been experiencing a decrease in
demand for reception school places for several years. The reasons
for the declining numbers were multifaceted and included falling
birth rates, changes to welfare benefits, the housing crisis,
increases in the cost of living, the loss of the right of entry and
freedom of movement for EU nationals (Brexit), and families leaving
London during the Covid?19 pandemic. Many of these factors remained
outside the Council’s control and were not the fault of the
schools or their leadership.
 
A report on Managing
School Places and Admissions in London, published by London
Councils in February 2025, provided wider context and independent
analysis of the issue.
 
While recent focus had
largely been on reducing primary school capacity, forecast demand
for secondary school places was also declining. Year 7 intake was
projected to fall below the notional capacity of 2,628 places by
the end of the decade. In response, some reductions in secondary
capacity had already been implemented to support the sustainability
of the school estate and to ensure provision aligned with projected
demand.
 
From 2026, Year 7
capacity reduced to 2,544 places, helping to manage surplus
provision. This revised figure reflected permanent reductions at
Heartlands High School (from 240 to 210 in 2025) and planned
reductions at Hornsey School for Girls and Park View in 2026, to
135 and 189 places respectively. Further reductions might be
necessary to maintain a balanced and efficient secondary school
estate.
 
As previously
mentioned, several secondary schools referenced in the report
adjusted their Published Admission Numbers (PAN) to reflect changes
in class?size models. Some reduced PANs to move from 27 to 30
pupils per class. These schools had agreed with staff unions to
increase class sizes from 27 to 30 pupils, in line with Department
for Education (DfE) guidance, which recognised 30 as the standard
class size in secondary education. This adjustment supported
schools in achieving greater operational and financial efficiency
through more flexible staffing and improved resource deployment. It
also supported schools in aligning their financial and staffing
structures with current and projected pupil numbers while
maintaining high standards of educational provision.
 
The proposals outlined
in the report to reduce Published Admission Numbers (PAN),
including adjustments to class?size models from 27 to 30 pupils per
class, were intended to support schools in planning their staffing
and educational provision more efficiently by aligning capacity
with actual and projected demand. This approach reflected DfE
guidance recognising 30 pupils as the standard class size in
secondary education and enabled schools to realise operational and
financial benefits. The consultation process being initiated sought
to gather stakeholder views on these proposals, with a final
decision to be presented to Cabinet in February 2026.
 

Alternative options considered:
 
No changes were
proposed to the oversubscription criteria for community and
voluntary controlled (VC) schools for the 2027/28 academic year.
Although the School Admissions Code (2021) allowed for various
mechanisms to influence the allocation of places—such as
designated catchment areas, feeder schools, or prioritisation for
children eligible for the early years or pupil premium—no
alternative option was considered at that time.
 
The aim was to support
schools in achieving long?term sustainability and to introduce
greater flexibility across the school estate in response to
fluctuating population demand. Reducing PANs was one of several
strategies available to schools, alongside strengthening
partnerships through soft or hard federations and formal agreements
such as memorandums of understanding.
 
Some neighbouring
London boroughs had taken more radical steps to address surplus
capacity, including school closures and amalgamations. The previous
year, the Council consulted on the future of three one?form?entry
primary schools and subsequently approved their closure from 31
August 2025, with pupils transferring to local schools. These
closures did not affect the consultation or determination of
admission arrangements for schools governed by the local
authority.