more than 30 in reception?

[willywoo]

Hi, I'm new to this site and was wondering if any of you are aware of infant classes with more than 30 children in them. Would be really grateful if anyone could help.

Thanks

By infants do you mean reception, or the the whole of primary.
DD is in a mixed Y1/Y2 and they have 31.

Yes, my DD is in a class in which there were 32 when she joined. She got in on appeal. The numbers have since gone down to 30 following three families moving out of the area.

ds reception has 31 (30 being max allowed) I know at least 8 families that were sent elsewhere but a new boy joined 6 weeks after the 1st term, still not sure how that works ??

I know of a school that had 19 in yr2 and 41 in yr1. To be legal they had two split-year classes for registration; but for ease of teaching split into year-groups for literacy and numeracy hours (i.e. all morning) with extra TA support ...

I'm not sure it was legal though. Certainly against the spirit of the law I'd have thought!

Ds reception class had 32, though it's gone down a bit since then. The year above went up to 34 in Y1.

I thought that it wasn't the number of children in the class that was the issue in law but the teacher/pupil ratio. You can have 32 in a class but you have to have 2 teachers?

Sorry - I'm talking crap. DFES site states:

In September 2001 all infant classes were required by law to contain 30 pupils or fewer, except in very limited circumstances for limited periods of time. This year 0.7% of KS1 classes, not covered by these exceptions, had more than 30 pupils, a fall from 0.9% last year.

There has been a slight increase in the number of KS1 classes with over 30 pupils with permitted reasons. Schools can have KS1 classes over 30 for a limited period without contravening Infant Class Size Regulations if children have moved into the area after the start of the year or if the local authority needs to place a child with Special Educational Needs or a Looked After Child.

Dd2 is in a Reception class of 42.They have 2 teachers (1 is only 3 days but think they get round the law by some children joining nursery class/teacher at times)

Thanks, that's really useful. My daughter didn't get into her catchment school even after appeal. We asked to go on the waiting list but no one told us that the LEA didn't hold the waiting list once the academic year started, the school did. A child who was number 11 on the list has just been admitted as number one (we were originally number 4). The person in question just happens to live next door to the school secretary! The LEA has admitted it never told us this rather useful bit of information. I'm absolutely furious and was hoping I could force them to take her on the basis that other schools have 30 in reception classes but the bit about limited periods of time from the DfES site doesn't sound too promising.

Not sure what else to do it just seems so unfair. Talk about cronyism!

dd's school take 40 in recpetion but the classes are all split, 30 in one class, 10 in another mixed with 20 year 1.

30 is the legal limit in infants.

at schools with bigger classes!

Mind you I do know of a very well thought-of school round these parts where infant classes are all 35 - they just take 5 children out of class for literacry and numeracy which apparently makes it OK

Not the same 5 every time tho so that's ok

at that school's policy Clary! It is astounding what different schools make of the "policy".

Ladymuck - there are ways round it, but that is the rule. At our school someone made a complaint to the DfES and they had to get another teacher in!

Yes roisin it's unbelievable.

School is in posh village and most think it highly desirable but I wouldn't be keen.

We have exactly the same situation as MrsWho with over 40 children and two teachers, one of whom is only 3 days per week. Apparently they can do this because they run reception together with nursery as the Early Years Unit. The class splits into two of approx 20 from Y1 onwards.