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EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Class Sizes

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the local education authorities in which (a) primary and (b) secondary school class sizes have risen since 1 May 1997, ranking these from largest to smallest increase in class sizes; and if she will make a statement. [66275]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 4 July 2002]: The available information is shown in the table. The change in average class size is not readily available for those local education authorities that underwent local Government reorganisation in 1997 and 1998. The table is therefore shown in two parts: the list for local education authorities which are unaffected by local Government reorganisation; and the second for those that are.

A. Local education authorities unaffected by local government reorganisation ranked in order by the increase in the average class size⁽¹⁹⁾ in maintained primary and secondary schools in EnglandAs at January each year

Maintained Primary				Maintained Secondary
	1997	2002(20)	Difference between 1997 and 2002		1997	2002(20)	Difference between 1997 and 2002
Lambeth	25.2	26.3	1.1	North Somerset	20.4	22.3	1.9
Barnet	26.2	27.0	0.8	Kingston upon Thames	20.2	21.8	1.6
Haringey	26.9	27.7	0.8	Sutton	20.7	22.1	1.4
Kensington and Chelsea	25.3	26.1	0.8	Bristol, City of	21.1	22.4	1.3
Lewisham	26.1	26.8	0.8	Wakefield	22.2	23.4	1.2
Dudley	26.5	27.1	0.6	Lincolnshire	20.2	21.4	1.2
Brent	26.5	27.1	0.6	Hackney	22.3	23.4	1.2
Sheffield	26.9	27.3	0.4	East Riding of Yorkshire	21.0	22.2	1.2
Hackney	26.1	26.5	0.4	Lewisham	20.7	21.9	1.1
Tower Hamlets	26.2	26.4	0.2	Croydon	22.2	23.3	1.1
Westminster	24.2	24.3	0.2	Wandsworth	22.0	23.0	1.1
Surrey	26.2	26.4	0.1	Barking and Dagenham	20.8	21.9	1.1
Newham	27.9	28.0	0.1	Solihull	21.9	22.9	1.0
Hounslow	26.8	26.9	0.1	Kensington and Chelsea	20.2	21.2	1.0
Islington	26.6	26.6	0.1	Brent	20.5	21.5	1.0
Hammersmith and Fulham	25.3	25.3	0.0	Bromley	20.4	21.3	1.0
Wandsworth	25.8	25.7	-0.1	Barnet	19.8	20.7	0.9
Hertfordshire	27.1	26.9	-0.1	Harrow	22.9	23.7	0.9
