Pupil numbers could drop at Berkshire village schools

West Berkshire Council wants to reduce the admission numbers for Aldermaston Church of England Primary School by 13 places per year and Pangbourne Primary School by 10 places per year.

Both proposals are in response to lower numbers in recent years and projected numbers in future years.

It is also proposed to introduce a third 'tie breaker question' to decide between pupil admission applications which cannot otherwise be separated.

This would further distinguish between individuals who meet the same admission criteria to add children of Armed Forces service personnel and 'crown servants' which can be defined as civil servants, police officers, judges, crown prosecutors and diplomats.

West Berkshire Council says that the numbers reduction will be subject to the outcome of the public consultation.

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A council document states that West Berkshire has been experiencing a declining birth rate for some years, which has begun to translate to lower pupil allocations for schools.

As a result of the lower numbers, choice has increased for families, and this, says the council, has affected places being sought.

Perceived popularity is also a key factor in determining which schools are affected most by the lower numbers, rather than purely local decline in catchment populations.

The current admission numbers for Aldermaston Primary is 28. The council is seeking to reduce that to 15.

Aldermaston Church of England Primary School in Wasing Lane, Aldermaston.

In Pangbourne, the admission numbers are 30, which would reduce to 20.

Introducing an additional tie breaker question, as the council plans, will mean that the needs of service families and crown servants who are returning from overseas can be better met through the admissions process.

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Where a service family or crown servant family are moving to the area, it will improve the council's ability to allocate a school place quickly as they are more likely to be placed at the top of a school waiting list.

In West Berkshire, the children of service families are currently housed within the catchment areas of Curridge Primary School, Burghfield St Mary’s Primary School and The Willink secondary school in Burghfield Common.