Kingsdale headteacher Steve Morrison has hit back at claims that a consulted proposal to increase its pupil admission number (PAN) would draw students away from other local schools.
A letter signed by sixteen Lambeth headteachers had made the claim, and Lambeth Council urged the West Dulwich academy to consider the “consequences of such an increase on other schools.”
But Mr Morrison has slammed those allegations, saying Kingsdale’s proposed PAN increase would not increase the number of students on its roll, and that it actually aimed to help local schools.
He added that the focus on Kingsdale was unfair given the fact that more than 30 new free schools reportedly planned for London are set to create 14,500 new places.
This, he argued, was far more likely to impact already under-subscribed schools already struggling with falling admissions due to Brexit, demographic changes and declining birth rates.
The row has centered on Kingsdale’s recent admissions policy consultation, which suggested increasing its Year 7 PAN – the minimum number of students the school can accept in those year groups – from 300 to 420 pupils and its sixth form from 250 to 400.
It drew criticism from some local headteachers over alleged fears it would make other local, undersubscribed schools “non-viable.”
But Mr Morrison has explained that Kingsdale already recruits above its PAN, like many schools do, because of the number of parents who appeal decisions not to admit their children.
So Mr Morrison said Kingsdale was simply formalising a situation that had existed for the last seven years.
He added that increasing the PAN would reduce the number of children on Kingsdale’s waiting list, reducing disruption to other schools.
This is because children on Kingsdale’s waiting list, numbering 1000 last year, can be transferred away from other schools when a place at Kingsdale becomes available.
Far from significantly drawing pupils away from local schools, a Kingsdale consultation document said: “It is unlikely that any secondary school would be impacted adversely by more than one or perhaps two students on average” due to the proposed PAN increase which was in line with what had been “the status quo for many years”.
Mr Morrison also said by increasing the PAN, he hopes Kingsdale will be subject to fewer appeals from parents, which is a lengthy, disruptive process for both parents and the school.
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At Kingsdale, rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, parents often appeal because they are so keen to get their children into the school, Mr Morrison explained.
Mr Morrison also said that, since 2019, the government’s Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has required the school to take no fewer than 390 children in year seven.
So by adhering to the status quo, Kingsdale was actually adhering to recommendations made by the ESFA, an agency sponsored by the Department for Education.
Clarification: A previous article stated that Kingsdale planned to admit more pupils than before and increase its capacity. Kingsdale increasing its PAN does not mean it is admitting more students or increasing its student capacity. The article also stated that Southwark Council had indicated its opposition to the PAN increase by saying: “There is sufficient capacity across the secondary school sector in the borough without adding places.” Given that Kingsdale is not ‘adding places’, it was inaccurate to suggest Southwark Council was opposed to the PAN increase.