Written question asked by Paul Marsden (Labour) on Wednesday, 28 March 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 6 April 2001. It was answered by Baroness Morris of Yardley (Labour) on Friday, 6 April 2001 on behalf of the Department for Education and Employment.

Dept for Education and Employment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list for each year since 1992 the average primary school class size for schools in Shropshire; and if he will make a statement. - Inc figures and ref to 'Infant Class Sizes in England 2000', copies in Library and at www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics.

Answer: Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each year since 1992 the average primary school class size for schools in Shropshire; and if he will make a statement. [156568] Ms Estelle Morris: The data requested have been placed in the Library. Information on class sizes as at January 2001 will be published in a Statistical First Release `Class Sizes in Maintained Schools in England January 2001' on 6 April. The latest infant class size data for September 2000 were published in a Statistical First Release `Infant Class Sizes in England 2000' on 1 November, copies of which are available from the Library, or alternatively can be accessed from the Department for Education and Employment statistical website www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics. Figures from this release show that since September 1998, 324,000 five, six and seven-year-olds have benefited from the Government's infant class size initiative. In September 2000, 30,000 children were in classes of 31 or more children, compared with 171,000 in September 1999. This demonstrates that the Government are delivering early our infant class size pledge, which is supported by some £620 million.

Secondary information