A Little Lever primary school is allowed to cut its capacity to 30 pupils per year group from 50 pupils per year group after the approval of a Schools Adjudicator.

Mytham Primary School applied to cut its capacity, or Published Admission Number (PAN), as a result of a decrease in demand for primary places in the village.

At the moment it has two classes per year group but because they are not full it does not have the funding for two classes worth of school resources and school staff including teachers and teaching assistants.

The change to a PAN of 30 from a PAN of 50 was approved by the council's cabinet member for children's services Martin Donaghy over summer and by Schools Adjudicator Deborah Pritchard.

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Angela Bogle, the headteacher of the primary school, said: "At the moment we mix years so there is a mixed Year One and Year Two class, a mixed Year Three and Year Four class, a mixed Year Five and Year Six class, and although we manage it and we manage it very, very well there is a complex curriculum. 

"This move means there is one class with 30 children and the 30 children are together throughout all of primary school with a positive impact on pupil progress."

(Image: Mytham Primary School) Mytham Primary School received a rating of "good" at its inspection two years ago and it is award-winning in areas including sustainability and students' rights.

The PAN of 30 is lower than the number of parents to put it as a first preference in the last few years but there is evidence of enough primary places in the village.

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Ms Bogle said: "We are a thriving school and we say we are Mighty Mytham. 

"Although we are going to be smaller we are still going to be Mighty Mytham."

Ms Pritchard said: "In accordance with the School Standards and Framework Act I approve the admission arrangements determined by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council for Mytham Primary School for September 2025. 

"I determine the Published Admission Number for September 2025 shall be 30."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.