We’re asking for your views on the proposed admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled primary schools in Manchester for the 2027/28 school year.
This consultation must run for at least six weeks. It will take place from 10 November 2025 to 19 December 2025. Offers for Reception places in September 2027 will be sent out in April 2027.
Why we’re consulting
Every year, we must review and agree school admission arrangements — even if there are no changes. This is a legal requirement. It gives parents, carers and the wider community a chance to comment.
We are not proposing any changes to the admissions criteria. However, we are proposing to reduce the number of Reception places (also known as the Published Admission Number or PAN) at some schools from September 2027.
Why we’re reducing Reception places
By law, every child living in Manchester must be offered a school place. We work with the Department for Education, schools, and academies to make sure there are enough places.
The government says we should add places when more children need them and reduce places when fewer children need them.
There are fewer children starting primary school in Manchester. This follows a national trend. Birth rates in the city have been falling since 2016. Although there was a small rise in 2021 and 2022, numbers dropped again in 2023 and remain low.
Fewer families are also moving into the city during the school year. There can be various and complex reasons for this.
What this means for schools
Our forecasts show that some areas will have more school places than needed over the next ten years. So, we are suggesting fewer Reception classes at some schools. Children already at these schools will not be affected.
High vacancy levels can negatively affect a school’s sustainability. Reducing the number of Reception places will help schools:
- Plan for the future
- Use their resources more efficiently
- Continue to offer high-quality education
How we chose which schools to include
We looked at:
- Birth rate forecasts
- Planned new housing and expected pupil numbers
- School census data
- Parental preferences for Reception places
The school census data and parental preferences both show there is less demand for primary school places from our residents. Our forecasts show that even with new housing, we will still have more school places than needed.
Schools where we propose to reduce Reception places.