Class sizes

[smogsville]

Hi Everyone, looking for some perspective/ expertise on class sizes. Email home from head last night to parents of Y1 and Y3 pupils saying that we have been directed by local authority to receive an extra child in each class, so there will be 31 rather than 30. There are already 31 in other years. I checked with a friend whose kids are at the school up the road and same thing happening there. Shortage of places locally driving this so presumably when families move into the area the LA shares them out among the schools (which are all either full or 30+) as it is obliged to find places. What's the situation with regards to going over 31 as and when new families move into the area? Thanks.

If there are no schools within a reasonable distance from home when a new child moves into the area they can be admitted to a school as an excepted child, which means they don't count towards the infant class size limit. There is no limit to the number of excepted children in a class so they can go over 31 if necessary.

Thanks. I've had an email back from the head saying they would strongly oppose going above 31 as they couldn't stretch resources plus we are voluntary aided which is reassuring but we have a v high performing state boys secondary up the road that allows anyone to apply irrespective of address at time of application so boys from all over the UK take the exam and then the family relocates here if their son is offered a place. Then any younger siblings need a primary school. Anyway that's useful clarification, thanks again.

Whilst I can understand and agree with the school's reluctance to go above 31, the reality on admissions, if pupils are either excepted pupils in KS1 or LAC /pupils with EHCPlan naming the school is that the pupil will end up in the school.
Stretching resources or the fact that the school is VA will have zero effect on any such decision, so whilst it might appease some parents, the reality is quite different.

I understand that there will be excepted pupils. But if they are not, can the LEA force the school to except children simply because they have moved into the area due a sibling gaining a place at a nearby school?

What about the waiting list? Do they just jump it? Seems incredibly unfair. What about the pupils already there!

Lastly, is there a class limit in KS2?

The admission authority decides whether or not a child is excepted. The rules on which children are excepted are clear. A child will not be excepted just because they have moved into the area. However, they can be excepted if there are no schools with places within a reasonable distance from home.

If a pupil is excepted, admitted through the Fair Access Protocol or with an EHCP they will jump the waiting list. Even if they don't fall into one of these categories, a pupil moving into the area may go ahead of pupils already on the waiting list as it is ordered by the admission criteria.

There is no class size limit in KS2.

Thank you.

The problem is all local schools are full, seems like we will have more and more pupils due to the outstanding local senior school.

I bet the local Authority won't be funding extra TA's

Thanks all and especially to @prh47bridge for the clarification. I have one further question if I may: assuming all local schools are full ie 30 in a class, are faith schools that don't offer any community places within the normal reception admissions round exempt from accepting pupils who don't fulfil their faith criterion or are these schools treated in the same way by the LA when it comes to finding spaces for excepted children? Thanks again.

No, faith schools are not exempt. They are treated exactly the same way as any other school.

Ok that's good to know, thanks. One further question (if you don't mind!) what is considered a reasonable distance?

Government guidance is that anything up to 45 minutes travelling time each way is generally considered reasonable for a primary school child.

Thank you

Can I trouble you once again @prh47bridge? Is it the case that the admissions panel at LA has to offer a school within two miles of someone's home? With specific reference to in year admissions when all local schools are already full or at 31. This is what a friend has been told by someone who works at LA. Thank you.

No, that is not true. They will want to do so as they have to provide free transport if the allocated school is further away but they can allocate a place at any school that is within 45 minutes travelling distance.

Thank you. All starting to make sense now as there are schools a bit further away with space. It's enough to boil blood really isn't it! Has anyone ever successfully challenged the two mile thing, ie demonstrated that the overall benefit to a large number of children of not having crowded classes is worth the cost of transport?