St John the Baptist Church of England Primary School in Titchfield Common to cut reception places as pupil numbers fall

Falling pupil numbers have forced a primary school to cut the number of children it can take each year.

St John the Baptist Church of England Primary School in Titchfield Common will reduce its reception year intake from 60 to 41 after the change was approved by the Schools Adjudicator.

The move comes as falling birth rates lead to fewer children entering schools, with Hampshire County Council saying it has had to consider a number of similar reductions across the county in recent years.

The adjudicator’s decision, published in a report this month, said the school had 39 pupils in its current Reception year and that 41 places had been offered for September 2026.

The school could face a £45,911 deficit by 2028/29 if it continued to offer 60 Reception places, the report said.

But with the reduction, the school is expected to have a £33,501 surplus by 2028/29. The school has also moved to mixed-age classes in response to falling numbers.

A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said the school was “currently in a deficit” and reducing its intake would bring it more closely in line with demand.

They said: “Managing surplus places is important to ensure long-term financial sustainability. This is because schools receive funding from government largely based on the number of pupils attending, and not the number of places available.”

The council said schools with fewer pupils still have to meet many of the operating costs associated with providing a larger number of places.

It added that St John the Baptist’s move to mixed-age classes had been phased in gradually, with its curriculum adjusted for the wider age groups.

Cllr Mike Ford, Hampshire county councillor for Fareham Warsash, said demand for places at many infant, junior and primary schools had been falling “for some years” because of the declining birth rate.

He said other schools in the western wards of the county council had already reduced their admission numbers because of the potential impact on their finances.

However, the reduction at St John the Baptist is not expected to remain at 41, with Cllr Ford saying its intake will rise to 45 for September 2027.

He added that future demand was forecast using factors including birth rates, population movements and new housebuilding.

Cllr Ford said he was satisfied that current school provision within his county division would be sufficient to meet future demand.

Last week Portsmouth City Council announced it was reviewing infant school places in the city. Among the measures proposed is to close Southsea Infants school, with children there transferred to Craneswater Infants.