HC Deb 05 December 2001 vol 376 cc415-7W
Mr. Reed

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on average class sizes in primary and secondary schools in the Leicestershire local education authority from 1992 to the most recent year for which figures are available. [185041

John Healey

Information on average class sizes in maintained primary and secondary schools in Leicestershire local education authority area is shown in the table.

Average class sizes1 in maintained primary and secondary schools
Maintained
Year/Local education authority Primary schools Secondary schools
Leicestershire LEA2 area
1992 25.8 20.7
1993 26.1 21.4
1994 25.8 21.5
1995 26.5 22.2
1996 26.7 22.4
1997 26.7 22.3
1998 n/a n/a
1999 n/a n/a
2000 n/a n/a
2001 n/a n/a
Leicestershire LEA2 area
1992 n/a n/a
1993 n/a n/a
1994 n/a n/a
1995 n/a n/a
1996 n/a n/a
1997 n/a n/a
1998 26.9 22.3
1999 26.7 22.4
2000 26.7 22.8
2001 26.3 23.2
Average class sizes1 in maintained primary and secondary schools
Maintained
Year/Local education authority Primary schools Secondary schools
Leicester City LEA2 area
1992 n/a n/a
1993 n/a n/a
1994 n/a n/a
1995 n/a n/a
1996 n/a n/a
1997 n/a n/a
1998 27.4 23.1
1999 26.6 22.7
2000 26.8 22.9
2001 26.1 23.3
Rutland LEA2 area
1992 n/a n/a
1993 n/a n/a
1994 n/a n/a
1995 n/a n/a
1996 n/a n/a
1997 n/a n/a
1998 25.6 23.8
1999 25.8 23.3
2000 24.9 22.6
2001 26.2 24.0
England
1992 26.4 20.6
1993 26.6 21.2
1994 26.9 21.4
1995 27.1 21.5
1996 27.3 21.7
1997 27.5 21.7
1998 27.7 21.7
1999 27.4 21.9
2000 27.1 22.0
2001 26.7 22.0
n/a = Not applicable
1 Classes taught by one teacher
2 As a result of local government reorganisation in April 1997, Leicestershire local education authority divided to form the following local education authorities: Leicestershire, Leicester city and Rutland

Dr. Julian Lewis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if data showing the average class sizes in(a) individual primary and (b) individual secondary schools (i) are and (ii) could practically be made available centrally to her Department. [18267]

John Healey

Information about class sizes has been collected from maintained primary and secondary schools as part of the Annual Schools Census in January for over 20 years. In order to provide a true representation of the sizes of classes experienced by children, each school is randomly allocated a specific time on the census day at which class sizes should be reported. The current collection asks for the number of pupils, teachers and teaching assistants in the class at the appropriate time and also for its Key Stage and National Curriculum Year Group. The activity in which the class is engaged is also requested.

The September Class Size Count is a separate collection started in 1998, introduced to monitor class sizes at Key Stage one. The statistical method used is the same as in the January Census, but, in order to lessen the burden on schools, information is collected only from primary schools and about classes where the majority of children will reach the appropriate age during the school year. The information required about each class in September 2001 was the number of pupils, teachers and teaching assistants and the activity in which the class was engaged and, for classes of 31 or more, the number of excepted pupils.

Information on individual schools is not normally published. Where individual school information is published as in the School Performance tables, the information is first checked with the schools concerned.