HC Deb 03 July 1989 vol 156 c12W
Mr. Raison

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his best estimate of the number of children in maintained primary schools where the age of transfer is 11, 12 and 13 years, respectively.

Mr. Butcher

In January 1988 the numbers of pupils in maintained schools of the following age ranges were as follows:

Age range of schools Total pupils
5–11, 7–11, 8–11 2,589,690
5–12, 8,12 255,580
9–13, 10–13, 11–13 196,350

There were no primary schools in 1988 with a transfer age of 13: all the schools shown in the table with this age of transfer were middle or secondary.