§ Mr. RuffleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the average class sizes were in Suffolk for(a) primary schools, (b) middle schools and (c) upper schools in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99 and (iii) 1999–2000. [130749]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe requested information is shown in the following table.
In the Suffolk local education authority area, the number of pupils in key stage 1 classes of 31 or more pupils was 1,850 in January 2000, compared with 2,590 a year earlier. This means that less than 10 per cent. of these pupils remain in classes of over 30 pupils.
The number of pupils in key stage 1 classes in England of over 30 pupils has already fallen by 300,000 and the Government are well on target to deliver their infant class size pledge in England. Some £620 million is available to support the pledge and allocations so far to Suffolk LEA amount to some £3 million. This has helped reduce the average size of key stage 1 classes in the parliamentary constituency of Bury St. Edmunds from 25 in January 1997, to 24 in January 2000. Over the same period, the average size of key stage 2 classes in the constituency has fallen from 27 to 26.
The size of the average secondary class in Suffolk has risen slightly over this period, but at 21.8 this is still four fewer than in primary schools. Secondary classes nationally have been rising steadily for the last 12 years. In 1988 the figure was 19.9. In the budget, secondary headteachers received between £30,000 and £50,000 each to spend as they choose. If they spent it on teachers, they could reduce the secondary pupil:teacher ratio by 0.4.
Average class size of one teacher classes in maintained primary, middle and secondary schools in Suffolk local education authority: 1998–20001 Position as at January each year 1998 1999 2000 Key stage 1: Average class size 24.1 24.1 24.3 Number of pupils in classes of 31 or more 3,011 2,590 1,850 Key stage 2: Average class size 26.3 26.3 26.2 Overall primary2: Average class size 25.0 24.9 24.9 of which middle deemed primary: Average class size 3— 3— 3— Secondary: Average class size 20.8 20.8 21.2 of which middle deemed secondary: Average class size 23.7 23.6 23.8 1 Provisional 2 Includes nursery classes and mixed stage classes 3 Not applicable (no schools of this type)