How big is a big class?

[teacherspets]

My friend's son is in a class of 32 children which I think is massive (year 5). Is it legal to have more than 30?

Disclaimer: I know little of the state system. My kids classes have 14 kids and I have 19 in my class so opinion might be skewed.

[Socksandshoes]

I have had 34 in year 1. It was bloody hard work.

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

Yes it is, why not? Private will always have smaller classes because you’re paying for it. Us poor people have to make do!

[teacherspets]

Genuinely thought classes had to cap at 30. I stand corrected.

[fruityb]

It’s legal but that is a big class. I have 28 in a bottom set at the moment which is difficult.

[SupplychainNpton]

14 max (until a celeb wanted their kids to join - then 16). Not private.

[Aragog]

Capped to 30 at key stage 1.

It's not ideal to have class sizes of 30, it several do at key stage 2 upwards.

[Childrenofthesun]

Infant class size cap (up to end of Y2) is 30 but I have worked in academies where they have taken over 30 as there is a grey area over whether they are subject to the ICS legislation.

There is no legal limit in KS2 but schools can say if they have space or not, often dependent on classroom size, SEND needs in existing class etc. As funding is given per pupil and budgets are so tight at the moment, schools are likely to snap up any extra pupils they can. Most of the classes in my school are 30-32 but SIL has taught classes of 36 before.

[Gardeninginsummer1]

I'm not sure about primary in Scotland but I believe the max class size is 33 in secondary. We have put our children in a village school...18 in a class.

[SausageOnAFork]

I’ve had a KS2 class of 34 before.
It depends on the schools PAN number. That is set by the council, I think, and is the maximum number the school can take.
I don’t think there is a legal limit on KS2.

[SausageOnAFork]

In England that is. Not sure about the rest of the U.K.

[marriageoftrueminds]

I’m a primary teacher and I’ve taught in year 1 classes with 31 or 32. There are various reasons why it might happen - in our case it was because there was a shortage of places in the area so it was either that or have children not in any school. But it could also be because a high-risk or SEN child has been added to the roll after the class is full because the LEA/school/family judge that this is the school that can best suit their needs. There may be other possible reasons too.

It doesn’t make that much difference really if it’s just one or two more than the usual 30.

[SureIusedtobetaller]

Had 33 once in year three. Awful.
Had 23 one year and it was bliss.

[HettieBettie]

I’ve had 36 in y1 with no TA depends On catchment - we have service children move into the area and cannot refuse them despite our Pan.

[LockedOutOfMN]

I don't think there's a legal maximum?

I am a secondary teacher (private) and think more than 30 is a lot. I have 28 in a class this year and that's enough. 25 at A Level...dreading reading their coursework. Had 18 at A Level last year which was ideal.

[MaisyPops]

I've had 34 in Year 8 before. It wasn't that bad in terms of teaching but you notice it when it comes to marking assessment.
28 is a much nicer number.

[IHeartKingThistle]

I've got 32 in my Year 10 top set but only 10 in my Year 9 bottom set. It's better behaviour+more marking or worse behaviour +less marking. Swings and roundabouts! I'll take massive top sets any day to keep the lower sets smaller.

[spaghettipeppers]

Scotland has legal maximums:

25 in a P1 class
30 P2- P3
33- P4-7.

Some LAs get around this by having 2 teachers in one infant class.

I think anything above 25 is big. I like classes of around 24.

[Thesnobbymiddleclassone]

My primary had 3 classes of 34 per year group.

[VanessaShanessaJenkins]

For my first 5 years of teaching I had classes of 38, 38, 39, 37, 38. All. year 5
(I only started teaching 11 years ago).
They then changed the was the intake was split so classes dropped to 26/27. It was so much nicer.
Other teachers and parents alike would recoil in horror when I use to say I had 39 children in the class!

[todayiwin]

39 children in one class?!? Just how did you do it? All that homework? Jesus you're my hero

[Rebecca36]

Anything over 28 is big so, yes, 32 is huge.

[Ava1988]

I've had classes of 38. There's no cap for ks2.

[BewareOfDragons]

Cambridgeshire by any chance?

I knew 2 schools that have 32 or 33 in their Y5 classes around here.

[OneWildNightWithJBJ]

Over 30 is big but not huge. I had 37 in my Year 5 maths set and that was my NQT year! I have 23 in my current Y1 class, which is lovely.

[OneWildNightWithJBJ]

I meant 32 is big but not huge...