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Dept for Education and Employment

Answer

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the average class size was for each year of secondary school in the north-west in each of the years from 1997 to date. [160080] Ms Estelle Morris: The available data are shown in the table. Average class sizes: Classes taught by one teacher _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001{ 1} 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 below{2} {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- 24.9 Year group 8{2} {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- 25 Year group 9{2} {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- 24.4 Year group 10{2} {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- 21.6 Year group 11{2} {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- 21.1 Year group 12{2} {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- {3}-- 11.6 Year group 13{2} {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.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

368 c103W; 160080

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Class sizes Schools Secondary education North West

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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