Secondary class sizes continue to rise DfE reveals
The average secondary class size has risen to 21.7 in 2019 after increasing for four consecutive years.
Data released by the DfE shows that 8.4% of all secondary school classes have between 31 and 35 pupils, up from 5.6% five years ago.
According to the DfE, as the current population bulge in primary schools moves through the school system, the number of pupils in secondary schools will continue to rise.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the increases in class size are “a direct result of real-terms cuts in school funding”.
These numbers come alongside the department’s school workforce census, which shows a fall in the number of teachers at secondary level. The data also showed that almost a third of teachers leave the profession within five years.
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