The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is due to give local authorities greater powers to prevent good/popular schools from expanding, on the grounds that such expansion would undermine bad/unpopular schools – which might cease to
be viable and have to close. This would be via the mechanism of setting a “published admissions number” PAN for each school.
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 2024-25 – House of Commons Library
Please advise if your local authority has made any decision on whether you would be willing to contemplate using such powers in the event of this legislation being enacted and if so what that decision is.
Please also provide a copy of any submission you have made to the Department of Education regarding this proposal and copies of any email correspondence within your Council regarding the matter.
Devon County Council does not hold this information as there have not been any policy decisions in respect of expanding popular schools as a result of the Childrens Wellbeing and Schools Bill.