Lantern Academy
Consultation on a proposed reduction in the published admission number with effect from September 2026.
Consultation on a proposed reduction in the published admission number (PAN) for Lantern Primary Academy with effect from September 2026 and proposed admission criteria.
The Schools Admissions Code 2021 sets out a requirement for all Admission Authorities to undertake statutory consultation where they propose a variation to the Published Admission Number (PAN) of a school.
The purpose of consultation is to ensure transparency and openness on the contents of a proposal and allow parents, carers and other interested stakeholders to make a representation that will be considered as part of the determination of the proposal.
Background
The current Published Admission Number (PAN) for Lantern Primary Academy is 20. This means that the number of children admitted into the school reception class each year is limited to 20.
In recent years the school has seen a reduction in the number of applications for school places at Year Reception as well as in other year groups.
The number of children on roll in Reception year group September 2023 was 13 and in September 2024 it was 15.
Due to the gap between the Published Admission Number (PAN) of 20 and the actual pupil numbers attending the school, there is a need to consider reducing the PAN of the school as part of the wider review of school places in this area. Excessive surplus places create a significant challenge for the school in respect of providing a cost effective class structure and managing to maintain a balanced budget. Although the school has managed the budget effectively, this is no longer sustainable.
Reducing the PAN at Lantern Primary Academy will assist the school’s Governing Body to provide stability in its long-term planning and allow the school to continue to secure high quality educational outcomes for the students currently on roll, while continuing to provide an appropriate number of places for future pupil numbers in-line with demand.
The Learning Community Trust, as the Admissions Authority, will consider representations and recommendations from the consultation exercise before making any decision on the proposal.
Demographic information
Housing
Within the Ketley Bank area there are no plans to build new homes and land sites to build up on are limited. A new housing estate has been built of 27 regenerated houses which at Main Road, Ketley Bank, Telford which has been factored into the projected pupil numbers for the local area. It is not anticipated that the new housing developments within the immediate area will significantly increase demand for primary school places.
Population
The population growth for children aged birth to 3 years in the Lantern Primary Academy area indicates that the intake for the school over the next 3 years will decline.
Curriculum implication
A 20 PAN model often requires mixed key stage classes, such as combining Year 2 (KS1) and Year 3 (KS2) pupils, which presents significant curriculum challenges. The National Curriculum sets distinct expectations for KS1 and KS2 pupils, reflecting their differing developmental stages. KS1 students are still developing foundational skills in literacy and numeracy, whereas KS2 students are expected to engage with more complex concepts, develop critical thinking skills, and work more independently. Each Key Stage has distinct learning objectives and progression requirements, designed to build cumulatively on previous knowledge. Mixed key stage classes make it difficult for teachers to maintain curriculum continuity and progression, as they must juggle different sets of expectations. This can lead to gaps in knowledge or repetition of content, particularly for KS2 students who need to be prepared for more advanced concepts.
New School Build
The construction of a new 420-place primary school at the East Priorslee residential development on Castle Farm Way is anticipated to reduce pupil numbers in existing primary schools in the Priorslee area of Telford. According to projections by Telford and Wrekin Local Authority, this new school will contribute to a surplus of primary places across the local area, potentially impacting enrolment and resource allocation in nearby schools.
Specific consultation proposal
The Learning Community Trust, as the Admissions Authority for Lantern Primary Academy, proposes to reduce the published admission number of the school from 20 to 15 for Reception Year with effect from September 2026 onwards.
This means that the number of places available for children in Reception Year in 2026 – and all subsequent Reception Year cohorts will be 15.
We would also like to consult on the oversubscription criteria to bring this in-line with all of our other Academies. This will mean a change in the criteria from:
This will mean a change in the criteria from:
“LANTERN (PRIMARY) ACADEMY
Children with an Education Health Care Plan which specifically names the academy will be allocated places. After which applications will be considered and in the case of over-subscribed schools, the following criteria will be applied:
OVERSUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA 2025/26 FOR LANTERN ACADEMY
1 – Children who are looked after by Telford & Wrekin Council, or any other local authority, and children who were previously looked after.
