Changes to the admission arrangements for Leeds Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools

Find out about the consultation for proposed changes to the September 2025 to July 2026 admission arrangements for Leeds Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools.

Give your views on the proposed changes to the admission arrangements for Leeds Community and Voluntary Controlled schools.

Why we want your views

When we propose making changes to our admission policy, we carry out a public consultation lasting at least 6 weeks before we decide on the final policy.

Proposed changes

We're proposing the following changes to the admission policy for all community and voluntary controlled schools for September 2025.

• Primary 2025 policy
  
• Junior 2025 policy
• Secondary 2025 policy
• 2025 Coordination scheme

Primary Schools

The changes are:

1. A reduction in the published admission number (PAN) for the following 4 schools:

   Hunslet Carr Primary School - a reduction from 60 to 45 places

   Moor Allerton Hall Primary School – a reduction from 90 to 60 places

   Hawksworth Wood Primary School - a reduction from 60 to 45 places

   Rothwell Victoria Junior School - a reduction from 45 to 30 places
   

   The reductions are proposed as we are expecting less demand for places across the area in future years due to the birth rate falling.

2. A change to how we have worded the sibling priority definition. The proposed wording is clearer and creates less uncertainty.
   

Leeds Coordination Scheme for normal round applications

Our Coordination Scheme sets our rules and processes for how Leeds as a local authority, works with all Leeds schools, including those who set their own admission policy, and all other Local Authorities when processing applications in the normal round. This means applications made in advance for reception, year 3 at junior school or year 7 at secondary school.  

We are proposing one change to the coordination scheme which is:

1. To widen how we allocate a placement offer. We are required to allocate a place at a school with vacancies if none of the preferences listed on the application can be offered. We are widening the ways we can do this to allow us to consider accessible transport routes where appropriate.
   

Other changes to the policy

There are 3 changes we are not seeking view on, as the changes do not require formal consultation and we are making the change under the Admission Code rules.

1. A permanent increase in the published admission number (PAN) for Aberford C of E VC Primary School from 14 to 15 places to align with their class organisation
2. An increase in the published admission number (PAN) for sixth form place at Allerton High School from 20 to 30 places to align with their sixth form organisation
3. Removal of some of the information about the process used to make an in-year application.

The Admission Code states that how in-year applications can be made and how they will be dealt with from 1 September onwards in that school year, must be published on our website by 31 August each year.

We have been including this in the admission policy and coordination scheme, but this limits our ability to respond to changes when needed. We are removing the process detail from the policy and will provide an in-year coordination scheme by 31 August each year

Have your say

Tell us what you think about the changes by completing our online survey.

If you have any questions about this proposal, please email education.admissions@leeds.gov.uk.

What happens next

The consultation is open until midnight on 4 December 2023.

Once it closes, we will review the responses and decide the final policy. The final admission arrangements must then be approved by the Council’s Executive Board in our February 2024 meeting. Our Executive Board must approve the admission arrangements by 28 February 2024. We must publish the final policy on the Council website by 15 March 2024.

Once the policy is approved, if you think the school's admissions policy is unfair or unlawful, you can make an objection to the school adjudicator by 15 May.