HC Deb 25 June 1979 vol 969 cc22-5W
Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the current pupil to teacher ratios, respectively, at Eton, Harrow and Winchester.

Dr. Boyson

As these are independent schools their pupil-teacher ratios are not properly a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend.

Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the current pupil to teacher ratios in each local education authority area in England and Wales in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools, giving separate figures for grammar schools, comprehensive schools and secondary modern schools.

Dr. Boyson

In January 1978, the latest year for which figures are available, the average pupil-teacher ratios within maintained schools in each local education authority area in England were as follows. Statistics in respect of schools in Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Local Education authority Primary schools* Grammar Secondary schools Comprehensive Modern All Secondary schools
Dudley†‡ 26.9 17.4 18.0
Sandwell 25.4 16.3 16.3
Solihull 24.8 16.5 16.5
Walsall‡ 24.2 15.8 15.9 16.1
Wolverhampton 22.1 15.1 16.1 16.1
Knowsley 23.9 16.7 16.7
Liverpool 22.1 16.3 16.5 17.1 16.6
St. Helens 24.3 16.5 16.5
Sefton 25.1 16.5 17.5 18.2 17.5
Wirral†‡ 24.9 17.3 16.3 18.4 17.4
Bolton 25.7 16.8 17.0 16.9 16.9
Bury 24.0 15.4 16.8 17.1 16.7
Manchester 23.5 14.7 15.6 16.1 15.6
Oldham 26.0 17.8 18.2 17.8
Rochdalet‡ 23.7 14.4 14.9 15.7 15.7
Salford 24.4 16.1 16.1
Stockport 26.9 17.2 17.2
Tameside 24.5 16.0 16.6 17.1 16.8
Trafford 22.0 16.4 14.9 17.0 16.7
Wigan‡§ 23.6 16.1 15.9 17.6 16.2
Barnsley‡ 24.7 17.1 17.2
Doncaster†‡ 23.0 16.4 16.9
Rotherham 24.3 17.2 17.2
Sheffield† 22.3 16.5 16.5
Bradford‡ 20.8 15.2 16.2 19.0 17.6
Calderdale 24.8 16.6 18.2 18.6 17.9
Kirklees†‡ 23.8 16.5 17.1 19.2 17.9
Leeds†‡ 25.0 16.1 16.5 17.8 18.1
Wakefield†‡ 23.5 14.8 17.0 18.5 18.0
Gateshead 21.9 16.7 16.7
Newcastle upon Tyne‡ 18.7 14.6 15.0
North Tyneside‡ 22.5 15.4 16.6
South Tyneside 21.2 16.5 16.2 16.5
Sunderland 24.7 16.9 13.4 16.8
Isles of Scilly 16.3 11.5 11.5
Avon 24.6 16.8 17.0 14.0 17.0
Bedfordshire‡ 21.9 15.7 16.9
Berkshire†‡ 24.1 15.9 16.9 16.2 16.8
Buckinghamshire‡ 24.6 16.4 17.1 17.0 16.8
Cambridgeshire‡ 23.9 16.7 16.8
Cheshire† 24.0 16.7 17.2 18.2 17.4
Cleveland 23.8 17.8 17.8
Cornwall 24.6 16.6 17.2 17.0 17.1
Cumbria 23.2 16.6 16.5 17.0 16.6
Derbyshire‡§ 24.2 17.6 17.5 17.2 17.6
Devont†‡§ 24.7 17.3 17.7 18.9 18.0
Dorset†‡ 23.9 16.2 17.4 17.7 17.7
Durham 21.7 17.0 17.0 15.1 16.8
East Sussex† 23.7 16.0 17.2 18.0 17.3
Essex 25.8 15.8 18.1 17.4 17.8
Gloucestershire 23.6 17.9 17.5 17.1 17.5
Hampshire†§ 24.9 15.2 16.8 16.6 16.8
Hereford and Worcester†‡ 24.7 16.4 16.6 17.3 17.8
Hertfordshire‡ 22.8 15.7 16.0 15.5 16.2
Humberside‡ 22.5 16.1 16.9
Isle of Wight‡ 24.0 16.3 19.3
Kent‡ 24.7 16.9 17.8 18.3 17.9
Lancashire§ 24.5 15.8 16.9 17.0 16.8
Leicestershire 24.0 16.6 16.6
Lincolnshire† 24.1 16.4 16.3 18.1 17.1
Norfolk† 22.9 17.4 17.3 18.6 17.9
North Yorkshire‡ 22.7 15.1 16.9 17.5 16.9
Northamptonshire‡ 24.7 16.4 17.1
Northumberland‡ 23.7 15.8 17.9
Nottinghamshire‡ 25.1 16.4 16.8 17.3 17.0
Oxfordshire‡ 24.5 18.0 18.3
Salop‡ 23.9 15.9 16.7 18.1 17.0
Somerset‡§ 24.8 16.3 18.3 18.7 18.6
Staffordshire†‡ 23.8 15.8 16.4 17.1 16.9
Suffolk‡ 23.8 17.2 16.8 16.6 18.1
Surrey† 22.2 13.4 16.3 16.2

Local Education authority Primary schools* Grammar Secondary schools Comprehensive Modern All Secondary schools
Warwickshire† 23.7 16.2 16.8 18.1 17.1
West Sussex †‡ 24.7 18.1 18.2
Wiltshire‡ 24.1 16.4 17.7 19.2 17.9
Total England†‡§ 23.6 16.4 16.7 17.6 16.9
* Including immigrant centres where appropriate.
† Middle deemed primary schools included with primary schools.
‡ Middle deemed secondary schools not included in "comprehensive schools" but included in "all secondary schools"
§ Excluding tertiary colleges which are establishments of further education.

Mr. Foster

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what he expects to be the pupil-teacher ratios in both the primary and secondary sectors to be in September, if his guidance to local education authorities on staffing is adhered to.

Dr. Boyson

It is currently estimated that in the school year 1979–80 the pupil-teacher ratio within primary schools will be 22.7:1, and within secondary schools 16.8:1. It is too early to say what effects the Government's statements on local authority expenditure will have on these estimates.