And then
2 – Those children who have exceptional health and/or social reasons where there is written evidence from a medical practitioner or social worker that admission to the academy is essential for their wellbeing (applications will be subject to verification);
And then
3 – Those children who will have on the day of admission a brother(s), sister(s), step-brother(s), step-sister(s), half-brother(s) or half-sister(s) living as a family at the same address and who attend the academy;
4 – Children with known special medical or social needs (non-EHCP), supported by written evidence at the time of application from a relevant professional (such as a doctor, social worker or educational psychologist);
5 – Locality to the academy, according to distance, with those living closer to the academy receiving higher priority. Proof of residence will be required by the coordinated scheme.
The offer of a place may be withdrawn if proof of residency is not met. Where a child lives part of the week with one parent and part of the week with another member of the family, the ‘home address’ will be considered to be the residence where the child spends at least three nights of the week each week.
Proximity of a child’s home to the academy using a straight-line distances from the Yates Way entrance will be used as a tie-breaker for any oversubscribed criterion, with priority given to those living closer to the academy. Flats in the same block will be treated equally. If, after applying the tie-breaker, there are more applications than places available, a further tie-breaker of random allocation will be used for applications from the same block of flats”
With a change to this admission criteria:
“LANTERN (PRIMARY) ACADEMY
Children with an Education Health Care Plan which specifically names the academy will be allocated places. After which applications will be considered and in the case of over-subscribed schools, the following criteria will be applied:
OVERSUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA 2026/27 FOR LANTERN PRIMARY
1 – Children who are looked after by Telford & Wrekin Council, or any other local authority, and children who were previously looked after.
And then
2 – Children who live in the academy’s defined attendance (catchment) area. If places are unavailable for all these local children, then places will be given first to:
a) Those children who have exceptional health reasons where there is written medical evidence that admission to the academy is essential for their medical wellbeing;
And then
b) Those children who will have on the day of admission a brother(s), sister(s), step-brother(s), step-sister(s), half-brother(s) or half-sister(s) living as a family at the same address and who attend the academy;
c) Children in receipt of Early Years Premium or Pupil Premium at the point of submitting the application request;
d) Other children living in the school’s attendance area.
3 – Children of staff at the academy
a) Where the member of staff has been employed at the academy for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the academy is made, and/or
b) The member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4 – Any places which remain available will be allocated to children living outside the academy’s attendance area on the priority order 2 a) – c).
If there are insufficient places for children in any one category, places will be allocated on the basis of distance between home and the academy, as measured by straight line distance with those children closest to the academy having priority. Distances are measured using Telford & Wrekin Council’s computerised mapping system.”
Consultation
Who are we consulting with
We are seeking views from:
- Parents/carers in our area who have children between the ages of 2 and 18
- Other persons in the Local Authority who, in the opinion of the admission authority, have an interest in the proposed admissions
- Telford and Wrekin Local Authority
- All other admission authorities within the Local Authority
- Adjoining neighbouring Local Authorities where the admission authority is the Local Authority
Consultation timetable
- 26 November 2024: Consultation opens.
- 21 January 2025: End of consultation period and deadline for submitting responses to the Learning Community Trust.
- w/c 27 January 2025: Analysis of consultation representations and preparation of information to be considered by the Learning Community Trust
- 31 January 2025: Meeting of the Learning Community Trust decision panel to consider the responses and agree admission arrangements.
- 28 February 2025: Formal determination of admission arrangements.
- 15 March 2025: Publication of determined admission arrangements.
How to respond
This consultation will run from Tuesday 26 November 2024 to Tuesday 21 January 2025 (a period of six term-time weeks). You are invited to submit responses about the proposal above to the Learning Community Trust by:
This consultation will run from Tuesday 26 November 2024 to Tuesday 21 January 2025 (a period of six term-time weeks). You are invited to submit responses about the proposal above to the Learning Community Trust by:
- Consultation in Word format (link) and return:
- by email: academyconsultation@lct.education
- post: Rachael Wilson, Learning Community Trust, Corner House, Whitechapel Way, Priorslee, Telford. TF2 9PQ
Responses must be received no later than 10am on Tuesday 21 January 2025. Responses received after this time and date may not be considered.
Online consultation response from
Your views are welcomed on our proposed admissions arrangements. We are mainly seeking comments on the part of the proposed admission arrangements which have changed from the arrangements we used in previous years. We have listed the main proposed change in the questions below to make it easier for people to respond to us about these proposals.
