Class Sizes (Hansard, 25 January 2001)

§ Ms Estelle Morris

[holding answer 23 January 2001]The information requested is shown in the table.

Class size data were recently published in a Statistical Bulletin, "Class Sizes and Pupil Teacher Ratios in England 2000" on 20 December 2000, 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 in September 2000, there were just 30,000 infants in classes of over 30 compared with 485,000 in January 1998. Just 2 per cent. of infants are now in such classes compared with 29 per cent. in January 1998.

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 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.

667W

Average class size in maintained primary and secondary schools in East Sussex—January 1990–2000
	East Sussex¹	Brighton²	East Sussex³
	Maintained primary		Maintained primary		Maintained primary
Year	Key stage 1	All classes	Maintained secondary	Key stage 1	All classes	Maintained secondary	Key stage 1	All classes	Maintained secondary
2000	³—	³—	³—	27.3	28.2	22.3	26.1	28.2	22.1
1999	³—	³—	³—	28.0	28.5	22.0	27.5	28.7	22.1
1998	³—	³—	³—	28.5	28.6	22.3	27.3	28.3	21.4
1997	27.9	28.2	20.1	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—
1996	27.4	27.7	21.0	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—
1995	⁴—	27.5	21.3	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—
1994	⁴—	27.4	21.1	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—
1993	⁴—	27.1	21.4	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—
1992	⁴—	26.9	21.4	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—
1991	⁴—	26.6	22.1	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—
1990	⁴—	26.0	22.1	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—
¹ Before local government re-organisation
² After local government re-organisation
³ Not applicable
⁴ Not available