Consultation on proposed school admissions for 2028/29
We’re asking for your views on the proposed admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled primary schools in Manchester for the 2028/29 school year.
This consultation must run for at least six weeks. It will take place from 2 November 2026 to 18 December 2026. Offers for Reception places in September 2028 will be sent out in April 2028.
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 one of our schools from September 2028.
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
In 2025, we held a consultation to remove places at six of our primary schools. This change will happen in September 2027.
Our forecasts show that some areas will still have more school places than needed over the coming years. So, we are suggesting fewer Reception classes at one of our schools from September 2028. Children already at this school will not be affected.
High vacancy levels can negatively affect a school’s sustainability. Reducing the number of Reception places will help the school:
- Plan for the future
- Use their resources more efficiently
- Continue to offer high-quality education
How we chose which school 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.
The school where we propose to reduce Reception places
This change would start from September 2028.
Community and voluntary controlled schools:
- St Margaret’s CofE Primary School – from 90 to 60
This consultation only covers schools where Manchester City Council is the admission authority.
Other schools holding their own consultations
Some schools manage their own admissions. These include academies and faith schools. The following school will hold their own consultation to reduce their PAN:
Please visit the school’s website for more details and to share your views.