Redbridge	28.4	28.3	-0.2	Northamptonshire	21.0	21.8	0.9
Waltham Forest	26.6	26.4	-0.2	Enfield	20.7	21.5	0.8
Camden	27.1	26.9	-0.2	Bexley	21.8	22.6	0.7
North Somerset	27.8	27.5	-0.3	Haringey	21.6	22.3	0.7
Greenwich	26.0	25.7	-0.3	Hertfordshire	20.3	20.9	0.6
Hillingdon	27.2	26.8	-0.3	Wigan	21.5	22.1	0.6
Southwark	26.4	26.1	-0.4	Gateshead	20.4	21.0	0.6
Wolverhampton	26.9	26.5	-0.4	Barnsley	23.2	23.7	0.5
Suffolk	25.0	24.6	-0.4	Sheffield	22.7	23.2	0.5
Ealing	27.1	26.6	-0.5	Norfolk	20.2	20.7	0.5
Barking and Dagenham	27.0	26.4	-0.6	Trafford	21.7	22.1	0.5
Birmingham	27.7	27.1	-0.7	Kirklees	22.5	22.9	0.4
North Lincolnshire	27.7	27.0	-0.7	Leeds	20.7	21.1	0.4
West Sussex	26.8	26.1	-0.7	Rochdale	22.8	23.2	0.4
Havering	27.9	27.2	-0.7	Westminster	21.5	21.9	0.4
Harrow	27.5	26.8	-0.8	St. Helens	19.9	20.3	0.4
Bristol, City of	27.2	26.5	-0.8	Ealing	22.4	22.8	0.4
Richmond upon Thames	27.2	26.4	-0.8	Bath and North East Somerset	20.7	21.1	0.4
Bromley	28.5	27.7	-0.8	West Sussex	21.6	22.0	0.4
Lincolnshire	26.9	26.0	-0.8	Surrey	21.7	22.0	0.4
Norfolk	25.9	25.1	-0.8	North Lincolnshire	22.5	22.8	0.4
Enfield	29.1	28.2	-0.8	Gloucestershire	21.5	21.9	0.3
Croydon	28.3	27.4	-0.9	Cornwall	22.0	22.4	0.3
Sutton	28.1	27.2	-0.9	Bury	23.1	23.4	0.3
Cornwall	27.3	26.3	-1.0	Somerset	23.2	23.5	0.3
Bath and North East Somerset	27.0	26.0	-1.0	Suffolk	21.1	21.3	0.2
Bexley	28.8	27.6	-1.1	Calderdale	20.9	21.1	0.2
Newcastle upon Tyne	27.6	26.5	-1.1	Hillingdon	21.1	21.2	0.1
Manchester	27.2	26.1	-1.2	Manchester	22.4	22.5	0.1
Gateshead	25.8	24.6	-1.2	Sunderland	21.3	21.4	0.1
Doncaster	28.1	26.9	-1.2	Knowsley	22.1	22.2	0.1
Liverpool	26.8	25.6	-1.2	Stockport	23.1	23.2	0.1
Bury	28.3	27.1	-1.2	Stockton-on-Tees	22.2	22.3	0.1
Kingston upon Thames	29.4	28.1	-1.3	Walsall	20.7	20.8	0.1
Wakefield	28.2	26.9	-1.3	North East Lincolnshire	23.2	23.3	0.1
South Gloucestershire	28.5	27.2	-1.3	Northumberland	22.6	22.6	0.0
Rotherham	27.7	26.4	-1.3	Havering	21.8	21.8	0.0
Salford	27.3	25.9	-1.3	Hounslow	21.1	21.1	0.0
Walsall	26.2	24.8	-1.4	Sandwell	21.7	21.7	0.0
Barnsley	28.9	27.4	-1.5	Doncaster	21.5	21.5	0.0
Stockton-on-Tees	26.8	25.3	-1.5	North Yorkshire	20.6	20.6	0.0
