A BASINGSTOKE school has won its battle over the number of pupils it wants to admit from next year.

Hampshire County Council (HCC) referred an objection to the schools adjudicator regarding the published admission number (PAN) for Bishop Challoner Catholic Secondary School, because of safety fears.

The school’s governing body consulted on increasing the PAN for September next year to 180 from 124, which was agreed by the council.

But HCC then backtracked and raised an objection to the figure because, in five years, the school will have 900 pupils, which it cannot accommodate safely.

However, Janet Mokades, schools adjudicator, did not uphold the objection and said the increase was not irreversible.

In her determination report, she said: “Since the school does not intend to expand to 900 without securing additional accommodation, I cannot uphold the objection on the grounds of safety.”

She added: “It is clear that spaces at the school are in high demand and increasing demand. Given the paucity of Catholic secondary schools in the area, the parental preference argument for increasing the PAN at the school is a strong one.

“I also endorse the importance of maintaining a mixed intake at the school in the interests of community cohesion.”

The county council had also objected to the increase because it would add to the existing problem of surplus places in Basingstoke, of which there are already 1,000.

But the report said: “While an increased PAN at the school in 2012, or subsequent years, will clearly contribute to additional surplus places, the issue of surplus places will require attention whether or not the school increases its PAN.”

Tony Corish, headteacher at the school in St Michael’s Road, South Ham, said 152 children have started this September, because many had secured places through appeal. Historically, the school receives 360 applications for 124 places.

He added: “HCC said that if the school reached 900, the current building doesn’t have the capacity for that many. But we know that and would build over time for that. I actually think it was a rather spurious objection that they hadn’t thought through.”

Councillor Roy Perry, HCC’s executive lead member for children’s services, said: “Naturally, we accept the decision of the schools adjudicator.”