Primary Education: Class Sizes

Michael Gove
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were being taught in primary schools with over 800 pupils in (a) 1997 and (b) 2008.

Jim Knight
The requested information is given in the table.

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|                                                                                                                                                   |1997     |2008     |
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|Number of pupils in primary schools                                                                                                                |4,429,040|4,087,790|
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|Number of primary schools                                                                                                                          |18,392   |17,205   |
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|Number of primary schools with more than 800 pupils                                                                                                |11       |18       |
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|Percentage of primary schools with more than 800 pupils                                                                                            |0.1      |0.1      |
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|Number of pupils in primary schools with more than 800 pupils                                                                                      |9,270    |15,760   |
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|Percentage of pupils in primary schools with more than 800 pupils                                                                                  |0.2      |0.4      |
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|1 Includes middle schools as deemed.2 Excludes dually registered pupils.Note:Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.Source:School Census|         |         |
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Mr. Laws
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what activities infant schools may form classes of over 30 pupils; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry
Legislation limits the size of an infant class during an 'ordinary teaching session' to 30 pupils per school teacher. Section 4 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 states that an 'ordinary teaching session' does not include a school assembly or other school activity usually conducted with large groups of pupils. We do not prescribe every type of activity that would not be classed as an ordinary teaching session, but guidance to schools and local authorities provides the following examples: PE/games, music, singing, drama, watching television and listening to the radio.