HC Deb 21 June 2000 vol 352 cc208-9W
Mr. Caplin

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the average primary school class size in East Sussex was for each year since 1979. [126640]

Ms Estelle Morris

The requested information is shown in the table.

In East Sussex, the number of pupils in key stage 1 classes of 31 or more pupils taught by one teacher was 1,240 compared with 6,439 a year earlier, which represented an 80 per cent. reduction in the number of such pupils. The Government are well on target to deliver their pledge to limit the size of infant classes to 30 pupils. During the same time period, the average size of classes in maintained primary schools for the unitary authorities of East Sussex and Brighton also fell. This was the first year for some time that average primary class sizes in either the new or old authorities of East Sussex had fallen, after class sizes had shown a steady increase since 1987.

East Sussex local education authority area has been allocated £4 million of funding so far to support their efforts in reducing infant class sizes. This funding comprises some £1.1 million of capital funding and £2.8 million of revenue funding.

Size of classes taught by one teacher in maintained primary schools in the local education authority areas of East Sussex and Brighton 1979 to 2000
Position as at January
Key stage 1 Key stage 2 Overall primary1
Average class size Pupils in classes of more than 30 pupils Average class size Average class size
East Sussex2 Brighton2 East Sussex3 East Sussex2 Brighton2 East Sussex3 East Sussex2 Brighton2 East Sussex3 East Sussex2 Brighton2 East Sussex3
20004 26.1 27.3 —5 1,240 2,262 —5 30.2 29.3 —5 28.2 28.2 —5
1999 27.5 28.0 —5 6,439 2,811 —5 29.9 29.2 —5 28.7 28.5 —5
1998 27.3 28.5 —5 6,433 3,422 —5 29.4 28.9 —5 28.3 28.6 —5
1997 —5 —5 27.9 —5 —5 10,130 —5 —5 28.9 —5 —5 28.2
1996 —5 —5 27.4 —5 —5 8,927 —5 —5 28.2 —5 —5 27.7
1995 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 27.5
1994 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 27.4
1993 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 27.1
1992 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 26.9
1991 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 26.6
1990 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 26.0
1989 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 25.9
1988 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 25.8
1987 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 25.5
1986 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 26.3
1985 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 25.8
1984 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 24.6
1983 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 24.5
1982 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 24.9
1981 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 25.3
1980 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 25.2
1979 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 —6 —5 —5 25.9
1Includes nursery classes and mixed key stage classes
2After local government reorganisation
3Before local government reorganisation
4Provisional
5Not applicable
6Not available (information not collected by specific key stages)