Notice of proposed changes to the Cotham School Admissions Arrangements for the academic year 2027/2028

Cotham School is consulting on its proposed admission arrangements for the academic year 2027/2028.

This consultation will be open from Friday 19 December 2025 until 31 January 2026.

Background

Following our recent Full Governing Body (FGB) meeting, we have discussed and approved, in principle, proposed changes to our Published Admission Number (PAN) for the academic year 2027/2028. The FGB has approved a reduction in our PAN from 243 to 240 for September 2027 entry.

Summary of the Proposed Changes 

• Reduction in PAN: From 243 to 240 for September 2027 entry.

• Reason for Change:

  • Manage school resources to allow us to continue to provide an education for students that attend the school.

  • The 3-place reduction per year ensures our class size and staffing models work effectively across all five years.

• No Other Changes: All other admission arrangements will remain the same.  No pupil who already has a place in Cotham School will be affected by the proposed change. 

Why Are We Proposing This Change? 

• To ensure class sizes remain manageable and support high-quality teaching and learning.

• To allow us to align staffing with student numbers through natural turnover, ensuring a stable and sustainable staffing model.

• To continue offering a broad and balanced curriculum.

Consultation Process 

We are committed to an open and transparent consultation process and welcome your views on this proposed change. The consultation period will run from 19 December 2025 to 31 January 2026.

How to Respond 

Please send your comments, queries and requests for hard copies of the policy via this link HERE or email your comments to governanceprofessional@cotham.bristol.sch.uk.

Alternatively, please write to the Governance Professional, Cotham School, Cotham Lawn Road, Bristol, BS6 6DT.

Next Steps

• At the end of the consultation, all responses will be considered by the Governing Body before a final decision is made.

• The outcome of the consultation will be published on our website. 

Further Information

In line with the School Admissions Code, the admissions policy for 2027/2028 will  be set by 28 February 2026 and published on our website by 15 March 2026.

Privacy Notice: The survey and opportunity to provide comments have been provided  to allow you to engage in that consultation and provide your views on the proposal. We  may process your name and address in line with Article 6(1)(a) of the UK GDPR consent where you ask us to share a hard copy of our proposed Admissions Policy. We will not use your name and address for any other purpose and it will not be shared with  any other parties. We will only retain a copy of your address until we have sent the document to you. After which, we will ensure it is removed from our systems. The responses provided in relation to the consultation will be retained until the decision is made on the PAN, which is likely to be at the end of March 2026. If you have any queries regarding this consultation or how your  information will be handled, please contact us at governanceprofessional@cotham.bristol.sch.uk. 

if you are unhappy about the way we have treated your personal data, or feel we have not properly respected your data subject rights, you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and tell them about this. Advice is available here: https://ico.org.uk/concerns/. 

Thank you for your attention and for contributing to the future of Cotham School.