More infant class sizes break limit
Growing numbers of infant school pupils are being taught in classes bigger than the legal limit of 30.
The number of children aged five to seven in England in unlawfully large classes rose to 10,010 in January, up from 6,380 last year and more than double the 2007 figure of 4,280.
This represents 310 classes with more than 30 pupils, or 0.6% of all Key Stage 1 classes - an increase on 200 classes (0.4%) the previous year and 130 (0.2%) in 2007.
The census of English schools in January found another 580 infant classes (1.1% of the total) which were over the limit but met specific circumstances that allow larger sizes.
These included schools where extra pupils were admitted on the basis of an independent appeal panel decision or outside the normal admission round.
Overall the average primary school class size remains level at 26.2, and secondary school class sizes fell slightly to 20.6 from 20.9 last year.
Schools Minister Jim Knight said primary schools had better staffing levels than ever before and insisted that the problem would be tackled.
He said: "Infant class sizes were a national disgrace in 1997 - and it was a scandal that almost a third of children were in oversized classes.
"We now have strong legal measures to ensure that almost all infant classes are below 30. The less than 1% that are unlawfully large must take immediate steps to comply with the law.
"All of the unlawfully large sized classes last year were brought within acceptable limits and I expect prompt action to be taken again to ensure compliance. I continue to work with local authorities to ensure that they have the funding and powers to deal with any rise in primary numbers."
