HC Deb 20 November 2001 vol 375 cc268-9W
Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many infants are taught in classes with more than 30 pupils. [15383]

Mr. Timms

[holding answer 16 November 2001]: For infant classes taught by one teacher in September 2001, an estimated 8,000 children (0.5 per cent.) were in classes of 31 or more children after allowing for additional pupils scheduled to enter school during the early part of the autumn.

Schools reported nearly 63,300 infant classes taught by one teacher in September 2001. Of these classes, just 239 contained 31 or more pupils. In January 1998 nearly 485,000 infants (29 per cent.) were in classes of 31 or more.

Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she(a) routinely collects and (b) has collected since 1 September on infant class sizes. [15382]

Mr. Timms

[holding answer 16 November 2001]: 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 only collected 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.