Written question asked by Nadine Dorries (Conservative) on Wednesday, 25 November 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 30 November 2009. It was answered by Diana Johnson (Labour) on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Class Sizes

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average class size of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Mid-Bedfordshire constituency and (ii) the East of England was in each year since 1997.

Answer

The requested information is shown in the table.

Maintained primary¹ and state-funded secondary¹, ² schools: Classes as taught³. As at January each year. In Mid-Bedfordshire constituency and East of England Government office region
Average class size
	Mid-Bedfordshire	East of England
	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary
1997	26.1	22.1	26.9	21.3
1998	25.7	22.4	27.2	21.2
1999	26.0	23.0	27.1	21.3
2000	25.7	23.2	26.8	21.7
2001	24.4	22.9	26.4	21.8
2002	24.1	22.3	26.1	21.6
2003	24.6	21.8	26.1	21.6
2004	23.9	22.1	26.2	21.7
2005	24.1	22.2	26.2	21.7
2006	24.7	21.0	26.2	21.5
2007	24.5	21.3	26.1	21.3
2008	23.9	21.3	26.1	21.1
2009	24.0	21.6	26.2	20.8
¹ Includes middle schools as deemed.
² Includes CTCs and academies.
³ One teacher classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census.
Source:
School Census

Secondary information