Wirral	26.3	24.8	-1.5	Wirral	20.5	20.5	0.0
Sefton	27.6	26.1	-1.5	Greenwich	22.5	22.4	0.0
North Tyneside	27.1	25.6	-1.5	Wolverhampton	21.0	20.9	0.0
Oldham	29.3	27.8	-1.5	Merton	22.7	22.7	-0.1
Northamptonshire	27.0	25.5	-1.5	Bolton	22.1	22.0	-0.1
Sunderland	26.0	24.4	-1.5	Salford	22.1	22.1	-0.1
Somerset	27.6	26.0	-1.6	Hartlepool	22.0	21.9	-0.1
North Yorkshire	26.3	24.6	-1.7	Tameside	23.0	22.9	-0.1
East Riding of Yorkshire	28.3	26.6	-1.7	Hammersmith and Fulham	22.6	22.5	-0.1
Isle of Wight	25.9	24.1	-1.7	Richmond upon Thames	24.0	23.9	-0.1
Middlesbrough	26.5	24.7	-1.7	Oxfordshire	22.2	22.1	-0.1
Redcar and Cleveland	27.4	25.6	-1.7	Dudley	23.1	23.0	-0.1
St. Helens	27.8	26.0	-1.7	Redcar and Cleveland	22.2	22.0	-0.1
Stockport	27.8	26.0	-1.8	Warwickshire	22.2	22.0	-0.2
Solihull	27.9	26.1	-1.8	South Gloucestershire	21.5	21.3	-0.2
Calderdale	28.0	26.2	-1.8	Sefton	21.1	20.9	-0.2
Cumbria	26.3	24.5	-1.8	Rotherham	21.7	21.4	-0.2
Merton	27.3	25.4	-1.8	Liverpool	21.1	20.9	-0.3
South Tyneside	27.0	25.2	-1.8	Newcastle upon Tyne	21.5	21.2	-0.3
Coventry	27.6	25.7	-1.9	Coventry	22.6	22.3	-0.4
North East Lincolnshire	28.1	26.3	-1.9	Redbridge	21.0	20.6	-0.4
Leeds	28.3	26.4	-1.9	Oldham	22.2	21.8	-0.4
Bradford	28.3	26.3	-2.0	Birmingham	21.8	21.4	-0.4
Wigan	28.5	26.5	-2.0	Tower Hamlets	24.0	23.5	-0.5
York	27.6	25.6	-2.0	Newham	24.5	24.0	-0.5
Trafford	28.9	26.9	-2.0	North Tyneside	21.9	21.4	-0.5
Kirklees	29.0	27.0	-2.0	Isle of Wight	22.3	21.8	-0.5
Oxfordshire	27.2	25.1	-2.1	Camden	20.3	19.8	-0.5
Gloucestershire	27.4	25.4	-2.1	Southwark	24.4	23.8	-0.5
Hartlepool	28.0	25.8	-2.2	Cumbria	21.2	20.7	-0.5
Knowsley	27.7	25.5	-2.2	Kingston Upon Hull, City of	24.3	23.7	-0.6
Sandwell	28.9	26.8	-2.2	Islington	24.0	23.3	-0.7
Warwickshire	28.5	26.4	-2.2	South Tyneside	22.7	22.0	-0.8
Bolton	28.9	26.7	-2.2	York	21.6	20.8	-0.8
Kingston Upon Hull, City of	28.8	26.6	-2.2	Lambeth	21.9	20.9	-1.0
Northumberland	27.0	24.5	-2.4	Waltham Forest	23.6	22.6	-1.0
Rochdale	29.6	27.0	-2.7	Middlesbrough	22.0	21.0	-1.0
Tameside	29.3	26.5	-2.8	Bradford	23.2	21.8	-1.4
City of London	26.0	(21)—	—	City of London	0.0	(21)—	—
Isles of Scilly	17.3	(21)—	—	Isles of Scilly	21.0	(21)—	—

⁽¹⁹⁾ Classes taught by 1 teacher.

⁽²⁰⁾ Provisional

⁽²¹⁾ At the time of publication, submissions from these local education authorities had not been validated.

Source:

Annual Schools' Census

11 Jul 2002 : Column 1165W

B. Average class sizes⁽²²⁾ for local education authorities affected by local Government reorganisation in maintained primary and secondary schools in EnglandAs at January each year

	Maintained Primary			Maintained Secondary
	1997	2002(23)	Difference between 1997 and 2002	1997	2002(23)	Difference between 1997 and 2002
Bedfordshire(23)	27.4	—	—	22.5	—	—
Bedfordshire(24)	—	24.6	—	—	22.2	—
Luton(24)	—	26.0	—	—	23.3	—
Berkshire(23)	27.5	—	—	20.7	—	—
Bracknell Forest(24)	—	26.6	—	—	20.6	—
Reading(24)	—	25.7	—	—	19.0	—
Slough(24)	—	25.6	—	—	20.6	—
West Berkshire(24)	—	24.8	—	—	20.3	—
Windsor and Maidenhead(24)	—	24.9	—	—	21.0	—
Wokingham(24)	—	25.7	—	—	20.8	—
Buckinghamshire(23)	27.9	—	—	21.3	—	—
Buckinghamshire(24)	—	25.4	—	—	22.1	—
Milton Keynes(24)	—	25.9	—	—	22.1	—
Cambridgeshire(23)	28.2	—	—	22.1	—	—
Cambridgeshire(24)	—	27.1	—	—	23.0	—
Peterborough(24)	—	27.1	—	—	21.0	—
Cheshire(23)	27.5	—	—	21.3	—	—
Cheshire(24)	—	25.6	—	—	21.2	—
Halton(24)	—	24.6	—	—	21.5	—
Warrington(24)	—	26.3	—	—	22.3	—
Derbyshire(23)	29.3	—	—	22.2	—	—
Derbyshire(24)	—	27.0	—	—	22.3	—
Derby(24)	—	27.1	—	—	22.4	—
Dorset(23)	28.2	—	—	21.8	—	—
Dorset(24)	—	25.4	—	—	22.7	—
Bournemouth(24)	—	27.2	—	—	22.2	—
Poole(24)	—	27.0	—	—	20.2	—
Devon(23)	27.4	—	—	21.4	—	—
Devon(24)	—	25.4	—	—	22.2	—
Plymouth(24)	—	27.1	—	—	21.3	—
Torbay(24)	—	27.9	—	—	20.8	—
Durham(23)	28.5	—	—	22.5	—	—
Durham(24)	—	25.3	—	—	21.9	—
Darlington(24)	—	28.0	—	—	23.6	—
East Sussex(23)	28.2	—	—	21.4	—	—
East Sussex(24)	—	27.6	—	—	21.9	—
Brighton and Hove(24)	—	26.8	—	—	22.5	—
Essex(23)	27.3	—	—	21.7	—	—
Essex(24)	—	26.5	—	—	21.9	—
Southend-on-Sea(24)	—	28.0	—	—	21.0	—
Thurrock(24)	—	25.5	—	—	23.5	—
Hampshire(23)	27.9	—	—	22.2	—	—
Hampshire(24)	—	27.1	—	—	22.9	—
Portsmouth(24)	—	26.4	—	—	23.8	—
Southampton(24)	—	27.3	—	—	22.2	—
Hereford and Worcester(23)	26.0	—	—	22.0	—	—
Herefordshire(24)	—	24.7	—	—	21.7	—
Worcestershire(24)	—	25.8	—	—	22.4	—
Kent(23)	28.0	—	—	20.3	—	—
Kent(24)	—	27.2	—	—	21.0	—
Medway(24)	—	26.7	—	—	20.8	—
Lancashire(23)	28.8	—	—	22.5	—	—
Lancashire(24)	—	26.7	—	—	22.4	—
Blackburn with Darwen(24)	—	27.2	—	—	23.0	—
Blackpool(24)	—	27.9	—	—	24.2	—
Leicestershire(23)	26.7	—	—	22.3	—	—
Leicestershire(24)	—	25.9	—	—	22.7	—
Leicester(24)	—	25.8	—	—	24.1	—
Rutland(24)	—	25.2	—	—	23.3	—
Nottinghamshire(23)	28.7	—	—	21.7	—	—
Nottinghamshire(24)	—	26.8	—	—	21.5	—
Nottingham(24)	—	26.0	—	—	21.9	—
Shropshire(23)	27.4	—	—	21.9	—	—
Shropshire(24)	—	25.6	—	—	22.3	—
Telford and Wrekin(24)	—	27.1	—	—	21.8	—
Staffordshire(23)	27.5	—	—	22.3	—	—
Staffordshire(24)	—	25.2	—	—	22.0	—
Stoke-on-Trent(24)	—	25.4	—	—	22.7	—
Wiltshire(23)	27.2	—	—	21.7	—	—
Wiltshire(24)	—	26.1	—	—	21.9	—
Swindon(24)	—	27.5	—	—	23.3	—

⁽²²⁾ Classes taught by 1 teacher

⁽²³⁾ Before local Government re-organisation

⁽²⁴⁾ After local Government re-organisation

11 Jul 2002 : Column 1167W

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