Admission Arrangements for Community Schools 2027/28

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Cornwall Council is the ‘admission authority’ for community and voluntary-controlled schools which means it is responsible for admissions to those schools. The Council must agree the admission arrangements for those schools annually by 28 February. This includes:

  • the oversubscription criteria (how places will be allocated if there are more applications than places available); and
  • the published admission number or PAN (the number of pupils that the school will admit in the first year of entry).

Cornwall Council is undertaking statutory consultation, in line with the Admissions Code 2021, on proposed changes to the admission arrangements for four of its community schools for 2027/28 admissions:

  • Burraton Community Primary School
  • St Stephens (Saltash) Community Primary School and Nursery
  • Torpoint Infant and Nursery School
  • Richard Lander School

We are consulting with parents and carers, schools and other relevant parties.

Comments are invited on the proposed changes which are explained below.

The draft arrangements can be viewed on our website: www.cornwall.gov.uk/admissions or you can request a copy by emailing us: schooladmissions@cornwall.gov.uk or calling us: 0300 1234 101. There is also an Easy Read guide on our website.

Richard Lander School – proposed changes to feeder schools and designated area

Cornwall Council has not yet been informed about a decision by Ministers on whether or not the proposed new secondary school in Perranporth is approved for opening.

If it is agreed that the new school can go ahead and if the planned opening is September 2027, the following changes are proposed to the admission arrangements for Richard Lander School (see ‘Version A’ draft arrangements).

The admission arrangements for the new Perranporth school will be decided by the Academy Trust which will be running the school: Truro and Penwith Academy Trust.

If the new school does not open in September 2027, the current admission arrangements for Richard Lander School will not be changed for 2027/28 (see ‘Version’ B draft arrangements).

Proposed changes to the admission arrangements for Richard Lander School if the new Perranporth secondary school is approved for opening in September 2027:

Designated area

Cornwall Council has divided Cornwall into geographical areas called ‘designated areas’ (sometimes called ‘catchment areas’) which are each served by a specific school or schools. Designated areas assist Cornwall Council in ensuring there are enough school places and are also used to determine entitlement to home to school travel assistance. The designated school for an address may not always be the one nearest to that address.

Not all schools include ‘living in the designated area’ as a priority in their oversubscription criteria (the criteria that will be used to decide who should be allocated places when there are more applications than places available). However, entitlement to travel assistance to all schools is determined by Cornwall Council with regard to whether the school is in the designated area for a child’s home address or is their nearest school.

Cornwall Council has redefined the designated areas to reflect the creation of the new school in Perranporth. Part of the areas previously defined for Richard Lander School and the two Newquay secondary schools (Treviglas Academy and Newquay Tretherras) now form the area defined for the new Perranporth School, meaning the areas for those schools are smaller.

More information about the new school can be found on our website and this page will be updated as more information becomes available: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/schools-and-education/schools-and-colleges/school-admissions/north-coast-secondary-school/

The newly defined designated area for Richard Lander School has been included in the proposed admission arrangements for 2027/28 because it is proposed that children living in the school’s designated area should continue to be given priority in the school’s oversubscription criteria. This is the list used to decide which children should be allocated a place when there are more applications than places available.

Feeder schools

In the current admission arrangements for Richard Lander School, priority is given to children attending a listed primary school, at number 6 on the oversubscription list. It is proposed that this be reduced to the following schools, in light of the new school opening and the proposed change to the designated area:

Bosvigo School
Chacewater School
Shortlanesend School
Threemilestone School
Truro Learning Academy

It is proposed that the following schools will no longer be included in the list:

Blackwater School
Mithian School
Mount Hawke Academy
St Agnes Academy

However, the proposed admission arrangements for the new Perranporth School include a priority for children attending a primary school in the designated area, which would include these four schools.

Applying for a place at Richard Lander School

You will still be able to apply for a place at Richard Lander School even if you do not live in the newly-defined designated area and/or your child does not attend a feeder school. You can list any school as a preferred school, however there would be no guarantee of a place. In the event that there are more applications than places available, the school’s oversubscription criteria would be applied. You would be strongly advised to check your eligibility for Home to School Travel Assistance for any school you are considering listing as a preference.

Burraton, St Stephens (Saltash) and Torpoint Infant and Nursery schools – proposed changes to published admission numbers

A reduction in the published admission numbers (PANs) for three primary schools is proposed. This is the number of pupils that the school will admit up to in reception for 2027 entry.

The reductions are proposed to support more efficient class organisation and planning. The PANs have been considered in light of forecasted pupil numbers. The Local Authority is confident that there will still be sufficient available school places for all children who need a school place. These PAN changes will ensure overall capacity more closely reflects the number of children in the local area who will need a school place in the short/medium term.

If PANs are set too high, schools are at risk of not being able to fill all of the places and therefore ending up having to run and staff appropriately classes that are not full, potentially leading to significant financial challenges. The PAN reductions would help to ensure that classes are more full and therefore that the schools are in a more stable position financially, whilst also ensuring that the LA continues to have sufficient reception places available in the town to meet demand.

Proposed reductions in PAN for entry to Reception:

  • Burraton CP School – reduction from 45 to 30
  • St Stephens (Saltash) Community Primary School and Nursery – reduction from 45 to 30
  • Torpoint Infant and Nursery School - reduction from 60 to 40

No other changes are proposed to the arrangements for the community and voluntary-controlled primary schools.

Please access the short survey below. The survey will be open until 31 January 2026. Thank you.

