HC Deb 26 May 1999 vol 332 c189W
Mr. Bob Russell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for schools in Essex Education Authority the change in the average size of classes taught by one teacher between January 1998 and January 1999 for pupils in(a) nursery classes, (b) Key Stage Two and (c) secondary schools. [84580]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Government have pledged to reduce infant class sizes to 30 or below by September 2001 at the latest, and we are on target to meet that pledge.

The available information for Essex Local Authority is shown in the table.

Essex local education authority area January each year

Average class size of one teacher classes
1998 1999
Nursery classes 25.0 24.7
Key stage one 26.6 26.5
Key stage two 28.6 28.7
Overall primary 27.6 27.7
Secondary 21.7 21.6