---

Dept for Education and Employment

Answer

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the average class size was in the Bury St. Edmunds constituency for (i) middle schools and (ii) upper schools in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000; and what is it at present. [157975] Ms Estelle Morris: [holding answer 10 April 2001]: The information requested is shown in the following table. Average class sizes{1} in Bury St. Edmunds constituency _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Middle deemed secondary schools Maintained secondary schools{ Key Stage 1 2} January 2001{3} 25.2 19.1 23.4 January 2000 22.9 19.9 24.0 January 1999 23.1 18.7 24.9 January 1998 23.1 18.7 24.0 January 1997 22.7 18.9 24.7 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Classes taught by one teacher. {2} Excluding middle deemed secondary schools. {3} Provisional. Average class sizes for primary children in Bury St. Edmunds have fallen significantly since 1997. At Key Stage 1 the figure has gone down from 24.7 in 1997 to 23.4 in 2001. At Key Stage 2 the figure has gone down from 26.7 in 1997 to 25.8 in 2001. This is a reflection of the fact that delivery of our infant class size pledge is not being achieved at the expense of bigger junior classes. More generally at secondary level, the 2001 figures show that class sizes nationally have stabilised after a decade of rises. As for the pupil/teacher ratio in secondary schools, the number of pupils in secondary schools rose between 1991 and 1997 and between 1997 and 2001 by just under 190,000 nationally in both sets of years--yet the increase in the pupil/teacher ratio nationally in secondary schools was three times greater between 1991 and 1997 than it was between 1997 and 2001. Indeed, the 2001 figures show that the secondary pupil/teacher ratio has in fact improved for the first time in 10 years and now stands at 17.1.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

157975; 367 c109-10W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Class sizes Secondary education Bury St Edmunds

Link

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