§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in the Official Report both the worst and best pupil/teacher ratios in primary and secondary education, respectively, in schools in England; and if she will make a statement.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonExtraction of information in the precise form requested would incur a disproportionate cost. However, in January 1976, in England and Wales out of 23,330 maintained primary schools there were 313 where the ratio of pupils to qualified teachers was greater than 30 to 1 and 25 with a ratio less than 7.5 to 1. Out of 4,982 maintained secondary schools one school had a pupil-teacher ratio above 30 to 1 and four had a ratio below 7.5 to 1.
The more extreme ratios will inevitably reflect a range of special circumstances, such as temporary arrangements at the time of the census, or the presence of a relatively high proportion of professional staff who are not included in the total of qualified teachers used for these calculations. Ratios for secondary schools are generally associated with the age range of the school, being for example much higher for middle schools deemed secondary than for sixth form colleges.