§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the average class sizes in(a) junior and (b) secondary schools in each local education authority in each of the last three years. [135225]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe information requested on class sizes in England by local education authority area has been placed in the Library. Information on class sizes was recently published in a Statistical Volume 'Statistics of Education—Schools in England 2000'.
40WThe latest infant class size data for September 2000 were recently published in a Statistical First Release 'Infant Class Sizes in England 2000' on 1 November, copies of which are available from the Library, or alternatively can be accessed from the Department for Education and Employment statistical website www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics. Figures from this release show that since September 1998, 324,000 five, six and seven-year-olds have benefited from the Government's infant class size initiative. In September 2000, 30,000 children were in classes of 31 or more children, compared to 171,000 in September 1999. This demonstrates that the Government are delivering early their infant class size pledge, which is supported by some £620 million.
January 2000 saw a fall in the size of the average junior class in England; and a continuing fall in the size of the average primary class, after rising for a decade. The size of the average secondary class nationally, at 22, is still five below the average primary class. Secondary headteachers are receiving an average of £50,000 this year (£60,000 from April 2001) in direct grant to spend as they choose. If this were spent on recruiting teachers, the average secondary class size could be reduced by up to 0.8.
For information on classes in Wales, I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for Education in Wales.