Pupil place planning and schools organisation

St Helens Borough Council has a statutory responsibility to ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils in the local area.

We complete the annual school capacity collection (in accordance with the Information as to Provision of Education Regulations 2016) for the Department for Education. This provides school-level data for every school in the borough. This information is analysed and used to determine where school places are in shortfall or in surplus.

To predict future demand of school places, we use a range of information including birth data, population forecasts, school census, school preference data, pupil migration data and information on planned housing developments (Section 106 contributions are sought when a development may create extra demand for pupil places).

By analysing this data, trends in pupil numbers can be reviewed, which helps with effective future forecasting and enables appropriate places to be commissioned, ensuring we provide sufficient places.

Statutory Consultations and Proposals

To meet the demand for school places we may need to make changes to existing schools. Proposals are subject to a range of statutory processes and consultations, for prescribed alterations to maintained schools, for the opening and closure of schools, and for school admission arrangements.

When there are proposals and consultations underway, information will be published below.

• Consultation on Pupil Admission Arrangements 2027/28
  Admission authorities must consult on their admission arrangements if they want to make changes to their policies, or at least once every 7 years, even if there have been no changes during that period. Local authorities must also consult on their co-ordinated admission scheme where the scheme is substantially different from the previous year, or at least once every 7 years. 
  
  St Helens Borough Council is the admission authority for community and voluntary controlled schools. For academies, voluntary aided and foundation schools, an academy trust, a governing body or diocesan board is the admission authority, and set their own admission arrangements and facilitate their own consultations. 

• Proposed School Admission Arrangements 2027/28 for Community & Voluntary Controlled Schools
  We are consulting with the local community to make sure our admission arrangements meet future needs. Copies of the proposed admission arrangements will shortly be provided below: 
  
  The consultation period on proposed admission arrangements must take place between 1 October 2025 and 31 January 2026. 

• Co-ordinated Admission Schemes
  St Helens Borough Council has a proposed co-ordinated admissions scheme which will apply to families seeking school places from September 2027. Co-ordination of the main primary and secondary school allocations is a legal requirement, so all publicly funded schools are included within these arrangements. The aim of the co-ordinated scheme is to provide all parents with an offer of a single school place on national offer day. 
  
  The consultation period on proposed admission arrangements must take place between 1 October 2025 and 31 January 2026.