Infant class size question.

[hels71]

Hi
I am asking this on behalf of a friend!
Her DD is going into year 2 in September in a mixed 1/2 class of 29 at the moment. This year her class has fluctuated between 27 and 32. The parents asked the head about the 30 limit and she told them that as long as there were 30 or less on roll on September 1st they can add more at any point in the year as infant class size rules only apply on Sept 1st.
I have searched online for info about this with no luck!
Can anyone tell me if this is in fact true or not and where I could find official information.
(She says the head made no mention of only excepted children being allowed..)

[BoysRule]

Yes, there are permitted exceptions. I taught a Year 1 class of 32 before.

www.myschoolappeal.co.uk/infant_class_size_appeals.htm

[prh47bridge]

The head is wrong. Infant class size rules apply all year. The School Admissions (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 2012 paragraph 4(1) states "No infant class may contain more than 30 pupils while an ordinary teaching session is conducted by a single school teacher."

Having said that, it is likely that any children added during the last 12 months have been excepted children. All offers should come from the LA who should make sure that no more offers are issued once the class has 30 children unless the new pupil will be excepted. But if the school starts making offers to children who are not excepted and goes over the limit as a result they are breaking the law.

[noramum]

We have a class of 31 from September onwards. We spoke to the head and she confirm the LEA can overrule the general 30 for extraordinary circumstances.

[prh47bridge]

No, the LA cannot overrule the law. They can, however, admit an excepted child.

[prh47bridge]

So for example if a family move into the area and there are no places available they can admit the child under their Fair Access Protocol. That means the child is excepted and doesn't count towards the infant class size limit.

[hels71]

Thanks.
So a child can be admitted making numbers over 30 if there are no other places BUT they can't be admitted just because they don't fancy the school down the road which has a space if that takes numbers over 30?
So the head is actually not correct in her statement that the maximum size of 30 only counts on September 1st?

[prh47bridge]

Yes to both questions.

[hels71]

Thank you.

[admission]

The head teacher is definitely incorrect in her statement. She may have only had 29 on the 1st September but I be it was up to 32 when it came to the census date in October which decides the funding for the next financial year.