Consultation on School admission arrangements for 2027-28 school year for Driffield Junior School.
Each year admission authorities review the admission arrangements for their schools, and then formally set – or ‘determine’ – these arrangements. Admission arrangements include the number of places made available for Year 3 – called the published admission number – as well as how preferences for places will be considered if there are more preferences than places available – called the oversubscription criteria. Together these details are sometimes known as the ‘admissions policy’.
If an admission authority (in this case East Riding of Yorkshire) wants to make any changes to their admission arrangements, the admission authority must consult on any proposed changes to those arrangements before determining the arrangements. Even where changes are not proposed, a consultation must take place at least every seven years.
As some changes are proposed this year, between Wednesday 8 October and Wednesday 26 November, the Council is consulting on the admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools for the 2027-28 school year. All these draft arrangements are available online at:
Whilst the vast majority of the admission arrangements for 2027-28 are procedurally identical to those for previous years, fifteen schools, including Driffield Junior School, have requested a change to their admission number for the start of the 2027-28 school year.
The change proposed at Driffield Junior School is to decrease the admission number from 150 to 120. If approved, this change would not come into force for the year group starting in September 2026, but only from September 2027.
During this period the Council are interested in the views of any residents, schools, parents/carers or other interested parties, and would ask that all views be expressed via the online survey accessible from the page link above and also at:
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/2027-2028SchoolsAdmissionsConsultation/
What change is being proposed?
- The school have requested that the admission number for the school is decreased from 150 to 120 for the Year 3 cohort for the start of the 2027-28 school year.
What reasons have the school given for the change?
- the school is seeing a fall in demand which is linked to a decline in the birth rate;
- pupil projection information demonstrates a clear decline in pupil numbers;
- the physical accommodation and built capacity of the school will not be reduced in such a way as to make the proposed decrease irreversible in future years. All spaces that can be used as classrooms and teaching spaces may be used alternatively when not required as classrooms, they should all be retained as potential future classrooms for the future needs of the children of the community.
What other information is available about this change?
- the proposed admission number 120 still ensures the straightforward organisation of classes;
- there would be no changes to the physical capacity of the school which is able to accommodate up to 150 pupils in each year group;
- the two feeder schools for Driffield Junior School will each have a PAN of 60 from September 2027, therefore a PAN of 120 would be appropriate for those children attending the feeder schools;
- the school currently has 493 children on roll, fewer than the current PAN of 150 which has available places for 600 children;
- the school currently has an average of 123 pupils on roll in each year group which is below the current PAN of 150. However, when looking at the two Infant Schools, that are feeders for Driffield Junior School, there is an average of 104 pupils on roll per year group, this clearly shows the decline in pupil numbers.
If approved, this change will not come into force for the year group starting in September 2026, but only from September 2027.
Current Admission Arrangements
Admissions
There are two different types of admissions – those to start school at the ‘normal’ time for the start of the Year 3, and those for places in other year groups or at any other time – these are called ‘in-year’ applications for school places. In-year applications are made for example when a child is already attending one school and the parent/carers wish to move their child from one school to another, and when a family moves to a different area and needs a new school place for their child(ren).
The admission authority for our school is the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and admissions applications are co-ordinated by the Council.
If you would like to visit the school when considering making an application, please call 01377 253371 to arrange a visit.
How do I apply for a ‘normal’ school place for my child?
Applications to start our school for the first time, for the start of Year 3 should be made direct to the Local Authority in which you live by the deadline for applications. Late applications will be considered after those submitted by the deadline, often when there are no places available so it is important that you apply on time. If you live in the East Riding of Yorkshire Council area, then you can find more information about ‘normal’ admissions processes, deadlines, details of the appeal process and other information at www.eastriding.gov.uk/apply-for-a-school-place. If you live outside the East Riding, you should apply to your ‘home’ Local Authority and not East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
There is no supplementary information form when applying for a place at our school.
How do I apply for an ‘in-year’ school place for my child?
Applications for ‘in-year’ school places are made through the local authority’s co-ordinated admissions scheme for in-year applications, and should be made direct to the Local Authority no earlier than one term before the place is required, and it is recommended that you apply no later than a period of twenty school days, that is four weeks in term time, before you wish for the place to be available for your child. Applications are considered in the order that they have been received, for example if there is one space available in a year group, the parent/carer who applied for their place first will likely be allocated the place for their child. Proof of residence may be required before places can be allocated, and the school fully adheres to the East Riding Fair Access Protocol. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application as soon as is possible, though this is commonly ten school days after an application has been received, but may be later in certain circumstances.
If you live in East Riding of Yorkshire Council area, then you can find more information about ‘in-year’ admissions processes, and details of the co-ordinated admissions scheme at www.eastriding.gov.uk/school-admissions where you can also find and download an application form along with details of how to appeal for a school place where you have been refused. If you live outside the East Riding, you should apply to your ‘home’ Local Authority and not East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
There is no supplementary information form when applying for a place at our school.
Who makes decisions on school admissions applications?
The admissions authority for the school is the Council, who make admissions decisions based on information provided by the school such as the capacity of the class/year group and the number of pupils already on roll.
Where can I find a copy of the admission arrangements for the school?
As the admissions authority for the school is the Council, the admission arrangements for the school are set by the Council alongside those that apply for all other community and voluntary controlled schools. You can view these arrangements for the current and some future school years on the Council’s website at www.eastriding.gov.uk/school-admissions.
Who should I contact with queries on school admissions?
You can contact the East Riding School Admissions Team by email at schooladmissions@eastriding.gov.uk, by writing to School Admissions Team, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Beverley, HU17 9BA. You can also call 01482 392100 in school hours.