Abbey Multi Academy Trust Admissions Consultation for September 2027

‍

Abbey Multi Academy Trust (AMAT) is carrying out a public consultation on proposed changes to the admission arrangements for some of our schools. The consultation will run from Thursday 13 November 2025 to Thursday 8 January 2026.

‍

We review our admission arrangements regularly to ensure they remain fair, transparent, and in line with the law and relevant guidance. We are now seeking your views on several proposed changes for September 2027 entry.

Proposed Changes

We are proposing the following changes to the admission arrangements of our academies:

• Bishop Young CofE Academy - Oversubscription criteria revised to remove faith criteria in line with diocesan guidance.
• Christ Church Upper Armley CofE Primary, Leeds - Oversubscription criteria revised to remove faith criteria in line with diocesan guidance
• Holy Trinity CofE Primary, Rothwell, Leeds - Oversubscription criteria revised to remove faith criteria in line with diocesan guidance
• Lightcliffe CofE Primary, Halifax - Consideration of a proposed reduction in Published Admission Number (PAN) to either 30 or 45 and removal of faith criteria.
• Manston St James Primary Academy, Leeds - Consideration of a proposed reduction in PAN from 60 to 30.
• St Chad's CofE Primary, Headingley, Leeds - Revised foundation place oversubscription criteria to better align with diocesan guidance on the use of faith criteria.

‍

For Lightcliffe CofE Primary and Manston St James Primary Academy, the proposed adjustments to the Published Admission Number (PAN) are part of a strategic plan to ensure that our schools continue to deliver high-quality education while using resources efficiently. Current local demographics show that fewer places are required; reducing PAN will help us align intake with demand, maintain class stability, and use staffing and space effectively. Both schools remain capable of operating at higher capacity should demand increase in the future.

‍

The proposed revision to St Chad’s CofE Primary oversubscription criteria clarifies the allocation of foundation places to prioritise attendance at named local churches, other Church of England churches, and other Christian churches in that order.

‍Other changes

In addition to the above, we are making some minor wording changes to ensure consistency with the latest DfE and School Adjudicator guidance. These are administrative updates and not subject to consultation.

Have Your Say

We welcome your views on these proposals. Please complete our online consultation form:
https://form.jotform.com/253153950435355

‍

Alternatively, please forward all correspondence to: governance@abbeytrust.org

What Happens Next

The consultation closes at midnight on 8 January 2026. Responses will then be reviewed and final admission arrangements will be approved by the Abbey Multi Academy Trust Board at its February 2026 meeting. The final policies will be published on our websites by 15 March 2026.

‍

Thank you for taking the time to consider and respond to our proposals. Your feedback helps us ensure our admissions policies continue to serve our families and communities effectively.

Admissions Arrangements 2027 Consultation Documents