Hundreds more pupils in classes of 30-plus than seven years ago

Political Editor MORE of our children than ever are being taught in oversized classes

Research by Labour found 3,180 children across the North East in Key Stage 1, which usually means aged five to seven, are taught in classes with more than 30 pupils and just one teacher.

This is up from 1,957 pupils in 2011, according to an analysis of Department of Education statistics.

The number of Key Stage 2 pupils in classes of more than 30 was 12,904, up from 10,887 pupils in 2011.

It follows warnings that North East schools are struggling to attract teachers.

Ian Mearns MP, who represents Gateshead and is a member of the House of Commons Education Committee said: “To see this rise in class sizes is shocking but not surprising from this Tory Government, which has done so much to damage all of our public services, but for the warnings of school funding to go unheeded is unforgivable.

“The Tories have starved schools of money when they knew that pupil numbers are rising across the country and have only lately come to accept that there is a recruitment and retention crisis, with teachers leaving the profession in record numbers.

“This Government is damaging the future of the next generation. Labour would invest in schools and ensure that class sizes are capped at 30 for all primary school pupils.” Minister for school standards Nick Gibb said: “The proportion of infant pupils in classes of over 30 has actually decreased in each of the last three years – from 6.2% in 2015 to 4.9% in 2018. The average primary class size has also seen little change and currently sits at 27.1, well below the statutory limit, even with the increases in numbers of primary school children.

“We are on track to create one million new school places this decade – the largest increase for at least two generations. The number of pupils in overcrowded schools has actually decrease by over 43,000 since 2010 and we have also increased funding for school places, so that it has grown alongside the population increase, to meet local authorities’ pupil number projections.”

Schools in the region are getting by with 500 fewer teachers than just a year ago.

In Northumberland, the number of teachers fell by 171 in 12 months. Teacher numbers in North Tyneside were down by 93 over the course of a year, while in Sunderland they fell by 80 and in Newcastle they fell by 55.

Earlier this year the National Audit Office found 16% of secondary headteachers in the North East had vacant posts.

The Department for Education has admitted teacher recruitment is “challenging” because unemployment is relatively low. But headteachers have warned they must be allowed to offer better pay.