Maximum class size?

[pastaparadise]

Dd is in yr 1 at an academy school. The original starting cohort was 30 children. This became 31 mid way last year. This week another child has joined making it 32.

I thought 30 was the maximum? Can they just keep adding with no cap? School is an academy if that makes any difference.

Generally in KS1 the class size limit is 30, in line with the infant class size rules. But, in certain situations, more children can be admitted - if (for example) they have won an appeal or have been admitted through the fair access protocol.

SEND children with the school named in their plan. Adopted children. Children in care/foster children. These are usually the children that can be admitted to an already full class.

There are often excepted children who take you over the 30 limit in KS 1.

PresentingPercy - Not necessarily. Those are generally the highest priority groups on any school’s oversubscription criteria but that doesn’t always mean that they’ll be admitted as excepted pupils if (say) they make a late application.

Yes I know that they may not be admitted but sometimes they might be. Depends on the individual circumstances. Getting the school named on a EHC plan after an appeal, and then being denied a place, would be a monumental kick in the teeth to the send child and the parents. Most schools would admit. Ditto if a family already has dc in the school and then adopt a child. I’ve seen these dc admitted too. Social workers will also advocate strongly for looked after children. Again it depends on the circumstances but it can be very important a child goes to a particular school. It’s rare to have two extra dc though.

Most schools won’t admit, unless the local education authority directs them to (often via the fair access protocol). I agree that it may be difficult to justify not admitting a child where the school has been named on an EHCP, but it’s not unheard of.

OP, bottom line is that there may be a 30 limit but it can and is breached under certain conditions. Realistically there is nothing that you can do about it. The school will not tell you why the pupils have been admitted unless it is something to do with you appealing for a place at the school in that year group, when they would have to disclose.

Well it would appear the school is admitting above 30 in KS1 so it’s probably for the reasons I stated. They haven’t refused admission so one assumes they really felt it was justified and morally right.

As Admission says, the school will not normally disclose why the 31st and 32nd pupils were admitted. But it isn’t about making a moral judgement; everything has to be done with reference to the school admissions code (and appeals code where applicable),

So in my son's year the school was directed by the LA to admit 3 children so technically both classes went over 30 in KS1. However the school was also instructed by the LA to employ an extra teacher so during the day they could break off into smaller groups during the day.

And ArnoldBee that I am sure will have happened with the LA picking up the tab for the costs of the extra teacher.

We have recently moved and my older boy is in a class of 35. They have to make space for military kids as well as those in care.