The Choice On Education: Number of large class sizes soar by 200% - more will follow under the Tories

The Choice on education: number of infants in large classes soars & one in four at risk of joining them under five more years of the Tories – Tristram Hunt

In the latest of a series of summer interventions, Tristram Hunt MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary,will today outline The Choice on education facing the country next May – a choice between five more years of standards being threatened under the Tories, or a Labour future of high standards for all and the right priorities in education.

In doing so, Tristram Hunt will be highlighting new figures on class sizes that show:

  • The number of infants taught in large classes of over-30 has spiralled by 200 per cent since 2010 – to over 93,000 children.
  • In January this year, Department for Education figures show that 40,000 primary pupils were in very large classes of over 36. Of these:
  • Over a third are in classes of over 40;
  • 5,817 are in classes of over 50;
  • 2,556 are in classes of over 60;
  • 446 pupils are currently taught in class sizes of 70+.
  • On current trends, another five years of the Tories’ wrong priorities in planning for school places could lead to 450,000 infants taught in large class sizes of over 30 by 2020 – this would be one in four infants.

On the Conservative’s record on class sizes and standards, Tristram Hunt will say:

“In 2008 David Cameron said “the more we can get class sizes down the better”, but as parents and pupils prepare to begin the new school year, there are real concerns about the number of children in classes of more than 30 infants under the Tories.

“By diverting resources away from areas in desperate need of more primary school places in favour of pursuing his pet project of expensive Free Schools in areas where there is no shortage of places, David Cameron has created classes of more than 40, 50, 60 and even 70 pupils.

“Labour will end the Free Schools programme and instead focus spending on areas in need of extra school places.

“The Choice on education is clear: the threat of ever more children crammed in to large class sizes under the Tories or a Labour future where we transform standards with a qualified teacher in every classroom and action on class sizes.”

Underlining the choice facing the country on education, Tristram Hunt will say:

“The choice at the next election is between higher standards and a better future for our children and young people, or more of the same from the Tories, who have damaged standards with the wrong priorities on education, allowing unqualified teachers in classrooms on a permanent basis, and completely failing to deliver for all young people.

“Labour will transform standards with reforms that will deliver a world class teacher in every classroom, the right priorities for planning school places and local oversight of schools, and with high quality technical and vocational education at the heart of our plans to transform education and maximise the talents of all young people, so that all are able to play their part in renewing Britain.” 

Ends

Notes to editors:

In their 2010 manifesto, the Conservative Party promised to create “small schools with smaller class sizes” and David Cameron has said “The more we can get class sizes down the better”.

“A Conservative government will give many more children access to the kind of education that is currently only available to the well-off: safe classrooms, talented and specialist teachers, access to the best curriculum and exams, and smaller schools with smaller class sizes with teachers who know the children’s names.”
Conservative Party Manifesto 2010, p. 51 

“The more we can get class sizes down the better”.

David Cameron, Yorkshire Post Q&A, 18 April 2008

But since 2010 the number of infants taught in classes of over 30 has soared to 93,665 – up by 200 per cent. There are now five times as many ‘titan’ primary schools (those with over 800 pupils) than there were in 2010.

Number of primary schools with over 800 pupils:

  • January 2010: 16
  • January 2014: 77
  • Change: 381%

Number of infants taught in classes of over 30:

  • January 2010: 31,265
  • January 2014: 93, 665
  • Change: 200%

Sources: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2010, 13 May 2010

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/218952/main_20text_20sfr092010.pdf
DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2014, 12 June 2014,
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014

Analysis of Department of Education figures reveals that in January 2014, there were 40,000 primary pupils being taught in very large classes of over 36. Over a third of these pupils were in classes of over 40, and nearly half of those in classes of over 50. These figures also show 446 pupils being taught in classes of 70+.

Number of pupils by class sizes with one teacher.

  • Classes sized 31 to 35 taught by one teacher: 460,563 pupils.
  • Classes sized 36+ taught by one teacher: 39,951 pupils.
  • Classes sized 40+ taught by one teacher: 14,671 pupils.
  • Classes sized 50+ taught by one teacher: 5,817 pupils.
  • Classes sized 60+ taught by one teacher: 2,556 pupils.
  • Classes sized 70+ taught by one teacher: 446 pupils.

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2014, 12 June 2014, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014

*Where data has been recorded for more than one large class, an average has been assumed. For example, if the data recorded a school as having two classes of 36 or more pupils, with 80 pupils across these classes, then 80 has been added to the 40+ class size group.

The number of infants taught in classes of over 30 is up by 30 per cent in the last year. If this continues at this rate, then over 450,000 infants would be taught in large classes by 2020.

Number of infants in large classes.

  • 2010: 31,265
  • 2013: 71,935
  • 2014: 93,665
  • 2020: 456,457

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2014, 12 June 2014, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014
The 2020 figure is calculated by continuing the current rate of growth, of 30 per cent.

Based on the Government’s current forecasting, there will be 1,970,897 infants in state-funded schools by 2020 (Source: DfE, National pupil projections: trends in pupil numbers - July 2014, 16 July 2014, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-pupil-projections-trends-in-pupil-numbers-july-2014). This means that if the increase in large classes continues at the current rate, around one in four infants could be in large classes of over 30 by 2020.

Another five years of this Government will see even more pressure on primary schools and their classes, with the Tories continuing to make the wrong choices on planning for school places and spending millions opening Free Schools where there is no shortage of school places.