Class Sizes (Hansard, 8 May 2001)

§ Ms Estelle Morris

The available data are shown in the table.

Average class sizes: Classes taught by one teacher
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001¹
Classes mainly under 14	24.5	24.6	24.7	24.7	³—
Classes mainly 14 and 15	21.2	21.3	21.2	21.4	³—
Classes mainly 16+	10.4	10.5	10.3	10.6	³—
Year group 7 and below²	³—	³—	³—	³—	24.9
Year group 8²	³—	³—	³—	³—	25
Year group 9²	³—	³—	³—	³—	24.4
Year group 10²	³—	³—	³—	³—	21.6
Year group 11²	³—	³—	³—	³—	21.1
Year group 12²	³—	³—	³—	³—	11.6
Year group 13²	³—	³—	³—	³—	9.4
¹ Provisional.
² Includes middle deemed secondary schools.
³ Information by year group was collected for the first time in 2001 and only classes where a specific year group was given have been included, i.e. not mixed.

The size of the average secondary class nationally, at 22.0, is still five below the average primary class. In 2001–02 secondary headteachers will receive an average of £70,000 and primary headteachers £24,000 in direct grant to spend as they choose including on reducing class sizes if that is their priority.

The full-time equivalent number of regular secondary teachers in the north-west increased by 1,300 between January 1997 and January 2001.

In addition, the size of the average primary class in the north-west has gone down from 27.9 in January 1997 to 26.7 in January 2001. The corresponding figure for primary children in the Ribble Valley constituency is from 29.1 to 27.7.