Other LEAs forcing schools to take one extra pupil in Reception (31 children)?

[BlueberryPancake]

A new little boy started in my son's already full reception class - they are now up to 31 children. I thought maybe it was because the parents successfully appealed or something like that, but another parent told me that our local authority (Redbridge in London) has such a shortage of places that they are forcing every school in the borough to take an extra pupil, taking all the reception classes to 31 children. The little boy started last week. I don't know if it's true, I will ask the school tomorrow, but if that were the case, is this happening in other parts of the country too?

He was on school actioon plus, now on school action as all his needs are resourced internally. He does have an IEP but it states that there is work on his motor skills and speech and language targets and that the teacher will help him correct his speech, and support confidence and social skills, but he also needs help with things like putting his shoes on, doing buttons, writing, sitting up straight, extra help in PE, etc. which at the moment is provided by the TA.

"he will have 31 children in his class for primary school. Outrageous, isn't it?"

No, it isn't. Get a grip. There is no measurable difference between 30 and 31 students in terms of outcome, so you really don't need to worry.

Sadly, until the stupid government decide to put money into creating more infant classes instead of stupid secondary free schools, this will keep happening. Because in case no-one had noticed, there's a baby boom on.

The point, tiggy, is that the cap on infant size classes is mandatory, whereas secondaries can go over. And the new free schools are, by and large, all secondaries, whereas the big boom in child numbers is happening at infant level right now.

(I guess that should be "mostly" secondaries...)

I don't think that having a reception class of 31 is the end of the world. Neither is having a year 1, year 2, ...etc class. Children don't die just because they are in a class over 30.

Prehaps having 31 will guarentee that the class gets a TA. At my son's school there is very little TA support for the teacher beyond year 1. The TAs work with specific children outside the classroom and parent helpers listen to the children read.

Well, there is a limit and it's 30. If it goes to 31, then why go up to 32. One more child won't kill anyone, so why not 35. Nobody's going to die because of it.

I really think Blueberry that you should raise this with the Schools Adjudicator, if all the schools are being forced to take an extra pupil which will show as 31 in the class in september then this is simply wrong unless Redbridge are providing the funding for an extra teacher in each of the classes (absolutely no chance!).

My working theory would be that the LA know about the fact that 2013's reception excepted children over 31 will be considered excepted for all the time that they are above 31 and in infants. They have therefore taken the action now under the fair access protocol arrangements and they misunderstand the arrangements for excepted pupils in year 1 from september. If you complain now the School Adjudicator has sufficient time to look at the issue and come to a decision well before september.

Is there any possibility of getting anything in writing from the LA about this? Something must have been sent to schools?

BlueberryPancake children with quite serious special needs are being hit by the credit crunch. For example children with severe special needs are being denied respite, adquate statements and transport to special schools. The treatment of adults with learning difficulites is also shocking.

Personally I think that increasing the maximum class size is not an unreasonable thing to do. If the 30 child rule was applied rigorously then there would be no funding for outside TA support. I suspect that a class of 31 or 32 with good TA support will give better results than a class with 30 and no TA support.

30 years ago I was in a class of 39 for reception with no TA support, yet I learnt to read. Prehaps when the economy is in a stronger state then we can reduce class sizes again.

Yes, educational standards will suffer, but a country can only spend what it can afford of education.