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Dept for Education and Employment

Answer

Paddy Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of average secondary school class sizes in Yeovil constituency for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [143314] Ms Estelle Morris: The available information for the parliamentary constituency of Yeovil on average class sizes collected in January is shown in the table. Information on average class sizes by parliamentary constituency is not available prior to 1997. Average class sizes{1} in maintained secondary schools in Yeovil parliamentary constituency _________________________________________________________________________________________________. January each year Maintained secondary 2000 24.8 1999 24.1 1998 24.2 1997 23.2 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Classes taught by one teacher The size of the average secondary class nationally, at 22, is still five below the average primary class. Secondary headteachers are receiving on average £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. In the meantime, we have secured early delivery of our infant class size pledge in Yeovil. The most recent figures show that in September this year there were no infant classes in the constituency with more than 30 pupils.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

360 c104-5W; 143314

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Class sizes Schools Secondary education Yeovil

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk