The Government’s goal of reducing all infant classes in England to fewer than 30 pupils has almost been reached. When schools returned after the summer break only 150 classes for five- to seven-year-olds - a total of 8,000 children - were still above the target figure.

The average size of infant classes also dropped slightly, from 24.4 to 24.3 pupils. This compares with 25.7 in September, 1998.

However, as the table shows, geography still has an effect on the figures. Although England is largely urban, there is a large number of small, rural schools and this may help to explain why many counties have below-average class sizes.

Indeed, the effect of rural schools on average class sizes has become more apparent in the past few years, as the data from unitary authorities have built up.

Many of these unitaries are towns and cities that won control of their education services under the Conservative reorganisation of local government in the mid-1990s.

Thus, Shropshire, shorn of Telford and the Wrekin - its only substantial, built-up area - now has the smallest infant classes (21.2) in England. On the other hand, Poole - carved out of Dorset - has one of the worst averages at 27.3. Indeed, only Kingston-upon-Thames (28.2) and Haringey (28) are worse. Finally, there seem to be 16 local education authorities who have reported one or more classes of more than 30 this year even though they had none last year.

These classes accounted for one-third of all the oversize classes this September. Such changes reveal the need for continued monitoring, particularly in those areas where the demand for infant places is still rising.

John Howson is managing director of Education Data Surveys. Email: john.howson@lineone.net