Cornwall Council is the ‘admission authority’ for community and voluntary-controlled schools which means it is responsible for admissions to those schools. The Council must agree the admission arrangements for those schools annually by 28 February. This includes:

  • the oversubscription criteria (how places will be allocated if there are more applications than places available); and
  • the published admission number or PAN (the number of pupils that the school will admit in the first year of entry).

Cornwall Council is undertaking statutory consultation, in line with the Admissions Code 2021, on proposed changes to the admission arrangements for four of its community schools for 2027/28 admissions:

  • Burraton Community Primary School
  • St Stephens (Saltash) Community Primary School and Nursery
  • Torpoint Infant and Nursery School
  • Richard Lander School

We are consulting with parents and carers, schools and other relevant parties.

Comments are invited on the proposed changes which are explained below.

The draft arrangements can be viewed on our website: www.cornwall.gov.uk/admissions or you can request a copy by emailing us: schooladmissions@cornwall.gov.uk or calling us: 0300 1234 101. There is also an Easy Read guide on our website.

Richard Lander School – proposed changes to feeder schools and designated area

Cornwall Council has not yet been informed about a decision by Ministers on whether or not the proposed new secondary school in Perranporth is approved for opening.

If it is agreed that the new school can go ahead and if the planned opening is September 2027, the following changes are proposed to the admission arrangements for Richard Lander School (see ‘Version A’ draft arrangements).

The admission arrangements for the new Perranporth school will be decided by the Academy Trust which will be running the school: Truro and Penwith Academy Trust.

If the new school does not open in September 2027, the current admission arrangements for Richard Lander School will not be changed for 2027/28 (see ‘Version’ B draft arrangements).

Proposed changes to the admission arrangements for Richard Lander School if the new Perranporth secondary school is approved for opening in September 2027:

Designated area

Cornwall Council has divided Cornwall into geographical areas called ‘designated areas’ (sometimes called ‘catchment areas’) which are each served by a specific school or schools. Designated areas assist Cornwall Council in ensuring there are enough school places and are also used to determine entitlement to home to school travel assistance. The designated school for an address may not always be the one nearest to that address.

Not all schools include ‘living in the designated area’ as a priority in their oversubscription criteria (the criteria that will be used to decide who should be allocated places when there are more applications than places available). However, entitlement to travel assistance to all schools is determined by Cornwall Council with regard to whether the school is in the designated area for a child’s home address or is their nearest school.

Cornwall Council has redefined the designated areas to reflect the creation of the new school in Perranporth. Part of the areas previously defined for Richard Lander School and the two Newquay secondary schools (Treviglas Academy and Newquay Tretherras) now form the area defined for the new Perranporth School, meaning the areas for those schools are smaller.

More information about the new school can be found on our website and this page will be updated as more information becomes available: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/schools-and-education/schools-and-colleges/school-admissions/north-coast-secondary-school/

The newly defined designated area for Richard Lander School has been included in the proposed admission arrangements for 2027/28 because it is proposed that children living in the school’s designated area should continue to be given priority in the school’s oversubscription criteria. This is the list used to decide which children should be allocated a place when there are more applications than places available.

Feeder schools

In the current admission arrangements for Richard Lander School, priority is given to children attending a listed primary school, at number 6 on the oversubscription list. It is proposed that this be reduced to the following schools, in light of the new school opening and the proposed change to the designated area:

Bosvigo School
Chacewater School
Shortlanesend School
Threemilestone School
Truro Learning Academy

It is proposed that the following schools will no longer be included in the list:

Blackwater School
Mithian School
Mount Hawke Academy
St Agnes Academy

However, the proposed admission arrangements for the new Perranporth School include a priority for children attending a primary school in the designated area, which would include these four schools.

Applying for a place at Richard Lander School

You will still be able to apply for a place at Richard Lander School even if you do not live in the newly-defined designated area and/or your child does not attend a feeder school. You can list any school as a preferred school, however there would be no guarantee of a place. In the event that there are more applications than places available, the school’s oversubscription criteria would be applied. You would be strongly advised to check your eligibility for Home to School Travel Assistance for any school you are considering listing as a preference.

Burraton, St Stephens (Saltash) and Torpoint Infant and Nursery schools – proposed changes to published admission numbers

A reduction in the published admission numbers (PANs) for three primary schools is proposed. This is the number of pupils that the school will admit up to in reception for 2027 entry.

The reductions are proposed to support more efficient class organisation and planning. The PANs have been considered in light of forecasted pupil numbers. The Local Authority is confident that there will still be sufficient available school places for all children who need a school place. These PAN changes will ensure overall capacity more closely reflects the number of children in the local area who will need a school place in the short/medium term.

If PANs are set too high, schools are at risk of not being able to fill all of the places and therefore ending up having to run and staff appropriately classes that are not full, potentially leading to significant financial challenges. The PAN reductions would help to ensure that classes are more full and therefore that the schools are in a more stable position financially, whilst also ensuring that the LA continues to have sufficient reception places available in the town to meet demand.

Proposed reductions in PAN for entry to Reception:

  • Burraton CP School – reduction from 45 to 30
  • St Stephens (Saltash) Community Primary School and Nursery – reduction from 45 to 30
  • Torpoint Infant and Nursery School - reduction from 60 to 40

No other changes are proposed to the arrangements for the community and voluntary-controlled primary schools.

Please access the short survey below. The survey will be open until 31 January 2026. Thank you.

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