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Original poster

Class sizes in primary schools....

23 replies

CountessDracula · 31/08/2005 14:38

Have been looking at the Ofsted reports for the local primary schools, there are 2 possibles in our areas, the average class sized are 25.3 and 29.6!

If this is the average then some must be even higher. This seems like very large class sizes to me - how can they ever get any personal attention with these ratios?

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 31/08/2005 14:42

My primary school class was 33.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 31/08/2005 14:51

And how much individual attention did you get?

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 31/08/2005 15:20

Not a vast amount, I don't think! We had lots of lining up to see the teacher, I seem to recall... But we did have helpers come in to hear us read, etc.

I do remember reading out the spellings to the other group and marking their tests when I was eight though!

Yorkiegirl · 31/08/2005 15:20

Message withdrawn

Original poster
CountessDracula · 31/08/2005 15:22

blimey

OP posts:
QueenOfQuotes · 31/08/2005 15:23

Average class size in the school DS starts on Monday (OMG!) is 30 (180 pupils, 2 classes per year). The average adult to child ratio is always a minimum of 1-12.

seb1 · 31/08/2005 15:26

For us the average P1 class is 23.7 and reducing

suedonim · 31/08/2005 15:27

There's no evidence to show that class size has any effect either way on a child's learning but my dd is in a class of 13, which I have to say is great!

Kayleigh · 31/08/2005 15:30

My ds2 starts at our local infant school on the 12th and there are going to be 11 in his class. It is great for him and the other kids but not so good for the school, as if they get another low intake next year they will have a real problem with their budget being cut. When ds1 was in reception at the same school he had 28 in his class.

slug · 31/08/2005 16:08

One year in my primary school I was in a class of 42. It was usually in the high 30's. I don't seem to have come to any harm. But then again that was back in the days of respect for teachers and I was taught by extremely SCARY nuns.

mumtosomeone · 31/08/2005 16:10

doesnt the government give the school insentives if they keep class size below 30 in ks1?

hercules · 31/08/2005 16:18

Ds in a class size of 36. In ks1 they got money for an extra teacher but now they only have one. We get him tutoring once a week so he can have some one to one time.

Kidstrack2 · 31/08/2005 16:33

Where we are Class size are 30 or less!

roisin · 31/08/2005 16:38

dss school has 30 in every class, but don't have more in juniors. (They refuse appeals on the grounds of small classrooms.) But they have lots of classroom assistants in infants, and plenty of extra staff of one sort or another in juniors too.

Despite the class sizes it's a fabulous school, and dss do get individual education. I have not heard of anyone as satisfied with their primary school as we are, so class sizes are certainly not the most important thing IMO.

Tessiebear · 31/08/2005 16:39

if you want anything less than about 30 - in most cases you will have to pay for it!

firestorm · 31/08/2005 19:36

at my dd`s new school my youngest will be in a reception class of only 15, but my eldest will be in a mixed year 1/2 class of about 28.

nikkie · 31/08/2005 21:01

My dd1 is in a class of 26 which last year(R) had a .8 teacher a .4 teacher and a TA .8 and 1 child has a .4 TA. the other class had a full time teacher and p/t TA.I think 50-60 in a year in her infant school.
My dd2 at playschool is staffed 4 staff to 10 kids on average , this year is struggling to keep going due to lack of kids-only has 7 for Sept so far.

nooka · 31/08/2005 21:17

dd is going in to a class of 12 (R) and ds (2) has had a class of between 24-26 in the last two years, both with full time classroom assistant. However the school has to have the occasional mixed year group, and ds's class has been divided in two this year, with half going into a mixed yr1/2 class (not ds as he is in the older group). The school was quite apologetic about this - apparently there are too many places in our area.

RTKangaMummy · 31/08/2005 21:33

DS has 26 in his class and has full time TA

He is going into class 6 at primary state school

Gobbledigook · 31/08/2005 21:59

ds1 is going into reception next week - his class is 26.

I think they have a TA as well as the teacher and there is no shortage of parent volunteers for reading.

It's a big school and most classes are this big - more in Juniors, but they must be doing something right - most recent ofsted report has standards achieved for 11 yr olds in English, Maths, Science as A, A, A* (and the same for the previous 3 yrs).

So, I'm not worried!

nell12 · 31/08/2005 22:37

My Yr 3 class has 32. It is one of 5 Yr 3 classes in the school all with over 30 pupils. Sometimes I wonder how I will fit them in the classroom. I often go home at night feeling dreadful that I haven't given each individual child their deserved amount of attention during the day. Why do I do it?? To pay the fees in DS school where he is in a class of 11... Worth every penny in my mind!

onlyjoking9329 · 31/08/2005 22:37

my DS will be year four and there are 18 in his class with a part time classroom asst, my twin girls go to a special needs school and will be starting seniors class of ten with three staff

nikkie · 31/08/2005 22:55

Yes I work in a SEN schoola nd to go from 4 stff /10 kids to helping indd1 school 1/10 ish is a major shock.
BTW at our school we have been told that the area of classroom has to be a certainsize and each child is allocated a certain area, more for violent/wheelchairs/etc but similar must apply in mainstream.Although we have had to ask for the old part of the school to be re-assessed so maybe this isn't done as standard and many primary schools may not be actually large enough for the number of kids

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