Proposal to Vary Admission Arrangements for September 2026

One Degree Academy is notifying our community of our intention to apply to the Regional Director at the Department for Education to vary our admission arrangements for the September 2026 academic year.

The Proposal: We propose to reduce our Published Admission Number for Reception from 90 to 60 for September 2026.

Why We Are Doing This: There has been a significant decline in birth rates across London and Enfield. The London Borough of Enfield recently published its Pupil Place Planning Strategy which confirms a surplus of primary school places in our local area.

Under current rules, admitting just one child over 60 would legally require us to open a third class. Running a class for a very small number of pupils is not financially sustainable and diverts funding away from resources that benefit all children in the school.

By capping our intake at 60 we can ensure financial stability and direct our budget towards educational resources rather than unnecessary staffing costs. This aligns us with the Local Authority’s strategy to manage surplus places in the borough.

Context: We recently undertook a full public consultation to reduce our admission number for 2027. That consultation received no objections. Because the drop in demand has accelerated, we are seeking permission to bring this change forward by one year.

Impact on Families: This change does not affect any child currently attending the school. For prospective parents, we still have ample capacity to welcome 60 new children into our Reception cohort next year. The Local Authority has confirmed that there are sufficient places in the local area to accommodate all children.

Your Views: We will be submitting this application to the Department for Education by 14th February. We will continue to listen to any comments or feedback from our community regarding this proposal.

Please send any responses to consultation@onedegreeacademy.org

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