Reducing PAN at Folkestone Academy

Consultation on proposal to reduce published admission numbers from 210 to 180 places

 Turner Schools is undertaking a consultation to seek the views of the stakeholders of Folkestone Academy about:

• reducing the year 7 published admission numbers (PAN) from 210 to 180

• priority admissions is to be provided within (PAN) to 6 special resource provision places

By stakeholders, Turner Schools refers to the parents, students, feeder schools and nurseries, and service providers including the Local Authority of the Folkestone Academy.

Subject to the feedback from the consultation, and pending approval from the Department for Education, we would anticipate the change to take effect from September 2025. 

Background 

Folkestone is a non-selective school which caters for boys and girls of all abilities from ages 11-19.  In September 2020 the academy was de-amalgamated from its previous Folkestone All Age Academy structure which included a nursery and primary phase.  Folkestone Academy is currently structured as follows:

• A secondary phase for children aged 11 to 16 - current PAN 210 per year

• A sixth form for young people aged 16 to 19 - current PAN 200 per year

The Academy has a total capacity for 1,250 children and young people.

Rationale for the change 

• Turner Free School, a Turner School with a PAN of 180 which is located within a mile of Folkestone Academy opened in September 2018.  Both schools have since shared student admissions to the immediate area resulting in Folkestone Academy’s year 7 admissions dropping to between 170 - 185 pupils.

• The reduction in pupil number admissions to 180 will change the maximum capacity of year 7 - 11 from 1,050 to 900 pupils which will provide an improved learning environment for academic excellence.

• The number of recorded births (2022) has fallen by 25 births from the previous year and is 277 births below the 2012 peak.

• Should the reduced pupil admission number proposal be approved by the Department for Education, and there is a deficit in year 7 places at transition in 2027/28 and 2028/29, Folkestone Academy agree to work with KCC to admit more than the reduced published admission numbers to ensure every child in the area is offered a school place within the Folkestone and Hythe schools catchment.

• To develop and provide an excellent alternative and complementary provision for children who are unable to manage mainstream.

• To ensure the successful transition for all children with SEND to the next stage of education, training or employment.

• Information from KCC demonstrates that there is an increasing need for provision for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder across Kent.

What will change? 

With the reduction of published admission numbers to 180 places, it is important to state that some things will not change.  From a pupil’s or parent’s perspective, there will be: 

• No material change to the admissions criteria caused by the reduced published admission numbers.

• No change to the curriculum of the school, caused by the reduced published admission numbers.

• No change to leadership, i.e. Mr Steven Shaw will remain Principal of Folkestone Academy.

• No change to school hours or term times.

• Average form class sizes will not change and will remain at 30.

• Folkestone Academy will continue as part of the Turner Schools Multi-Academy Trust, benefitting from its ambitious educational ethos, and from cost effective central services.

The things that will change are: 

• The number of pupil admission from 2025/26 will be reduced by 30 pupils from 210 to 180.

• Priority will be given to 6 pupils accessing the specialist resource provision.  This will grow incrementally to a maximum of 30 places across year 7 - 11.

• On offer day if the 6 SRP places are not filled they will be offered to non SRP places.

• Post offer day, if applications are received for SRP places that are not filled, we will endeavour to go over PAN to accommodate.

Consultation 

We wish to invite interested parties to take part in this consultation on the proposal. The consultation will take place for a minimum of 6 weeks between Friday, 8 December 2023 and Thursday, 18 January 2024. 

We will consult with the parents and other stakeholders for Folkestone Academy including: 

• parents and carers of children between the ages of eleven and nineteen; 

• other persons in the relevant area who, in the Trust’s opinion, have an interest in the proposed change; 

• all admission authorities within the relevant area; 

• feeder schools to the academy; and 

• partner organisations to the academy. 

Your views on any aspect of the proposal will be sent to the Turner Schools Board of Trustees. All responses received by the end of the consultation period will be carefully considered and will form part of a Business Case submitted to the Department for Education for final decision. 

We invite you, therefore, to take part in this consultation. Comments may be submitted in the following ways: 

• By email to: Natalie.coles@turnerschools.com 

• By completing the online response form at https://forms.gle/DBJcedoXWL64b48S8

• In writing via post:  Mrs Natalie Coles, Trust Financial Controller, Folkestone Academy, Academy Lane, Folkestone.  CT19 5FP