Staffordshire County Council wishes to notify the appropriate bodies of its proposal to reduce the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Norton Canes High School from 120 to 96 pupils, with effect from September 2028.
For September 2026, the school admitted 87 pupils into Year 7, against a PAN of 120. In the last 4 years the number admitted has been consistently below PAN. Pupil projections indicate that numbers are expected to remain broadly at this level in the short term, based on current demand. Continuing to operate with a PAN of 120 is therefore not considered financially sustainable, as the school receives insufficient funding to maintain the staffing levels and class structure required to operate effectively.
Maintaining the current PAN and associated staffing structure would place significant and ongoing pressure on the school’s annual budget.
Reducing the PAN to 96 would provide greater consistency in class organisation and class sizes, while also allowing more effective use of the available space throughout the school.
Without a reduction in PAN, the school may need to operate a changing structure, potentially resulting in fluctuations in class sizes and a lack of consistency across year groups. This could impact on the effective organisation of the school and the educational experience of pupils.
The local authority will continue to monitor pupil numbers, demographic trends and the demand for school places within the local area. Norton Canes High School also has sufficient accommodation to admit additional pupils, where appropriate, should there be an increase in demand for school places in the future.
You may find the following information useful when considering this proposal.
Past Pupil Admission Numbers
| Year | Admission Number | Number allocated (as at National Offer Day) | Number of 1st preferences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2023 | 120 | 91 | 74 |
| Sept 2024 | 120 | 88 | 54 |
| Sept 2025 | 120 | 64 | 59 |
| Sept 2026 | 120 | 87 | 79 |
Please send any queries or comments on this proposal by 5pm on 18 December 2026 to:
admissionsconsultation@staffordshire.gov.uk
or
School Admissions and Transport
Staffordshire County Council
2 Staffordshire Place
Tipping Street
ST16 2DH