There has been a rise in the proportion of secondary school classes with more than 30 pupils, figures published today reveal.

The Department for Education (DfE) statistics, based on schools census data for January 2017, show that 11.5 per cent of secondary school pupils were in classes with more than 30 pupils - up from 10.3 per cent last year and 9.6 per cent the year before.

The proportion of primary school pupils in classes of more than 30 pupils has fallen slightly from 12.9 per cent to 12.7 per cent, but this is still up from 2015 when it was 12.6 per cent.

A technical annexe linked to the data also shows that 3,504 infants were being taught in “unlawfully large” classes, although this is down from 5,100 last year.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL headteachers union, said the trend in secondaries was “worrying”. 

He said: “These statistics show that average class sizes are rising in secondary schools, and so too are the number of classes with 31 or more pupils.

“This reflects our own findings in a recent survey in which 80 per cent of respondents said their school has had to increase class sizes as a result of the education funding crisis.”

‘Overworked teachers in overcrowded classrooms’

Funding cuts had led to increased class sizes because schools have had to reduce staff numbers and reorganise classes among fewer teachers, Mr Barton said. Larger classes are “more difficult to manage, mean an increased workload on staff, and make it harder to provide feedback and support to pupils”, he added.

Overall, the average class size across all state schools was 27.1 - the same as last year, but up from 26.3 in 2006.

A document published by the DfE summarising the census findings highlighted that the figures had improved for infant school pupils.

The proportion of infant children in classes of more than 30 pupils had fallen for the second year running, to 5.4 per cent - 0.8 percentage points lower than the peak of 2015. However, it is higher than the proportion in 2013 (4.6 per cent).

The document states: “Of infants in classes with more than 30 pupils, the vast majority (95.7 per cent) are in classes with 31 or 32 pupils.”

The average infant class size remains at 27.4. This is unchanged since 2014, but has increased from 25.6 in 2006. 

Liberal Democrat shadow education secretary Layla Moran said: “This Conservative government is treating our schoolchildren like battery hens. Hundreds of thousands of children are being taught by overworked teachers in overcrowded classrooms, but Theresa May doesn’t care.”

She added that cuts to school budgets would lead to even larger class sizes “as schools are forced to lay off more teachers in the years ahead”.

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