§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his decision to compel St. Andrew's GM Church of England Primary School, Weeley, Essex, to take an extra pupil into their year I class; and what is his policy in circumstances when such enrolments result in class sizes of over 30. [19490]
§ Mr. ByersThe Government have pledged to reduce class sizes for all five, six or seven-year-olds to 30 or below. We will achieve this by the end of the Parliament. The School Standards and Framework Bill will impose a duty on LEAs and schools to comply with class size limits prescribed by the Secretary of State. Until such limits come into force, there may continue to be circumstances in which infant class sizes exceed 30. This may, very occasionally, follow a direction under section 431 of the Education Act 1996. In the case of St. Andrew's School in Weeley, the Secretary of State decided that the LEA's direction should stand.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what target date he has set for every child aged between five and seven years to be taught in a class of 30 pupils or fewer. [19182]
§ Mr. ByersWe shall honour our pledge to reduce class sizes to 30 or below for every five, six and seven year-old by the end of this Parliament.