School Admissions Consultation 2025 – 2026

The County Council is responsible for setting the Published Admission Number (PAN) for all community and voluntary-controlled schools and must consult on any proposal to reduce a PAN. Following a period of demographic growth, primary numbers across Hertfordshire have now fallen, with many local areas experiencing a sustained decline in demand. This pattern mirrors the national trend of lower birth rates and reduced local mobility.

Demand is not evenly distributed across the county and some schools have been more significantly affected than others. As part of the PAN-setting process for the 2025/26 academic year, the County Council held discussions with headteachers and governing bodies in areas where pupil forecasts indicated a continuing reduction in Reception numbers. Northfields Infants and Nursery School was included in this review.

Following consultation, the PAN for Northfields Infants and Nursery School has been formally reduced from 60 to 30 from September 2025 onwards. This decision reflects a clear drop in Reception applications and allocations in recent years, together with pupil forecasts showing sustained lower demand across the Ashwell, Baldock and Letchworth Garden City planning area (including Edworth).

The reduction ensures that the number of available places more closely matches expected future demand and supports the long-term organisational and financial stability of the school. The Governing Body and Headteacher agreed to the reduction as the most responsible and strategic option moving forward.