HC Deb 07 February 2001 vol 362 cc572-3W
Paddy Ashdown

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many(a) primary school and (b) secondary school pupils were in classes of 30 or more in (i) Somerset and (ii) Yeovil constituency in each of the years 1994–95 to 2000–01. [144604]

Ms Estelle Morris

[holding answer 18 January 2001]: The available information for Somerset local education authority area and the parliamentary constituency of Yeovil on class sizes collected in January is shown in the following table. Information on class sizes by parliamentary constituency is not available prior to 1997.

Provisional estimates for the year 2000–01 are expected to be published later this year.

We have secured early delivery of our infant class size pledge in Yeovil. The most recent figures show that in September 2000 there were no infant classes in the constituency with more than 30 pupils.

The size of the average secondary class nationally, at 22, is still five below the average primary class. Secondary headteachers are receiving up to £ 50,000 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.

Number of pupils in maintained primary and secondary schools in classes of size 30 or more taught by one teacher: 1995 to 2000
Primary Secondary
January Number pupils in classes of of 30 or more Number of KS1 pupils in classes of 30 or more Number of pupils in classes of 30 or more
Somerset local education authority
2000 16,579 4,209 37,313
1999 19,092 6,036 38,294
1998 18,818 6,537 37,549
1997 17,786 6,507 37,256
1996 17,039 5,649 36,587
1995 13,866 1 35,800
Yeovil constituency
2000 3,357 881 7,331
1999 3,709 1,417 7,455
1998 3,399 1,378 7,467
1997 2,919 1,350 7,409
1996 1 1 1
1995 1 1 1
1 Not available

Infant classes taught by one teacher by size
September Less than 30 30 31+ Total
Somerset
2000 12,919 2,610 443 15,972
1999 11,998 3,000 1,545 16,543
Yeovil
2000 2,522 720 0 3,242
1999 2,220 720 1,003 3,943

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